mmmm . . . applesauce, spice and bars . . .

As most of you know, I live in a country cottage, here in the rural countryside of the United Kingdom, surrounded by beautiful fruit orchards. In the springtime it is a beautiful sea of apple blossom and in the autumn the air rings out with the sound of the apple pickers busy at work, and is heady with the scent of fresh apples.



I can tell that the crop is almost ready to pick now . . . the tell tale sign of big wooden apple crates has appeared at the end of every odd row of trees, and the branches are hanging low and heavy with delicious fruits of many colours.



One nice thing about living surrounded by Orchards is that we are free to pick up the windfalls and bring them home to use . . . autumn for me, is filled with apple pies, apple cakes, apple sauce . . . apple anything! We love apples here at Oak Cottage, we really do.



I have had a bit of a summer hiatis from the Tuesdays With Dorie baking group but am happy to say that this week I am back in the saddle and what a delicious week I picked (no pun intended) to start back up with the group! I just love the TWD baking group and so does Todd. I love it because I happen to love Dorie Greenspan's recipes and the Baking, From My Home to Yours, is my favourite one of all her books . . . and I am happy to own all of them. Todd loves it because he knows that at least once a week, he is going to be treated to something totally delicious and freshly baked.



This week's recipe thrilled us both on several levels. Karen, of Something Sweet by Karen, chose the Applesauce Spice Bars on pages 117 and118 of the book. We were both happy about that, because . . . we both love applesauce and the warm spices that go along with it . . . we both love cake . . . and we have a ton of apples just waiting to be made into someting deliciously scrummy!



Dorie, Dorie, Dorie . . . I don't know why you and your family are not all as big as barns . . . these easily have to be the most delicious bars ever!!! Are they a bar, or are they cake??? It doesn't matter . . . the only thing that counts is that they are I R R E S I S T A B L E!!! We just LOVED them!!! Thanks so much Karen, for picking out this recipe. It was the most delicious way to jump back into the saddle, and . . . I think . . . this has been my most favourite recipe thus far.



Imagine a moist, delicious cake . . . redolent with warm baking spices . . . flavours like cinnamon, allspice and cloves . . . not to mention applesauce and delightful little chunks of tart apple, combined with sweet and sticky raisins. Are you there yet? Are your toes curling up and tingling with pure and absolute pleasure??? Ok . . . now top it off with a buttery and creamy brown sugary glaze . . . Doesn't that sound to die for???

It does. They were. Make sure you check out Karen's page to scoop this fantastic recipe when she posts it. You won't be sorry you did. In the meantime . . . you'll just have to content yourselves with licking your screens.



Thanks so much, Karen, for picking such a scrumdiddlyumptious recipe for us to bake! Next week, Linda of Tender Crumb has chosen, Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie on pages 337-339. Sounds mighty tasty to me! Make sure you check out the Dorie Blog roll as well. I am sure the other ladies all have some wonderful pictures to drool over!



By the way, I did bake The Brownie Buttons last week, as chosen by Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen, but, what with my birthday and cake, and all the other activity that was going on here at the cottage, I just didn't have enough time to post about them. They were really scrummy though!




Speaking of scrumdiddlyumptious . . . I made the most scrumptious Tomato Pie for our dinner yesterday. This too, is to die for. Check out my recipe on The English Kitchen.