2-2-2 Mac & Cheese

Easy Macaroni & Cheese

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 c milk
2+ c sharp cheddar cheese
2 c macaroni noodles

Directions:

1. Bring a medium size pot of water onto boil, and add in the pasta once the water has come to a rolling boil. Then you can add in the pasta and cook according to package direction and strain quickly.

2. Like I explained before with the Fettuccine Alfredo, you will make a roux out of butter and flour as a base for your cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Once the butter has melted slowly whisk in flour. I find it easiest to tilt the pot to one side so that the butter will be only on half of the pot.
3. Microwave the milk in a measuring cup until right before it starts to boil.
4. Then slowly pour the milk a couple tbsp at a time in to the roux, whisking very quickly so that the roux dissolves and does not clump up before add more milk. I suggest adding this size amount about 4 times before adding in the rest. You want the roux to be completely dissolved into the milk.
5. Bring up the milk mixed to medium high heat and cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. Now you can add in the cheese about 1/3 at a time and stir until melted. Once all of the cheese has been melted into the sauce, turn down the heat to low.
7. Now you can serve the mac & cheese. I suggest to make up each portion separately, and if you intend on saving some of it for later keep the pasta and sauce in two separate containers in the refrigerator and then combine before reheating slowly in the microwave.

Cheese Note:

• I suggest not using Walmart or Kraft brand cheddar cheese for this application because it does not melt smoothly and becomes grainy (I know from experience). 
• I also like to add a little more than 2 cups of cheese if I have it on hand because it makes the sauce's flavor more intense. 
• Another thing I like to do, that some people would be appalled that I do, is I sometimes add 2 or 3 slices of American cheese slices when I add in the cheddar. We are so used to Mac & Cheese that has some added flavors other than just cheddar cheese and this adds another nice touch of cheese. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Drizzle Brownies

I came up with these one night when I wanted to dress up some brownies I'd made. You can make peanut butter and chocolate drizzle to dress up store bought or homemade brownie. I also like to sprinkle a small handful of chocolate chips or Resess's Piece. Both this topping can be made in minutes with things you always have in your kitchen. Only two ingredients are needed for the peanut butter drizzle and only for to make the chocolate, which is similar to a loose chocolate butter cream.

Peanut Butter Drizzle
1/3 c peanut butter
1/2 tbsp butter or margarine

You can either use crunchy or smooth peanut butter. Chunky will end up in little drops over the brownies while smooth will be able to be actually drizzled. Put the peanut butter and butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave in increments of 15 seconds and stir and continue until it is smooth. Then use a spoon to drizzle it onto your brownies.


Chocolate Drizzle
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1+ tsp milk
1/2+ c powder sugar

Sorry that the measurements are exact, I forgot just how much I added by the end. Soften the butter in the microwave then mix in the butter and powder sugar. Add a little milk. Then add more milk or powder sugar until it is a drizzling consistency and taste right. I suggest doing this in a glass measuring cup and you can either pour or use a spoon to drizzle it over the brownies.

If you want at this point to can sprinkle on chocolate chips, peanuts, or Resess's Pieces.

Fettuccine Alfredo From Scratch

One of my favorite things to make is Fettuccine Alfredo. In high school I found a simple recipe for a mommy version of Alfredo sauce and made it a few times for my family. Then during the months when Phillip and I were emailing each other before we started dating he told my he knew how to make homemade pasta so we agreed that Fettuccine Alfredo would be the first thing we'd cook together; he would show me how to make the pasta and I would show him my sauce.

Well the first time we tried it was, we'll say, a practice run. We got back from church and had to be somewhere by 2pm, so we didn't have much time. Making the pasta dough took longer then we though. Then rolling it out by hand was a pain because pasta dough is supper thick, so needless to say we gave up on rolling it as thin as we wanted. When we boiled the noodles it expanded to double that size like pasta is supposed to, so our pasta was crazy thick and doughy. The sauce was another story. The recipe I used called for corn starch to thicken it, which I will say now isn't a good idea to use a pasta sauce recipe that calls for corn starch because there are much more legitimate effective ways to thicken a sauce. But the sauce was too thick and then we didn't have extra milk to thin it out, along with the fact that I didn't use near enough cheese. So the first attempt was a failure but fun.

