Apple Butter Cake

Faith and I made a trip to the apple orchard last weekend and we came home with a large jar of their apple butter. We all like apple butter during the season, but honestly we eat it a few times and then we are done with it. I guess we really prefer fruit jam on our toast and biscuits (and PB sammies), but like the "idea" of apple butter. I found a cake recipe that uses that wonderful butter to suffuse wonderful spicy flavor into a moist delicious cake. Oh Yum! The recipe (found at allrecipes.com) called for pecans in the streusel, but because of my son's nut allergies, I used an equal amount of old-fashioned oatmeal -- just for some texture. As it turned out he turned his nose up at the oatmeal -- give me a break! The rest of enjoyed it, however, with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Apple Butter Cake 

 serves 15-20

Printer version

1 cup packed brown sugar 

1 t. ground cinnamon 

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used old-fashioned oatmeal) 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 t. baking powder 

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt 

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1 cup white sugar 

3/4 cup apple butter 

1 t. vanilla extract 

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole bran cereal or wheat germ (I used wheat germ) 

1 cup sour cream 

  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or grease 9x13 inch pan. 

Prepare the topping by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans (oatmeal). 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Blend together butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Add apple butter, vanilla, wheat germ or bran cereal. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with sour cream; mix well after each addition.

 Spread 1/2 batter into pan, sprinkle 1/2 the topping over top. Spread remaining batter and top with remaining topping. 

Bake for 40 minutes until tests done with a toothpick.

Source: modified from allrecipes.com

Cranberry Waldorf Salad

If you don't care for cranberry sauce, nor a cranberry relish, but would still like to serve some cranberries for Thanksgiving simply because you think you should serve cranberries for Thanksgiving, this recipe may be for you.

I made this salad last night to serve with out pot roast and it was really wonderful. I can't say the kids enjoyed it (it had celery in it -- gasp!), but Doug and I really enjoyed it, and I noticed the kids picking the apples and grapes out when they thought I wasn't looking. I found the original recipe at allrecipes.com, and then I altered it a bit.

I thought the cranberries might be tart, but they were not. I chopped them very finely (I cut each cranberry into six bits) and I never got a tart bite (I will use the food processor in the future). But, if you really don't like fresh cranberries, you could make the same salad omitting the cranberries and substituting the raisins with Craisins -- that would be delicious too. Even though I'm already serving cranberry sauce and cranberry relish, I think this salad is going to make it to my Thanksgiving table also. It's healthy and light and I'm thinking it will be a good thing to break up all that fat!

Cranberry Waldorf Salad
(a small serving each for 10)

1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries
2 cups chopped red apple
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/3 cup raisins
1 t. lemon juice

2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8 ounce) container vanilla low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and cooled

In a medium bowl, combine cranberries, apple, celery, grapes, and raisins.

Sprinkle fruit with lemon juice and toss lightly with your hands.

Add sugar, cinnamon, and yogurt and stir to combine.
Cover, and chill 2 hours.
Add walnuts and stir just before serving.


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Applesauce Molasses Cake

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I uploaded some pictures from my camera today and I had a few I had forgotten about, including this cake. We have nice, new neighbors next door, and last week I baked two of these cakes, one for the neighbors, and one for us. This is one of my husband's favorite cakes, and my kids love it too. Actually everyone in the family loves it -- my father-in-law has indulged as well. I also frequently take it to the church festival cake walk because it's nice contract to all those brightly colored and chocolate cakes.

The taste and texture of this cake is really more like a gingerbread than apple cake. The addition of the molasses gives it the unique gingerbread flavor, and the absence of eggs keeps it dense, but very moist. I usually serve it unfrosted with a dollop of whipped cream, but since I was making one for the neighbors, I frosted it with an easy confectioner's sugar glaze. Very yummy.

Applesauce Molasses Cake

1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening
1½ cups applesauce
2 T. molasses
2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
½ t. salt
1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a bundt or ring pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the sugar and shortening until fluffy.
Add molasses and applesauce and mix in.
Gradually add the flour mixture and beat to moisten.
Fold in raisins, if desired.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
Cake will not rise to the top of the pan.
Cool for 10 minutes and remove cake from pan to wire rack.
Cool completely before glazing.

