Raspberry & Almond Marzipan Cookies!

I'm a sucker for bar cookies—lemon squares, brownies, blondies, you name it! So I'd love to share my new favorite with you, marzipan squares with raspberries and almonds. Get ready to fall in love. This recipe could not be easier to make and comes out perfectly chewy, gooey and addictive. 

5-Ingredient Funfetti Cake Lemon Bars, You're Welcome!

Lots of my favorite ladies are June-babies and I am, too! In years past I've made Birthday Cake Tea Lights and the Ultimate Funfetti Recipe Roundup in their (our) honor. This year, I'm at it again. Here's what happens when Funfetti Cake and Lemon Bars make sweet, sweet love and have a ridiculously delicious baby...

Dreamy Coconut Rice Pudding! The Best Gluten-Free Dessert for Gluten-Free Dessert Haters xo

I'm not a calorie counter nor a carb-restrictor nor a don't-eat-dairy gal. I believe in balance and lots of exercise but there are more and more people in my life who do need to watch what they eat and I try to dream up delicious treats with them in mind.

The Biggest, Fluffiest High-Hat S'more Cupcakes Ever—Summer Party Ready & Easy To Make!

Just when you thought summer s'mores couldn't get any better, someone turns 'em into the fluffiest cupcakes ever! Marshmallow Fluff is my favorite ingredient—remember these!?—and I love adding it to meringue. It gives the plain egg-white topping extra flavor, which (lets be honest), it desperately needs.   

Miniature Rhubarb Galettes—Best Teeny Fruit Pies For Summer Parties!

I felt surprisingly inspired at the famers' market and whipped up a feast with local staples like crunchy snap peas, Long Island duck, and the most beautiful rhubarb I've ever seen—bright pink!

My Absolute Favorite GIANT Birthday Cake Skillet Cookie—Plus An Awesome Giveaway!

Friendly reminder: Enter to win your copy of a fabulous new skillet cookbook I'm giving away on the blog—details here!! And if you're on the fence, I whipped up a giant skillet cookie for a little inspiration...

Miniature Carrot Pudding Pies—Modern Easter Dessert Idea!

For a festival gal like myself, my Easter routine is surprisingly simple but this year I'm aiming to host an egg decorating party with lots of champagne, glitter bar and these Miniature Carrot Pudding Pies—my (tasty) contribution to Freutcake today!

Simple Sweets: Pecan-Vanilla Tea Cakes!

Welcome back, lovely friends! Here's a little something sweet to get you through the day: pecan-vanilla tea cakes...nutty little cakes that are perfect for dunking in the best homemade coffee or tea, mmm! I wanted to keep things super simple for you, so the batter is made entirely in a food processor—just make sure you don't over-mix or the cakes will come out tough. They only take a few minutes to pull together, so give 'em a try and let me know what you think.

PECAN-VANILLA TEA CAKES

MAKES: about 2 dozen

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup pecan halves

2 large eggs

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cocoa powder, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Spray pastry molds or mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Arrange the molds on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart (do not let the molds touch).

2. Pulse the sugar and pecan halves in a food processor until the pecans are in small bits. Add the eggs and pulse until just combined. Add the butter, milk and vanilla and pulse to make a loose batter.

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add to the food processor and pulse until just combined. Spoon batter into the prepared molds. Bake until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool slightly in the molds, then unmold and cool completely. Dust with cocoa powder. Serve with coffee! 

Fun fact: I saved the molds I used from the Good Housekeeping basement! We have a bunch of fabulous, vintage baking tools in storage and I was lucky enough to be able to take these home with me. They're kind of precious, right?

How-To Make The Best Bûche de Noël Ever!

I made my first bûche in the seventh grade for our French class Christmas party. It was a disaster—cake wouldn't roll, burnt the meringue mushrooms, frosting melted. Ever since, the whole process has been super intimidating to me. That is until I found Martha's genoise recipe and manned the heck up! 

YUM! Dr Pepper Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

As part of the festivities this weekend, I made my lovely friend a cake spiked with her favorite soda: My Dr Pepper Red Velvet Cake comes out super moist—exactly how I like it!—because I stir a little warm Dr Pepper syrup into the cake batter, then brush the finished cakes with it right before frosting. The sour cherry candy–decorations gave the cake an extra soda-flavored kick. It looked a little Christmasy in the end but really, who cares? We were too busy stealing licks of frosting and treating ourselves to second helpings to notice :)

DR PEPPER RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

SERVES: 10 to 12

FOR THE CAKE

Unsalted butter, softened, for the pans

1 12-ounce can Dr Pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1-ounce bottle red food coloring

FOR THE FROSTING

2 8-ounce packaged cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or Dr. Pepper syrup)

1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325˚. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour. Bring the Dr Pepper to a simmer in a skillet over medium heat and cook until reduce by at least half, about 15 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, red food coloring and ½ cup of the hot Dr Pepper syrup and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour mixture in 4 additions (do not over mix). 

3. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pans on racks for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the racks and cool completely. 

4. For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Alternate adding the confectioners' sugar and heavy cream (use Dr. Pepper syrup, instead, for an amped-up soda flavor; it will change the color slightly) until you reach the desired consistency and sweetness. 

5. Put 1 layer on a cake platter and brush the top with some of the remaining Dr Pepper syrup. Spread about 1 cup frosting on top, then top with the remaining cake layer; brush with more Dr Pepper syrup. Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting (this is a crumb coat, it doesn't have to be perfect) and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Cover with the remaining frosting.

Reader Appreciate Day (no. 5)

It's Reader Appreciation Day! Each week the person(s) who leave the most comments on the blog will get a special shout-out. I love reading your notes. Keep 'em coming!

Well friends, my week is made: Turns out my new favorite food blogger is the lovely person who commented the most this week. Please help me give Erika, of Southern Girl's Kitchen, a big thanks by heading over to her site and drooling over her incredible recipes and photographs, like this pecan pie granola and this Oreo icebox pie, as I do almost everyday. Uber talented, right!? Her latest post is a recipe for this Biscoff-Bourbon Milkshake. I mean, come on. She has such a knack for choosing recipes that are unique and totally crave-able. Erika, thank you for your comments. I will be making this shake over the weekend :)

ERIKA'S BISCOFF & BOURBON MILKSHAKE

MAKES: 1 drink

Recipe from Southern Girl's Kitchen, adapted from The Little Kitchen

1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup of biscoff spread
1cup bourbon
4 large scoops of ice cream

Using a blender mix all ingredients together until well blended and smooth.. This made 2- 8 oz milkshakes...Garnish with homemade whipping cream (or reddi-whip.. which is much easier if you have been drinking these as you made them..like I did) crush up some Biscoff cookies and sprinkle on the top.

[Erin McKenna image from Hello Giggle; Biscoff - Bourbon Milkshake photos by Southern Girl's Kitchen] 

Comfort Food Classic: Nana's Bread Pudding Recipe

Yes, I'm having a bowl of warm bread pudding with rum raisin ice cream for breakfast. How else do you think I stay sweet all day? (har, har, har!)

Let me clarify, though. This is not your dime-a-dozen bread pudding. It's Nanny's bread pudding! My mom and I stash the measurements in our recipe books (can you guess whose is whose?) for easy access—it's one of our shared favorites. How could it not be, right? It's a foolproof family classic that gets even better with time: This morning marks day three in the fridge, so it's at its prime!









Nana makes her bread pudding a little different than I do mine: she whisks the eggs, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla right in the baking dish, then gradually stirs in hot milk and bread cube cubes (I mix bread cubes into a cold custard, kind of like French toast batter, then pour it into a buttered pan). What I love about Nana's recipe—besides how how simple the procedure is—is that the whole thing's baked in a water bath to keep it super creamy. You're being gifted recipe gold, my lovely friends. Enjoy it accordingly :)

Oh! I should mention I was a delinquent and baked this in a 9-by-13 baking dish instead of the recommended 1 1/2 quart dish. Ignore me! You want that smaller deeper dish. It keeps the pudding creamy and moist. Looks like I lost mine in the move...grr! Also, I added a glug of whiskey to the batter. It didn't hurt...

NANA'S BREAD PUDDING
SERVES: 8 to 10

3 cups whole milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups lightly packed bread cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear. 
2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and nutmeg in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with a wire whisk. Slowly beat in the hot milk. Stir in the bread cubes. 
3. Set the baking dish in a roasting pan and place it on an oven rack, then fill the roasting pan halfway up with boiling water. Bake 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean. 

Comfort Food Classic: Homemade Chocolate Pudding Round-Up

You'll see plenty of soft, squishy foods on F&F this weekend: boyfriend's getting his wisdom teeth taken out! Obviously it wouldn't be right for a food editor to soothe her partner with all jello packs and Häagen Dazs (though store-bought rum raisin is in his future), so I've planned out a menu of homemade cushy foods: vichyssoise, pommes purée, Nana's bread pudding, smoothies and chocolate pudding.

