Sunday, September 27, 2009

Gladys Taber's Apple Dessert


If Gladys Taber were alive today, I bet you anything she would have a blog. And if she did, I would leave a comment asking her about this particular recipe. Today is the first time I've made it, and I was surprised there was no butter. I want to know if I copied it wrong or if she didn't include it. If I had a copy handy of My Own Cook Book, I could check. But even if I found out there wasn't butter, I would still add it.

Apple Dessert

Mix together:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peel and cut into small pieces, 5 apples. [I think you can add more if you wish, depending on size - I used 7]
Add to dry mixture, along with 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts. [I used walnuts]

Stir in 1/2 cup melted butter and mix well.

Put in greased 9x13 pan, and bake at 375º for about half an hour.

Gladys had written after adding the apples and nuts: stir with a fork or wooden spoon until the juice from the apples has just moistened the mixture. This leads me to think she didn't use butter since butter would be the moistener.

She also included an egg and wrote to add it and mix as well as possible. So perhaps the egg would take the place of butter. I chose to leave it out, as I do in an apple buckle recipe. I just don't like the way it looks or tastes with an egg in there.

She also wrote: this is a good alternative to apple pie and hungry guests are sure to take a second helping.

Well, yes! And not just guests! This is a great dessert.

9 comments:

  1. The recipe sounds really I'll pass it on to Mrs D F. She always likes to try new things. I shall have to work a little harder to get the calories off just from reading your blog.

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  2. Sounds interesting. Maybe we'll try it. I fell in love with Gladys Taber when I was in high school!

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  3. Nan, I'm sure that you are right about Gladys being a blogger at heart. If only she were still here today, just think how much fun it would be, knowing we were her fellow bloggers!

    I've probably mentioned this before, but when I first moved to New Hampshire, many years ago, I was in the public library when I discovered that Gladys had died some years before. I sat down and cried right there and when I explained to my husband that "Gladys died" he knew exactly what I was talking about. She had a way of writing that made us all feel as though we knew her and were her friends.

    By the way, is there some kind of Gladys Taber celebration going on? It seems like maybe three quarters of those reading my blog these days are arriving directly on my Gladys posts. Just wondering...

    I popped over to your blog this Sunday afternoon because I was sure that I had just recently seen a recipe for apple crisp here. And now you are tempting me with Gladys' recipe, too! I think the crisp will win out today, but I'll be coming back to try this one, too, and the rest of the recipes in your fruit desserts list.

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  4. It is kind of odd not to have any fat in it - the egg would do it but not the same as butter. And with just the juice of the apples, I'd think you would get something that would be too dry. Unless that was the intent.

    I started out looking for another edition of this recipe and found myself buried in Stillmeadow references. Hadn't known of Gladys Taber before but will be looking for some of her books now...thanks for leading me to her!

    Made linzer torte cookies with my daughter yesterday...lots of butter... :)

    - J.

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  5. Diary Farmer, taking off calories is overrated. :<)

    Sarah, lucky you! I 'met' her about twenty years ago and still have so many books of hers to read.

    Oh, Clair, that is so touching. I understand completely. No celebration that I know of. I'll have to come look at your 'Gladys posts.' I just haven't had time to visit all the blogs I love often enough. How do you find out which posts are drawing readers?? I think the apple crisp is better, though GT's apple dessert was fine.

    Okay, Jeff, this is now the second comment you've left mentioning a dessert. The first was the key lime pie. Maybe you could post the recipes for both on your blog, please?!

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  6. I found this apple recipe very interesting. I am in agreement with your addition of the butter. I actually came over to look at the apple crisp recipe again as I'd like to try that and found this one. I think I'm sticking with the crisp. Thanks for the reminder about Gladys Taber. I haven't read anything of hers in years but I've missed her. Also, I love your pictures of red leaves. Here in the midwest our leaves are still greenish yellow.

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  7. Even though I have my own copy of the Tassajara Bread Book, I still came to your blog for the apple crisp recipe you posted a couple of days ago. Funny that I've grown to prefer reading recipes from a monitor rather than from a book.

    It was delicious, by the way, and so fragrant when baking on a fall afternoon.

    You asked how I know which posts are drawing readers on my blog--I've emailed you about the widget I'm using to track visitors.

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  8. I wish I had known "Gladys Taber".
    I know I would have a special friend.
    The desert looks great and the size looks good for One Woman and anyone that stops by.

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  9. Margot, the crisp is tastier! I think if I'd had some whipped cream it would have made GT's dessert perfect. My sugar maple out front is sort of orange-y green just now. The wonder of this time of year is that every single day looks a little bit different. Oh, how I love it.

    Clair, I am so very pleased when someone tries a recipe. Thank you. And thanks for the email - I'm thinking about it. :<)

    One Woman, more apple desserts are on the way!

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