Since then, we have made Fettuccine Alfredo countless times. Last Summer, Phillip gave me a pasta machine, which makes rolling out and cutting the pasta dough much easier. I have also had time to prefect my sauce, which I can say it typically solely my job because Phillip gets frustrated with the roux when you have to add the milk. I will warn you that this process is a little time consuming but fun and rewarding. If you don't want to go through the work of making your own pasta, you can use a store bought pasta and make the sauce but I will say that homemade is always better. I will also say that this Alfredo Sauce recipe has come from trial and error and is not the mommy sauce I used the first time we made Fettuccine Alfredo, this recipe is mostly 2's so it's easy to remember.

Fettuccine Alfredo
Pasta:
2 3/4 c all purpose flour
12 egg yolks
2-4 egg whites
pinch of salt

Alfredo Sauce:
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of all purpose flour
2 c warm milk
pinch of salt
2+ c grated Parmesan cheese (good quality, don't be cheap with the cheese, the flavor of store brand or even Kraft is not the same and they don't melt as easily as Sergento or a better quality cheese)
pinch of nutmeg (optional, but advised)

Pasta Directions:
1. Measure out, the flour spooning it into a dry measuring cup. (NOTE: If you simply scoop flour out of your flour container, the flour will be compactor than if you spooned it into the cup and your recipe will not turn out the same because you used too much flour.) 
2. Then pour out the flour onto a clean dry counter.
3. Form the flour into a small mound. Then stick your fingers down into the center of the mound and rotate until there is a large crater.
4. Then separate a dozen eggs, into two different bowls. I suggest breaking the eggs over your fingers and transferring it from on hand to the other repeatedly until the white has fallen through your fingers and you are left holding the yolk.
5. Use a fork or whisk to break the yolks and slightly mix them up. Then pour them into the center of your mound of flour.
6. Slowly work the flour into the center with the yolks with your fingers. NOTE: This techniques is hard, I still have problems with preforming this technique without having yolk running out onto the counter so do stress if your weld doesn't work. Just quickly work the flour into the yolk enough that yolk is not running everywhere.)
7. Continue to work the flour and yolk together. Once it is about 3/4 of the way mixed start kneading with the  heal of your hand.
8. Add an egg white and continue kneading. You wont be able to mix in all of the crumbs but try to get some of them.
9. Knead for 10 minutes and add another egg white or two if needed. Be patient, this process takes time. The dough should turn out firm, thoroughly mixed and not sticky.
10. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
11. After allowing the dough to rest roll our the dough, either with a pasta machine or with a heavy rolling pin. Roll out to the thickness of about a dime.
12. Then cut the dough into Fettuccine noodles. If you are doing this by hand I advice using a ruler and an extra sharp knife. You want the noodles to be all the same time because if they aren't they wont have the same cook time.
13. Then boil the pasta for about 3-4 minutes, this may vary. Fish a noodle out and throw it at the wall, it's fun! If it sticks to the wall, the pasta is ready, but if it rolls down then give it another 30 secs and try again.

Alfredo Sauce Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Slowly whisk in the flour. (NOTE: I like to tilt the pan so that the butter is only on one side of the pot for this step and step #4. I find that it makes it much easier.) This technique is called a roux and is used to thicken many sauces
3. Microwave the milk in a measuring cup and stop it just before it starts to boil.
4. Pour a little of the milk (about 2 tbsp worth) into the pot and quickly whisk the roux into the milk. Then add a little bit more and quickly continue whisking. You don't want the mixture to be milk with clumps or roux that won't mix in smoothly. Add a little more milk and repeat this process about four times and then it will be safe to add the rest of the milk and quickly whisk and you should be left with a smooth liquid.
5. Then turn the heat up to medium high and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes.
6. Now you can mix in about 1/3 of the cheese at a time. Whisk into the cheese has melted and add more.
7. Once all the cheese has been incorporated add in the salt and nutmeg. (NOTE: Nutmeg may seem odd, but it is used in a lot of traditional Italian and Greek food, both sweet and savory because of the warmth it provides.)

