I was trotting along on the elliptical today doing my best to zone out and to trick my body to not thinking it’s legs are just going around and around and not actually going anywhere(which how in the heck do those Biggest Loser people do this crap for 8 hours a day?), when in they came again. Teenagers. Apparently our local high school must not have a gym. Well, I think they have a gym, I don’t think they have a weight room. So they bus them to the gym, always at the time I am working out. They don’t come everyday and to be honest I can’t figure out their schedule to save my life. I have learned to show up a couple minutes early or there will be no machine available.
A woman walks around with a clipboard. The minute she is gone (the gym has an upstairs and a downstairs) they go back to doing nothing. They just stand on the equipment texting away. The girls usually pretend to be doing cardio and the guys pretend to be doing weights. Except this kid who comes out in his street clothes every time and walks on the treadmill. The girls of course all hover together. I have stopped listening to my Ipod at this point because I can not get it loud enough to drowned out their fine conversation. Which usually consists of some form of this:
“Oh no she didn’t. Oh no she didn’t. Oh, that bitch.” This goes on in many variations for quite some time. They do this loudly and then get pissed when you glance over. If you don’t want me to hear you conversation ladies, don’t have it in front of me.
Then there is the classic ones where the story starts with “We were so drunk…” or ends with “I can’t believe how drunk we were.”
Can I say how much I weep for the future. Ugh. If these kids I see a couple times a week are any indication we are all screwed. Royally.
I would gladly give up the gym, but then I would have to give up sweets, and well, I can’t have that now can I?
It’s not often that I can say that I find a dessert that I have not tried. Heck, just look at my survey of the 100 desserts…I’ve eaten a lot of dessert. So when I got my one and only cookbook for Christmas this year, Cooking by Hand, I was delighted to see a recipe that I had never heard of….Warm Yeasted Apple Pudding. It’s like nothing I had ever tasted and if you are an apple lover, this is almost all apple. I will say it is a strange dessert. You definitely get the taste of the yeast, and with only 2 TBSP of flour it’s not quite like the German pancake I thought I would be getting.
But I through on some toffee sauce (it seemed like it would need something) and I made some Vanilla Bean Crème Fraiche Ice Cream to accompany it. This book has a lot of interesting recipes, especially desserts, that I can’t wait to explore.
Warm Yeasted Apple Pudding
3 pounds apples (I used a variety of Granny Smith, Gala and Fuji)
½ cup whole milk
1 ¼ tsp dry yeast
5 TBSP melted butter
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 whole egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
Butter a 9-inch round baking pan.
Peel, halve, and core the apples. Cut apples into a rough dice (the original recipe has you slice them using and mandoline but I was lazy because of my hand).
Pour milk into a small saucepan and simmer until it is lukewarm temperature. Remove from heat source and sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Allow to proof, about 5 minutes.
When the yeast is proofed, whisk the melted butter, flour, egg, sugar, and the salt into the milk. The mixture will resemble a thin batter.
Pour this batter over the apple pieces and mix thoroughly, turning the apple pieces so that the are covered in the batter. Turn the apples into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Set the pudding aside to rise at warm room temperature for 1 hour, or until you notice that the batter has swelled slightly and appears puffy.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Bake the pudding on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until it is tender when proved in the middle and deeply browned all over it’s top surface.
Allow the pudding to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Serve warm with sauce and ice cream.
Adapted from Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli
Vanilla Bean Creme Fraiche Ice Cream
2 cups creme fraiche
¾ cup half-and-half
¼ cup buttermilk
2 vanilla bean pods, scraped, save pods
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
Place half-and-half in a small saucepan. Place vanilla beans and their pods into the half-and-half. Bring to a boil and immediately take off of heat. Let sit for 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean pods.
Combine creme fraiche, vanilla bean infused half-and-half, buttermilk, vanilla extract and sugar, and warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks just until blended, then temper the eggs by whisking in about one-quarter of the warm half-and-half mixture. Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the spoon, about 10 minutes.
Strain the ice cream custard into a medium bowl to remove any lumps and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 3 hours.
Pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer¢â¬â„¢s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until set, at least 2 hours.
Molly Jean says
Hmm… sounds like we go to the same gym!
And your apple pudding looks amazing!
Isa says
It looks really nice!! Definitely putting it on my list!
I miss Little Fuzzy Bunny and Crazy Cocker Spaniel…
VeggieGirl says
Love this 😀
sandi @ the whistlestop cafe says
I am laughing my big bertha but off!
We must go to the same gym.
Kim says
Oh Peabody you are hilarious!! This is my first time commenting but definitely not my first time drooling at one of your yummy creations!! Thanks for sharing with us.
Steph says
You know what’s just as bad, teenagers on the bus. I think it’s so funny when they try to put on a show for everyeone. It’s actually quite entertaining despite the annoyingness. Any ounce of attention you give them and they take their loudness and swearing to the next level.. so funny! Anyways, that apple pudding looks delicious!
Di says
That looks like a really neat recipe. I love apples.
Elyse says
I’m usually a chocolate girl, but I have a soft spot for any apple-y dessert. Through some toffee into the mixture, and I’m sold. Your pictures are making me hungry! I can’t wait to try this intriguing dessert!
Manggy says
Oh YUM! Certainly worth the teenagers, I must say 😉 Don’t cross them, though. Teenagers these days are freaky scary. Sooner or later their stupidity will catch up with them, I promise.
Rosa says
That’s my kind of dessert; comforting and scrumptious!
Teenagers seem all to be the same whether you live on the other side of the Atlantic or in Europe… Some of them are quite scary nowadays, I must say!
cheers,
Rosa
CookiePie says
Sounds interesting! I’ll try anything with apples in it…
Monica H says
Just ask the check in desk at the gym what their schedule is so you can be sure not to be there when they are. Sounds like high school once again- ugh.
It’s very apple-y, but where’s the puddin’?
Bellini Valli says
Thank goodness our kids have a gym and the whole nine yards at the high school, now I just have to put up with machine hogging muscle guys:D Maybe I could offer them some of this dessert…now there’s a thought and get on their good side:D
Happy Cook says
Thankgod i don’t go to a gym.
I guess there is no escaping them for you.
Do you think they are following your routine 🙂
Beautful and delicous dessert.
Melinda says
I have never seen a recipe like this either. I think I actually will try this out! The snow here has me boxed in, and this sounds just the ticket for dinner time!
I won’t have the time to do an ice cream but I have some English pouring custard.
In the original recipe, how thin did the recipe say to cut the apples with the mandoline?
About those teenagers. Just break some wind. That ought to clear the room of them. Be brave.
apparentlyjessy says
Gosh that looks so good, I love apple desserts when its mostly all apple…yummy!
I thought girls in America only said ‘oh no she didn’t’ in movies..not for real! That’s pretty funny, and sad at the same time too.
Culinarywannabe says
When there’s lots of apples, it’s considered healthy, right? This is what I like to tell myself with any dessert containing fruit – including a few scattered raspberries atop a slice of chocolate cake. You should ask your gym when the kids are scheduled to come. I can’t believe you would pay (probably an exorbitant amount) to work out there and they would let it become overrun!
Can says
Hmmm… that does sound like an interesting recipe. I have the same reaction to teenagers. I too fear the future of our country!
Erin says
I love your stories, especially the ones about going to the gym! This dessert looks delicious. I’ve never seen anything like it before, but I would love to try it sometime 🙂
Carmen says
As someone who likes to work out in as empty a gym as possible, I would be very annoyed! On the upside, the apple pudding looks delicious! As does the creme fraiche vanilla ice cream … yummm….it’s only 8 am but I’d like a big bowl of this now. 🙂
veron says
I have the same issue with a lot of teenagers i see nowadays. They feel so privileged. Back when I was their age, I went home straight from school, there was no peer pressure to look cool because we wore uniforms… all I ever thought about was food…and that apple bread pudding looks to be the most appealing to me right now! 😀
Joelen says
Yeesh, I’d be annoyed with those teenagers at my gym! The apple pudding a la mode looks fantastic!