Glaze
2 T. butter melted
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 to 3 T. half and half

Place melted butter in a bowl.
Add confectioner's sugar and whisk.
Add 2 T. half and half or milk and whisk.
Add more half and half if needed and whisk until mixture
is runny enough to drizzle on cake,
but not so runny that it will run right off.

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Apple Time

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It just occurred to me last night that it's apple picking time again. I labeled all my recipes with apples, so you can just go here and find all my recipes. I'll work on some new ones next week.

Did you know that the Flavonols in apples can help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer? Here are some other interesting apple facts. An apple a day...

Picture from the Ohio Apple Marketing Program

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Pumpkin Muffins and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

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My kids are big fans of all things pumpkin, and I love that I can pick up a jumbo can of store-brand pumpkin for less than $2. Pumpkin is so nutritious that I often add it to foods in place of half the oil, much like you would applesauce. It doesn't add as much sweetness as applesauce, so I might use it in a cornbread recipe or savory muffins. The orange color is kind a bonus in my book.

But, this week I was baking for the freezer so my jumbo can of pumpkin went into typical pumpkin baked goods, These two recipes are family favorites. The muffins are a real treat that I would enjoy everyday if I could. They are soft and moist, and the streusel adds a little sweetness and crunch. The Chocolate Chip Bread doesn't even need a description -- chocolate, pumpkin, cinnamon -- yum!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
makes 18

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup oil
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup shredded peeled apple

Place paper cup liners in muffin tins.
Preheat oven to 35o degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, spice, soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except apple.
Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir until moist; add apple.
Spoon batter into cups.
Sprinkle streusel over batter and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Streusel: Combine 2 T. flour, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon and 4t. butter; cut
until crumbly.



Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
2 loaves

3 ½ cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 ½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup oil
⅔ cup water
4 eggs, well beaten
2 cups pumpkin
12 oz mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease two 3 x 5 loaf pans.
Mix dry ingredients.
Add oil, water, eggs and pumpkin.
Mix well; add chocolate chips.
Pour into pans and bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.


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Apple Streusel Pizza

This recipe is a good, low fat alternative to an apple pie. Without the fat of the pie crust, and limited fat in the topping, it still tastes like apple pie, and I think gives you a little more chewing satisfaction than apple pie. I frequently make this recipe when I'm making pizza, because I just make another dough recipe. But, you could make it any time and it's very easy. I cut the fat in the streusel by half when I made it tonight and I truly don't think you could tell the difference. I'm posting the recipe as I made it today. I sprinkled half with coconut, but sliced almonds, or another chopped nut, would be really yummy.

This is not a great picture because I had no natural light, but you get the idea.

Apple Streusel Pizza

1 recipe of pizza dough*
1 T. butter
4 apples, peeled and thinly sliced **
2 T. white sugar
1 T. water
1/3 c. flour
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
Heat a medium saute pan over med. high heat.
Melt butter in pan and then drop in apple slices.
Sprinkle with sugar and water.
Turn heat down to med. low and cover (keep an eye on them to make sure the liquid doesn't cook up).
Cook until apples are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove cover and turn heat up to reduce the liquid in the pan.
When almost all of the liquid has cooked up, turn off apples.
Punch down dough and spread onto greased pizza pan.
Arrange apples all over pizza dough.
In a bowl, mix flour, cinnamon and brown sugar, and cut in butter until crumbly.
Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until top is bubbly and bottom is golden brown.
Remove from oven, cool slightly and slice.



** I used golden delicious tonight. I like the way they cook down and get soft.
However, you could use any cooking apple.


*Pizza Dough

1 c. warm water
1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. sugar
1 packet yeast (or 2 t.)
2 1/2 to 3 c. flour
1 t. salt


Place water in a bowl and add sugar.
Sprinkle yeast over water.
Add the oil, 2 1/2 c. flour, and salt and mix until smooth.
Knead with dough hook for 3-5 minutes or 7 minutes by hand, adding flour as needed.
Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise for one hour, or until doubled.

