Iron Skillet Apple Bake

Hi Dear Folk,

Today is raining and windy, quite cold too, as I took the trash out.  Being lazy last night I just put the bags outside the back door and an animal had got into one of them, so needed to pick all that up.  We use plastic grocery bags that we get at the store and I have an IKEA bin in the kitchen, that they fit in well, saves buying bags and then it goes out to the big trash cans given out by the borough.

Of course you could not do this in the UK as you never get given any bags at all when you shop, you have to take your own or buy them.  I do understand that with the huge global plastic problem.  In fact I took a little nylon fold up bag with me and used it so much while I was in England.  I was glad I had remembered.

It was the type of day today to bake.  I had found two of our old cast iron skillets while routing around in the basement.  I think one was from Bob's dad, not sure where the other came from, but I do like iron skillets, something very pioneer and out on the range about them.  I cleaned them both up one needs some more cleaning, but the other Mr. B. oiled, added salt and cured in the oven.  It seals the cast iron and makes it very smooth for use.  Of course they should not have been put down in the basement because of the dampness, but it's hard when your kitchen is small.  Still resurrected now.

I decided on an apple bake all cooked in the skillet.  You can see my photos here on lilbitbrit007 Instagram, as I have maxed out my storage space on this computer and need to do some photo file storing.  So at this point I only have half my vacation photos on this computer, the rest are still on my camera card, plus anything I have taken photos of since then, including our anniversary trip to Longwood Gardens.

While looking for a skillet apple bake recipe, I somehow locked myself out of my iPad, which will now need serious attention as it's asking for passwords, which I have not had to use for years.  Please at this point just put a chip in my arm to scan and forget all these darn passwords.

I wanted to listen to Tea and Tattle podcast, but got shut out in the middle.

I did come across a recipe which I adapted and would make some more changes on, but this is it.

Iron Skillet Apple Bake
1 3/4 sticks of butter (I would cut this down to one stick of butter)
3/4 cup suger
4 to 5 whole Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut into 1/8 pieces (I used five apples that I had)
For The Cake 
1 stick of butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tea sps vanilla
2 whole large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tea sps baking powder
1 tea sp salt
1/2 tea sp cinnamon
1/2 tea sp allspice (I added this as I like allspice, cloves might be a nice substitute too)
1 whole granny smith peeled diced in very small pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375f

• In a nine to ten inch cast iron skillet melt the 1 3/4 sticks of butter over a low heat.  Add 3/4 cup of sugar to the pan and stir.  Place apple slices curved side down in the pan.  Do not pack them tightly, but do not leave too large a gap.  Cook over low/medium heat on top of stove about 15 mins, while making the batter.
• In a bowl beat together one stick of butter and 2/3 cup sugar, until creamed, mix in vanilla, eggs and sour cream
• Add sifted flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice, mix.  Fold in diced apple.
• Remove skillet from heat, spoon batter over top in dollops and spread evenly as possible.  
• Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes

(Recipe called for cooling and then turning out on a serving plate, but I had too many diced apples and added these to the apples at the bottom of the pan and knew there was no way we were going to turn this out, so spooned out and served warm with vanilla ice-cream)
Delicious

When I make this again I will increase the batter by half as much as I have a ten inch skillet and I think it would take that.  Would decrease the melted butter in the skillet to one stick.

Christine