Hallie says
Yum that looks great, luckily we have a gym in my office but I do have to work out in front of my co-workers not sure which is worse…
grace says
no cinnamon? gasp! meh, it’s still terrific. 🙂
although i’m only a few years out of teenage-hood, i hear what you’re saying and pray to GOD that i don’t act like that anymore. 🙂
Dana McCauley says
Ah, I was a tall skinny teenager with no interest in athletics. Now, I’m a tall, curvy middle aged lady who makes herself exercise! Truthfully, I’d rather be couch surfing and eating your pudding though.
I kinda get where those kids are coming from. Weird that they are in your gym though.
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cindy says
ooooh, teens…and preteens. there’s a highschool by the grocery store i frequent and they are always up in there at lunch-time and after school causing some sort of ruckus…shouting and whatnot. all i can do right now is squint my eyes and shake my head.
Kate says
I’m actually surprised the girls aren’t in a fierce cardio competition to see who can eat the least and workout the most….or maybe my high school was just very unhealthy….
Maria says
Great dessert!! I love apples!
Teenagers are very interesting!
So I have to follow up, did you watch Biggest Loser last night? Did you enjoy the Cheerios commercial?? HA!
Mrs. L says
I don’t have the problem of the kids at my gym…it’s the old man who takes over, talks, puts the TV on loud…he drives me insane! I have yet to figure out why he always ends up next to me. I try to get treadmills between tons of folks and then some fool gets off the treadmill and here he comes. Insane, he drives me insane! Whew, thanks,I need to vent that.
dawn says
I loathe the elliptical! Loathe I tell you. I last about 2 minutes on it. So, I walk on the treadmill, which I hate too. But I love my weight training. That is the only exercise I see results with.
But I love your apple pudding, with gobs of ice cream! lol
Janna from Honeyed Hashette says
You are so funny!
I hear ya! I look forward to be a mother one day, but I don’t know how I will ever handle a “like” teenager!!
Emily says
I’m not even out of the teenager years myself (19) and I weep for the future too!
My gym problem spans both sides of the age spectrum though — both the elderly and the pre-teen/teenager members are enough to make me swear off the gym forever. I just have to remind myself that everyone has a right to good health (even if my right to a peaceful workout are being infringed upon).
Elle says
Wait ’til these teens have kids! It will either be disaster or an excellent sitcom. How did you like the yeasted apple thing? Looks pretty yum, but I love apples, which helps. Great photos!
Natashya says
I have to agree about most teens… even though I have my own – I try to discourage large flocks of them from landing on my doorstep. Luckily my guys are getting older and busier.
Dessert looks wonderful, I will have to take a look at this book!
Jenny says
It sure looks interesting.
At least the kid who comes in his street clothes does something. He’ll probably end up the millionare of the bunch.
pinkstripes says
Oh my. That looks super-delicious. Especially with the ice cream.
The Food Hunter says
great dessert idea. thanks for sharing
howtoeatacupcake says
Although highschool was over 5 years ago for me, I can still hear these conversations SO clearly in my head as I read them on your blog. Ugh, I’m so glad I wasn’t like that!
Joanna says
Interesting looking recipe, and I love apples!
Too funny, my quiet 16-year old was just complaining yesterday about the annoying little freshmen from his high school who were hanging around on the street corner in groups and how this year they are worse than ever! And he’s on the wrestling team, so they do killer workouts – at the school luckily – at most suburban gyms they’d quietly shame us middle-aged fluffballs into going home to hide.
MyKitchenInHalfCups says
Really . . . this is in that book . . . I’ve got to make this.
I have some very weak memories of those kinds of conversations 😉
Alpineberry Mary says
Makes me glad I have a treadmill at home. 🙂
Kristen says
I totally want to cry when I see random teenagers today and know that out of 4 kids, I am destined to have at least one of those kind of kids. I hope not, but odds are against me I imagine!
That dessert looks sooooo delicious!