Pumpkin Harvest Bread

This is hands-down the best pumpkin bread ever -- if you like "chunks." Most adults don't have texture issues like kids do, but if you do, you won't like this one. It's really chunky.

The recipe came from my college roommate and I love it. I don't make it very often, because it has walnuts in it. Because of Noah's allergies I just don't buy nuts. But, in the fall, I just can't not buy them. So many fall foods cry out for nuts. Since this recipe has apples, nuts, and cranraisins, my kids wouldn't touch it, except Faith. So I have no fear of accidental ingestion.

I'm planning to make a loaf Sunday or Monday, so I'll post a picture later.

Pumpkin Harvest Bread

3½ cups flour
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
½ t. baking powder
¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
16 oz. can pumpkin (2 cups)
1 cup chopped cranraisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tart apple, chopped*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and powder.
In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Add pumpkin alternately with flour mixture.
Stir in cranraisins, walnuts and apples.
Pour batter into two greased loaf pans.
Bake for 60-65 minutes or until done.

*If I'm feeling lazy, I substitute raisins for the chopped apple.
And if I'm not in the mood for raisins or apple chunks, I shred the apple and it cooks down softly.

Apple Dumplings -- Pictures and Recipe

There was a request over at the Sisters and Friends for Apple Dumplings. I responded with a link to my recipe, and then responded to an e-mail for my pie crust recipe, and then I started thinking about Apple Dumplings, and before I knew what I was doing, I was rolling out dough and taking pictures. It was like a Mouse and a Cookie moment. So, I am re-posting my Apple Dumpling recipe and posting my pictures.

I believe that Apple Dumplings, like Apple Pie, are one of those things that you like the way your mom made. These are my mom's Apple Dumplings. They are the epitome of comfort food for me. Warm from the oven, with or without a scoop of vanilla ice cream -- mmmmm. I use Jonagold apples, which cook down to a soft filling. They are tart sweet. If you like a firmer baked apple, use Granny Smiths.

Apple Dumplings

6 baking apples, peeled and chopped
cinnamon to taste
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
1⁄2 cup flour
3 T. butter
2 recipes of your favorite prepared pie dough*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix apples with sugar and flour.
Roll pie dough into (6) 6 to 8-inch rounds.**
Place 1/6 of apple mixture on each pie dough round,
sprinkle with cinnamon (to taste) and dot with 1/2 T. butter.
Pinch together pie dough on top of dumpling.
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

(** I managed to get seven out of my apples and dough)

Pie Crust
( makes 1 crust -- double for dumplings)

1 - ⅓ cup flour
½ t salt
½ cup Crisco
3 T cold water (more or less as needed to hold dough together)

Cut Crisco into flour and salt until it resembles crumbs.
Sprinkle with water, one tablespoon at a time,
and stir with a fork until dough holds together.


Peel, core and chop apples, toss with sugar and flour.


Roll out dough, top with apples and then trim edges (not yet done in this picture).


Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with butter.


Pull dough up to the top and pinch closed ( or leave open for a more rustic look like those pictured above) --
this is not a picture-perfect dessert, so don't try.

Bake for 45 -- 45 minutes until light golden brown and filling is bubbly.
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Carrot Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Yesterday my mother called to tell me (apparently she heard it at work) about someone (ended up being Jessica Seinfeld) who was on Oprah or some other morning show (can you tell that I really didn't give a fig?) about her cookbook* featuring recipes in which she sneaks vegetables into her children's food. Now, I've been known to use applesauce or even pureed pumpkin in a recipe to replace fat with nutrition, but I don't know about this sneaking business. I believe I heard that she has a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with pureed cauliflower? I'm sorry, but my kids would figure that out in a New York minute. And besides, isn't it important to actually learn to eat those foods? Well, I'm not up for the debate -- but there's no way I'm pureeing cooked broccoli so I can dunk my kids' chicken it it before I fry it. Ugh!

That said, I'm all for fitting in fruits and veggies when I can, but I tell you, I call a spade a spade. I made Carrot and Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting the other night and I didn't tell my family it was Happy Cinnamon Cake or any other such foolishness.