Your sauce and pasta are now done; you can now serve a few spoonfuls of sauce over your pasta.

To Make the Pasta:
Measure out, the flour spooning it into a dry measuring cup. (NOTE: If you simply scoop flour out of your flour container, the flour will be compactor than if you spooned it into the cup and your recipe will not turn out the same because you used too much flour.) 

2. Then pour out the flour onto a clean dry counter. Form the flour into a small mound. 

Then stick your fingers down into the center of the mound.

  Rotate until there is a large crater as pictured with the dotted line. 

Top view of crater in flour, this is called a weld.

Then separate a dozen eggs, into two different bowls. I suggest breaking the eggs over your fingers and transferring it from on hand to the other repeatedly until the white has fallen through your fingers and you are left holding the yolk. Use a fork or whisk to break the yolks and slightly mix them up. Then pour them into the center of your mound of flour.

Slowly work the flour into the center with the yolks with your fingers. NOTE: This techniques is hard, I still have problems with preforming this technique without having yolk running out onto the counter so do stress if your weld doesn't work. Just quickly work the flour into the yolk enough that yolk is not running everywhere.) To give you an idea of what this technique looks like here is a You Tube link: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z0Gkms_tCY&feature=related

Continue to work the flour and yolk together. Once it is about 3/4 of the way mixed start kneading with the  heal of your hand. To knead, push the dough away from you with the heal of your hand and then rotate 45*. Then push away again and continue repeating over and over. Add an egg white and continue kneading. You wont be able to mix in all of the crumbs but try to get some of them. Knead for 10 minutes and add another egg white or two if needed. Be patient, this process takes time. The dough should turn out firm, thoroughly mixed and not sticky. A quick video on how to knead pasta dough properly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGyBP9eRsV8

Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. After allowing the dough to rest roll our the dough, either with a pasta machine or with a heavy rolling pin. Roll out to the thickness of about a dime. 

Then cut the dough into Fettuccine noodles. If you are doing this by hand I advice using a ruler and an extra sharp knife. You want the noodles to be all the same time because if they aren't they wont have the same cook time. 

hen boil the pasta for about 3-4 minutes, this may vary. Fish a noodle out and throw it at the wall, it's fun! If it sticks to the wall, the pasta is ready, but if it rolls down then give it another 30 secs and try again.

Then turn of the heat and quickly drain the pasta. You want the pasta to be a nice al dente, still a little bit, not too soft.

Pasta Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. 

Slowly whisk in the flour. (NOTE: I like to tilt the pan so that the butter is only on one side of the pot for this step and step #4. I find that it makes it much easier.) This technique is called a roux and is used to thicken many sauces

Microwave the milk in a measuring cup and stop it just before it starts to boil. Pour a little of the milk (about 2 tbsp worth) into the pot and quickly whisk the roux into the milk. Then add a little bit more and quickly continue whisking. You don't want the mixture to be milk with clumps or roux that won't mix in smoothly. Add a little more milk and repeat this process about four times and then it will be safe to add the rest of the milk and quickly whisk and you should be left with a smooth liquid.

Then turn the heat up to medium high and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes. Now you can mix in about 1/3 of the cheese at a time. Whisk into the cheese has melted and add more. Once all the cheese has been incorporated add in the salt and nutmeg. (NOTE: Nutmeg may seem odd, but it is used in a lot of traditional Italian and Greek food, both sweet and savory because of the warmth it provides.)

Plate some of the pasta and spoon a few spoonfuls of sauce over the pasta.

Enjoy! 

