Apple Cake (Finnish Apple Pie/ Omenapiiraka)

Yields approx. 16 slices
note: recipe below is adapted from a Finnish recipe, so I have converted the dl (decilitre) measurements into grams

Ingredients

• 1kg apples (pink lady or royal gala)
• 4 eggs
• 3dl (approx. 255g) caster sugar
• 150g melted butter let cool
• 2dl (200g) milk or milk substitute
• 5dl (52g) all purpose flour
• 3tsp baking powder
• 2tsp vanilla sugar (optional)
• half tsp ground cardamom (optional)

Decoration (before baking)

• 2-3tbsp sugar 
• 2tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Cut apples into quarters removing the core, then slice into thickness of choice 
2. Whisk eggs with sugar at room temperature, then pour cooled down melted butter into it to mix
3. Add milk then dry ingredients and mix thoroughly 
4. Pour cake batter into baking paper lined tray
5. Sprinkle over ground cinnamon and sugar
6. Bake at 200degrees on the lower shelf of oven
7. Serve with vanilla custard or ice cream if desired

Tips

• You can reduce the sugar called for in main recipe if baking for toddlers
• If you love your apples, try cutting them in thick chunks 
• If you’re out of apples, try replacing with rhubarb or berries 

Apple and Pork Stew

Autumn arrives and the apple tree in the garden bears beautiful fruits. It's so pleasant to be able to pick apples from the tree to make food of them!

The neighbour's children actually had a nice afternoon gathering sacks full of apples for the autumn. Just love it!

We started with the usual favourite apple cake recipe, then experimented with some apple crumble, and couldn't think of what next... and a neighbour suggested cooking in stews!

At first it sounded a little bit of a strange mix, but having Googled up recipes, 'Apple & Pork Stew' seems quite a popular. Here's an adapted recipe after trying two rounds of stews. It's heart warming especially as the chill sets in and the days grow shorter.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 apples, skinned, cored and quartered
• 500g pork shoulder, diced into bite sized chunks
• 1.5 tbsp oil
• 1 red onion, skinned and chopped
• 2-3 carrots, diced into squares
• 3-4 potatoes, skinned and chopped into squares (if using baby potatoes, just rinse and cut into halves or quarter)
• 1-2 stalks celery (optional if short of other vegetables)
• ½ tsp allspice
• 1 leaf fresh or dried sage
• 1 tsp mustard (optional
• season with salt and pepper

Method:

• Heat oil in stock pot over medium to high heat.
• Add pork shoulders and brown on all sides, turning as needed, for approximately 5 minutes.
• Transfer pork to a dish, season with salt and pepper.
• Add onions, carrots, potatoes, celery and apples to pot and cook. Stirring constantly until onions begin to brown, for approximately 5-6 minutes. (optional: mustard can be added in before the next step)
• Return pork shoulders into the pot, add allspice and sage to pot, then pour water enough to cover the contents in pot and bring to a quick boil.
• Turn heat low to simmering speed, scraping up brown bits on bottom and sides of pot.
• Cover and simmer until pork is tender, couple of hours or longer. (optional: if a slow-cooker is at hand, you can use a slow-cooker instead.)

The measurements above will cook enough for 4 portions. The stew is great to serve with fresh crisps bread or rice.

Apple Crumble

This is quite easy to make. If you don't try it, you'll never know... honestly, try it, it's lovely!

Ingredients:
Apple mix

• 6-7 apples
• 6tbsp brown sugar
• 75g raisins
• 1½ tsp cinnamon

Crumble
• 150g butter at room temperature
• 260g flour
• 150g brown sugar
• 1cup of rolled oats (optional) OR
• 150g of roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200° celsius
• Butter the sides of 1-2inch deep oven proof dish
Apple mix

• Rinse raisins in hot water and let soak for a while before draining and set aside.
• Peel, core and quarter apples into bite size chunks.
• Mix well with sugar, cinnamon and raisins.
• Pour into buttered oven proof dish.

Crumble

• Put flour in a deep mixing bowl
• Dice butter and start rubbing together with flour until the mixture has the consistency of breadcrumbs. Mix in rolled oats and mix roughly.
• Sprinkle crumble mix over the top of the apple and spread evenly.
• Lastly sprinkle over chopped nuts if using them.



• Bake in the middle shelf for approximately 30minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve warm with custard or vanilla ice cream.