This cake is a moist, delicious cake with visible shreds of carrot and apple (so if you're kids don't like to know what's in their food, you better puree it!). The frosting is a perfect match. I just plunked the carrots and apples in the food processor together and had this batter finished before the oven preheated (you know that's my test of an easy recipe!).

Carrot and Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 carrots shredded
1 apple, peeled, cored and shredded
1 c. raisins (optional)

2 (3 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 T. milk
2 t. vanilla
dash salt
1 box (1lb) confectioners' sugar
½ cup chopped pecans, optional


Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; blend well.
Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix well.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into 2 greased and wax paper lined 9-inch cake pans.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until center of cake is firm to touch.
Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on cake racks.

In a medium bowl blend first 4 ingredients thoroughly.
Gradually beat in sugar until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.
Fold in pecans, if desired.

*Deceptively Delicious

Upside Down Apple Muffins

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These are a great weekend breakfast treat -- or make them for dinner with some scrambled eggs and sausage -- breakfast for dinner.

Upside Down Apple Muffins

1½ cups flour
2 t baking powder
½ cup sugar
½ t salt
½ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
¼ cup butter
1 cup peeled, shredded apple
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 T butter, melted
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
With pastry cutter, cut in butter.
Combine buttermilk and egg and add to flour mixture
along with apples, stirring just to moisten.
Combine melted butter and brown sugar.
Spoon about 1 t. into each greased muffin cup.
Add chopped pecans to cup if desired.
Spoon batter into cups and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn upside down and serve.

NOTE: We make these without the pecans and they are just as yummy.
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Easy Apple Pastries

This is a bit of cheater recipe, but delicious nevertheless. Great for weeknight dessert.

Easy Apple Pastries

1 t ground cinnamon
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tube (8 ounces) crescent rolls
2 lrg. apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
2 T. melted butter
¼ cup water


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine cinnamon and sugar; set aside.
Unroll crescent roll dough; separate into 8 triangles.
Cut each triangle in half lengthwise to make 16 triangular strips
(so that you're making two crescents out of one).
Place an apple wedge on the wide end of each strip; roll up.
Arrange the rolls in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Drizzle with the melted butter; then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Pour water into pan, but not over the rolls.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and apple wedges are tender.
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Apple Bread Cake with Raisins

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This is a yummy cake that is, unfortunately, a little too grown up for my house. My children don't like cooked raisins, they don't like chunks of fruit in their cake. They get all whiny about desserts like this. So, I don't make them unless I have invited someone who can appreciate them. Which isn't very often. Hopefully your gang isn't so darned whiny.

Apple Bread Cake with Raisins

3 cups apples, peeled and chopped
½ cup water
1 cup brown sugar, packed, divided
2 cups sifted flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
½ t allspice
1 cup oatmeal
½ cup seedless raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup melted shortening or oil

Preahet oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the chopped apples, water and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar.
Cook for about 5 minutes or until the apples are almost tender; cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,
allspice, oatmeal, raisins, and pecans;
stir in the cooled apple mixture, eggs, remaining brown sugar, and the oil.
Mix together until just moistened.
Bake in a 10-inch tube pan for about 40 minutes.
Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Serve the bread warm or cold.
The bread may be lightly frosted with a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar
mixed with 2 or 3 teaspoons of warm water.

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Apple Betty

Well, she's not much to look at, but Betty is a favorite at our house. In fact, Betty is the subject of a funny memory (not so funny then) from early in my marriage.

When I was newly married, I tried very hard to be a good cook. My mother-in-law spoiled my husband and he was used to eating pretty well (or at least in his 20/20 memory he did). He was also used to eating dessert every night. And I knew that one of his favorites was Apple Betty.

Well, it didn't occur to me that there was only one specific kind of Apple Betty he would eat. That's like saying you will only eat one kind of apple pie. How obnoxious. Well, I made Apple Betty one night for dessert and when I placed his bowl in front of him, he promptly said, "That's not real Apple Betty."

Well, what he meant was, "That's not like my mom's Apple Betty."

Them's fightin' words in the first year of marriage. And I believe that's exactly what I did, except my version of fighting was just not talking. And I think I probably didn't make Apple Betty again for a few years. At least until I had the guts to ask his mom for her recipe. Apparently her recipe did not contain oatmeal.