Apple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:
Apple Bottom
2 apples; use baking apples (McIntosh, Cortland, Granny Smith, or Fiji) thinly sliced, if you like you can peel them first, I left the peel on
4 tbsp butter
1/3 c molasses, or molasses substitute, recipe to follow
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3+ c brown sugar

Cake
6 tbsp margarine
1 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp cornmeal
3-4 tbsp milk

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Lightly butter a 9-10 inch pie pan and sprinkle a tablespoon of brown sugar over the bottom of the pan.
3. Slice apples very thin.
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Then add in apple slices and toss to coat the apples completely in butter with a spatula.
6. Then after 1-2 minutes, when the apples have started getting just a little cooked, add in the molasses and cinnamon.
7. Allow to cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the apples have cooked most of the way and the juices have started coming. Set the skillet on an off burner to cool some.
8. Now for the cake batter, soften the margarine in a microwave safe bowl.
9. Then cream together the butter and sugar.
10. Next add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until blended.
11. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and cornmeal and stir well.
12. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend until combined.
13. To finish off the batter, stir in milk. You want the batter to be a thick pour-able consistency.
14. Lay out the apples in the pan on top of the brown sugar.
15. Then spoon 3 or 4 spoonfuls of the juice mixture that was left in the skillet over the apples.
14. The last thing to do before pouring the in batter is to sprinkle about 1/3 a cup of brown sugar, first in the holes where the pan is showing through the apples and then on top of the apples. If you want to be generous and add a little more brown sugar go ahead, it won't affect the recipe negatively.
15. Pour the batter over the apples and gently with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula spread the batter to the sides without disturbing or moving the apples. Take your time there's no rush.
16. Then bake the cake for about 25-30 minutes depending on your oven. You can stick a toothpick or fork into the center, if it pulls out clean your cake is done.
17. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, but don't allow it to sit much more than 45 minutes because it may become too cool and the caramelized sugar will stick.
18. Run a knife around the pie pan and turn it out onto your serving dish. Place you plate or platter upside down on your pie pan. Then holding both the pan and the plate flip them together so that the pan will be upside down on the plat allowing the cake to fall.
19. Serve now or store at room temperature for up to a day or refrigerate for up to 4.

 Lightly butter a 9-10 inch pie pan, hold the stick of butter and rub it over the pan. Then using your finger rub the pan making it smooth and making sure the entire pan is covered.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoon of brown sugar over the bottom of the pan.

 If you want to can cut off the apple peel but I chose to leave it on. Cut the apples in quarters and then cut out the core. Then thinly slice the quarters. Try to cut them evenly so that they will all have the same cook time.

 Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Note: That in this picture I am unsafely holding the pan with the handle out into the kitchen and not towards the middle of the pan as is safest.

 Then add in apple slices and toss to coat the apples completely in butter with a spatula. Then after 1-2 minutes, when the apples have started getting just a little cooked, add in the molasses and cinnamon.

Allow to cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the apples have cooked most of the way and the juices have started coming. Set the skillet on an off burner to cool some.

 Now for the cake batter, soften the margarine in a microwave safe bowl. Then cream together the butter and sugar.

 Next add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until blended. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and cornmeal and stir well.

 Add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend until combined. To finish off the batter, stir in milk. You want the batter to be a thick pour-able consistency.

 Lay out the apples in the pan on top of the brown sugar. Then spoon 3 or 4 spoonfuls of the juice mixture that was left in the skillet over the apples.

 The last thing to do before pouring the in batter is to sprinkle about 1/3 a cup of brown sugar, first in the holes where the pan is showing through the apples and then on top of the apples. If you want to be generous and add a little more brown sugar go ahead, it won't affect the recipe negatively.

 Pour the batter over the apples and gently with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula spread the batter to the sides without disturbing or moving the apples. Take your time there's no rush. Then bake the cake for about 25-30 minutes depending on your oven. You can stick a toothpick or fork into the center, if it pulls out clean your cake is done.

 Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, but don't allow it to sit much more than 45 minutes because it may become too cool and the caramelized sugar will stick. NOTE: Mine is slightly over done, even I make mistakes. Run a knife around the pie pan and turn it out onto your serving dish. Place you plate or platter upside down on your pie pan. Then holding both the pan and the plate flip them together so that the pan will be upside down on the plat allowing the cake to fall.

Serve now or store at room temperature for up to a day or refrigerate for up to 4.

Enjoy!

Mending and Alterations

After helping Phillip move out of his dorm, I was able to grab a pair of jeans that he hadn't worn for nearly a year now because they badly needed hemming. I also snatched up two pair of shorts that were very worn. They both had holes on the back side where the pockets has started to pull away. One pair also had a large tear across the front of the leg, which kept getting worse every time he wore them because he pulled at it and the other were cargo shorts, so on all 6 pockets the upper corners had pulled away creating a hole.

 The jeans that I cut off about 5 inches and then folded and pressed a double hem. Then I pinned it in place and edge stitched it from the inside with a heavy duty needle.

 For the holes in the pockets, I cut a small square of scrap fabric and pinned it on t e inside, backing where the hole was. Then I used the darning stitch across the hole in a few different directions. The darning stitch is a strong repetitive stitch that is used to sewing up holes.

The darning can look much neater, but my life was made hard by the multiple layers of very thick fabric on the corners of the pockets, which I would of liked to be able to see through but when I tried I broke a needle and decided that it wasn't a good idea.

Enjoy!

Apple Stack Cake

Apple Stack Cake
Cake
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c buttermilk
1/6 c molasses or molasses substitute (recipe to follow)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Filling
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
5 apples, thinly sliced (assorted colors)
1/2 cup apple juice
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch

Apple Glaze
1 c apple cider
1/3 c sugar
3/4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Molasses Substitute
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
1/3 corn syrup

Directions
Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350*F.
2. Butter and flour three cake pans, if you don't have 3, you can bake them in batches
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, and set aside.
4. In a separate bowls, cream together butter and sugar.
5. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, and molasses or molasses substitute; blend until combine. Note: If you are using a molasses substitute then plan on making is ahead of time to allow the sugars to break down a little, at least five minutes. Mix together the sugars and corn syrup and stir until blended well.
6. Gradually add in dry ingredients and stir until blended.
7. Split the batter equally between pans using a small measuring cup, I use a 1/3 c measuring cup. This way they bake evenly and have the same cooking time.
8. Gently with a rubber spatula pull the batter to the edge of the pan, be care to not pull up the flour. The batter is thick so just take your time pulling the batter all the way to the edges; the batter doesn't really spread out so you want it touching the edges.
9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, the dough is thick and pretty thin so it doesn't take nearly as long as a traditional cake.
10. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool.
Note: That the cake layers can be made a day in advances, wrapped tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and refrigerated.


Apple Filling
1.Meanwhile, to prepare the apple filling, slice apples between the thickness of a nickel or quarter.
2. Then melt butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat.
3. Add in apples and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Add in the apple juice, corn starch, and sugar. I'd suggest adding half the juice, then the sugar and corn starch, then add the rest of the juice over it, so that the juice helps the corn starch and sugar start to dissolve.
5. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the apples are softened.
6. Drain off the liquid and set the apples aside in a bowl to cool down.


Apple Glaze
1. Combine the apple cidar, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a medium sauce pan over heat heat.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and stir occasionally for about 8 minutes.
4 Remove from heat to allow to cool and thicken a little more.

Assembly
1. Place one cake on a large plate or plater.
2. Then spread a few generous spoon fulls of the glaze over the cake. It may look like a lot but remember that some will soak into the cake and some will congeal somewhat with the apples.
3. Then lay out half the cooked apples fanning them out in layers so that the peel edge sticks out the edge of the cake then fill in the middle.
4. Add a spoon full or so of the apple glaze on top of the apples.
5. Then add on the next layer of cake and repeat the method with the glaze and apples.
6. Finally, top it off with the last layer of cake and dust with powder sugar.

The story behind this cake, is that it was tradition throughout the Appalachian Mountains to make this cake as a wedding cake. Most people could not afford a cake from a  bakery so everyone related to the couple would chip in what flour, sugar, and spices they had. Then they would make a cake very similar to this one, and depending on the size of the family, that would affect how many layers the cake would turn out to be, because they would have more donated ingredients if there was a large family.

I got a basic recipe and back story about Apple Stack Cakes from "A World of Cake" by Krystina Castella. You will see more cakes from this book throughout the year, as I plan to make every cake at least once. The Queen Mother Cake was a variation I made to her Queen Mother Cake from England. 