Now, I make Apple Betty at least once a month. It's about as easy a recipe as they get. My sons say it's apple pie without the crust. And since they eat the filling out of the crust (why do they do that?) Betty is just perfect for them. We serve it with a little half & half on top. It's perfect comfort food. You might be tempted to add cinnamon, but don't do it. Betty is perfect just the way she is.


 

Apple Betty

1 stick butter
¾ cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
6 apples peeled and chopped


Place apples in a small casserole dish or 9 x 9 glass pan.
Cut butter into sugar and flour and sprinkle on top of apples.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.
Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream, ice cream or half & half.

St. Henry's Bavarian Apple Torte

I have several great recipes to share tonight. We had a good supper -- everyone was very happy afterward and there were many kisses for the cook -- always a good sign.

To celebrate St. Henry's Feast Day we had a Bavarian Apple Torte. I found this recipe at catholicculture.org and it was not only great tasting, but extremely easy to make. I had a sous chef today, my five-year-old Peach, and I can honestly say that except for reading the recipe, measuring, and peeling the apples (and putting it in the hot oven) she made it herself. Pretty spectacular.

I only made one change to the recipe -- because of Michael's tree nut allergies, I toasted the almonds separately and sprinkled them on the individual servings.

Pressing the dough into the springform pan.

Cracking the egg. I caught this picture just before it went all over the counter!

Spreading the cream cheese mixture over the crust.



Cutting the apples. We use Galas and Jonagolds.


Tossing the apples with the cinnamon and sugar.


Ready to go into the oven -- next time I'll wrap the pan in foil so the sugar doesn't leak out. I did at least put it on a cookie sheet so that it didn't leak onto the oven floor.


The sous chef after she licked the cinnamon sugar off of her hands. That's a happy sugar smile.


The finished product. Yum!

Bavarian Apple Torte

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F(230 degrees C).

Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Press crust mixture into the flat bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Pour cheese mixture over crust. Toss apples with sugar and cinnamon. Spread apple mixture over all.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and continue baking for 25 minutes. Sprinkle almonds over top of torte. Continue baking until lightly browned. Cool before removing from pan. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate any remaining torte.

Es war gut!

Double Trouble

We had a really low-key Fourth of July at our house, due to receiving some very sad news this week. But we did still celebrate a little, with grandma and grandpa, some BBQ ribs, potato salad, grilled veggies, a super fruit salad, and two homemade pies.

★★★★★★

The first recipe is for my Apple Crumble Pie. This style is my favorite and really the only recipe for Apple Pie that I use. I use this recipe all year -- for Thanksgiving -- traditional style, at Christmas with cranberries, and for the Fourth, I added a handful of frozen blueberries. You can add raspberries, peaches, almost anything for variety.

Apple Crumble Pie

1 cup sugar
2 T. flour
6 cups thinly sliced baking apples
3 T. lemon juice
Pastry for single-crust pie
½ cup flour
1 t. cinnamon
¼ cup butter


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 T. flour. Sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice and toss with flour/sugar mixture. Pour in prepared crust. Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour and spices. Cut in the butter until crumbly and sprinkle atop apples. Cover edges of pie with foil for first half of baking time. Bake for an hour. Serve warm.

★★★★★★

The second pie (grandpa called them both "double trouble" because he couldn't decide -- so he settled on a slice of both) is Custard Pie. This is such a simple, but delicious pie, that if you're making a pie crust, for any other reason, you might as well make a Custard Pie.

Custard Pie

prepared and baked 9" pie crust (see below)
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
2 c. whole milk
fresh grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare pie crust and brush with egg yolk before baking. Bake for just 10 minutes to get the crust started.

While pie crust is baking, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Stirring, bring milk to a simmer over medium heat. Gently whisking, add hot milk to egg mixture. Immediately pour custard into warm crust. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake until the center is still a little quivery when bumped (like jello), 25 to 35 minutes. Cool completely and then refrigerate. I like to take mine out about 30 minutes before serving, so it is almost room temp.