 Here are all the ingredients you need: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, molasses or molasses substitute, vanilla extract, 5 apples, apple juice, sugar, cornstarch, apple cider, cornstarch, and corn syrup if you don't have molasses.

Cake

 Preheat your oven to 350*F. Then spray your cake pans with non-stick spray or lightly butter them with a stick of butter, I used 8 inch pans. Then put about a spoon full of flour into the first pan.

Gently turn the pan until the entire bottom is coated in flour, then over the sink or trash can, because you will loose some, turn the pan tapping it when needed to coat the sides. I only have two pans so I had to reuse one for the last layer after baking the first two layers. 

Note: If you are using a molasses substitute then plan on making is ahead of time to allow the sugars to break down a little, at least five minutes. Mix together the sugars and corn syrup and stir until blended well.

The mixture will be very thick, sticky, and gritty. Set it aside after mixing well. 

You will then need to sift the flour. You can get a sifter that is hand cranked or like this one the handle is a trigger, but personally the fancy sifter is much more work sitting there pulling the trigger 50 times before all the flour is sifted. I prefer using this wire mesh strainer and rubbing the flour through with the back of a spoon. 

  Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, and set aside.

 

In a separate bowls, cream together butter and sugar.

Butter and sugar creamed together, should me completely blended and fluffy. 

 Beat the egg in a small bowl, this is just to break up the yolk. I like to use a fork.

 Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, and molasses or molasses substitute; blend until combine.

After all the wet ingredients have been mix, it doesn't look very appetizing, I will admit that I was nervous that it would not turn out, because of the amount of liquid the butter was broken up in little bits but if the happens with yours the flour will aid in blending it together.

Gradually add in dry ingredients and stir until blended. Make sure to scrap down the sides with rubber spatula about half way through blending and make sure there aren't any flour pockets at the bottom of your bowl.

 Split the batter equally between pans using a small measuring cup, I use a 1/3 c measuring cup. This way they bake evenly and have the same cooking time.

Gently with a rubber spatula pull the batter to the edge of the pan, be care to not pull up the flour. The batter is thick so just take your time pulling the batter all the way to the edges; the batter doesn't really spread out so you want it touching the edges. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, the dough is thick and pretty thin so it doesn't take nearly as long as a traditional cake. 

Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in pan on a wire cooling rack for about 5 minutes. 

 Then run a knife around the edge of each pan before turning them out on the cooling rack. I prefer to flip them back right side up after getting them out of the pan. Note: You can tell with the layer on the right that I didn't quite get the batter to the edge before baking it so now it's not perfectly round.

 Because I only have two pans, after turning out the first two layers I then had to wash and re-flour one of the pans to bake the third layer.

Note: That the cake layers can be made a day in advances, wrapped tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and refrigerated.

Apple Filling

 You will want an assortment of different colors apple, they do not all have to be baking apples.  Meanwhile, to prepare the apple filling, slice apples between the thickness of a nickel or quarter. Note: I do have 6 apples here but only used 5, I though 6 looked prettier for the picture.

 Then melt butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. I wish I had a large cast iron skillet but I don't and had to use a pot because oll of out skillets are too small

 Add in apples and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally

 Add in the apple juice, corn starch, and sugar. I'd suggest adding half the juice, then the sugar and corn starch, then add the rest of the juice over it, so that the juice helps the corn starch and sugar start to dissolve. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the apples are softened. Drain off the liquid and set the apples aside in a bowl to cool down.

Apple Glaze

 Combine sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a medium sauce pan over heat heat.

 Add in apple cider and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and stir occasionally for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat to allow to cool and thicken a little more.

Assembly

 Level off any areas that stick up to make the cake level with a serrated knife. Place one cake on a large plate or plater.

 Then spread a few generous spoon fulls of the glaze over the cake. It may look like a lot but remember that some will soak into the cake and some will congeal somewhat with the apples. Then lay out half the cooked apples fanning them out in layers so that the peel edge sticks out the edge of the cake then fill in the middle. Add a spoon full or so of the apple glaze on top of the apples.

Then add on the next layer of cake and repeat the method with the glaze and apples. Finally, top it off with the last layer of cake and dust with powder sugar.

Enjoy!