Speaking of chocolate pudding, I lost my recipe—serves me right for scribbling it down on scrap paper. I'm in the market for a new one. Do you have a favorite? Jess Simpson of Forgiving Martha suggested this healthy version made with avocado (so cool)! Here are some other rad looking recipe from around the web:

What did you eat when you had your wisdom teeth out? I remember a lot of mashed sweet potatoes and apple sauce...

Semisweet / Double Chocolate / Dark Chocolate / Low Calorie / No Cook

Kids' Issue: Candy Letter Cupcakes, OMG!

I was so busy showing you my Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Cake that I totally forgot to mention the candy cupcakes I developed for our kids' edition—the giant magazine-like thing pasted into the back of the September issue! Our editor asked me to come up with a candy version of each letter in the alphabet. The catch: They needed to be unexpected and simple enough for kids to make at home. Three weeks and 20 lbs of candy later, the list was approved. Pretty cute, right? The brilliant food stylists, Karen Evans, pitched in and tweaked some of the letters at the shoot. I'm kind of obsessed with how it turned out.

What would you spell with these candy letter cupcakes? I loved the way "juicy" and "happy" looked. Hope you enjoy 'em!

[Photo from FN Mag by Sam Kaplan]

The Best Cherry Clafoutis Recipe Ever

Clafoutis is one of my boyfriend's favorite desserts. If I had that nugget of information when we started dating, I would have made him this recipe a lot sooner. You see, my clafoutis is pretty perfect.

The first time he tasted it was about 6 months in. Friends were coming over for dinner and I decided to bake a pear clafoutis to end the meal with (mostly because it requires so few ingredients and his apartment at the time was not stocked for baking). Years later I still enjoy thinking about his reaction to that first slice. I guess I don't make it nearly as often as I should. But every once in a while I'm a good partner...

BEST CLAFOUTIS EVER
SERVES: 8 to 10

Unsalted butter, for the pan
1 to 2 cups sweet bing cherries, pitted, or other sliced fruit
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling 
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs 
2 cups heavy cream
1 to 2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped 
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Creme fraiche, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚. Brush a skillet or baking dish with butter, then arrange the cherries in the prepared skillet; set aside. 
2. Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking between each addition. Slowly whisk in the cream, then whisk in the vanilla seeds. 
3. Pour the batter over the cherries in the skillet. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar and bake until firm, about 50 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve dolloped with creme fraiche. 

Easy Mini Marbled Cheesecake Recipe—Mine Are Neon Pink!

Morning! I woke up a little early today to make mini cheesecakes for the office. My dilemma is often that I love the look of marbled cheesecake but really don't enjoy the addition of any fruit. I'm a cheesecake purist. My food coloring stash was the perfect solution (bonus points because I've been stressing about how I spent time curating my collection and yet never use it)! I portioned out about ½ cup batter into a separate bowl, mixed it with hot pink powder dye and swirled it into the plain batter as you would, say, raspberry jam.

Do you know how to marble batter? It differs depending on what you're making (big cheesecakes, pound cakes, etc) but I think this is the easiest—and tiniest—method. Drop 3 small dots colored batter on top of the plain batter. Use a toothpick or the tip of a pairing knife to swirl each dot, then bring the pattern together (don't over mix or the colors will just bleed together). Quick note: I took a picture of this but forgot to upload—I'll add later tonight!
 

MINI MARBLED CHEESECAKES

MAKE: about 3 dozen

FOR THE CRUST

8 to 10 graham crackers

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 

1 cup sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

3 large eggs

1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Pinch of salt

Food coloring (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Pulse the graham crackers, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. With the motor running, drizzle in the butter and blend until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press about 1 heaping teaspoon of the crumb mixture into each cup of a mini muffin pan. Bake until set, about 6 minutes; cool completely.

2. Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚.  Beat the cream cheese and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the heavy cream, eggs, orange juice, vanilla and salt and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer about ½ cup batter to a separate bowl and tint with food coloring. 

3. Divide the plain batter among the muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Drop 3 small dots colored batter onto each cheesecake and swirl with a toothpick or the tip of a small knife. Bake until set around the edges but slightly giggly in the centers, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans on racks, then run a knife around the edges of each cup and use the tip to flick up the cheesecakes. 

Simple Snack: Banana Pudding Bark

I got the idea in my head that banana pudding needed a bark makeover. So I set out on a little adventure for white chocolate, pudding mix, Nilla wafers & banana chips. Boyfriend argues that the texture of proper banana pudding is better—and he's right, obviously—but this is still super fun (and rather tasty). 

BANANA PUDDING BARK

Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Stir in a little banana pudding mix to taste. Spread into a rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with crushed Nilla wafers and banana chips. Chill until set; about 1 hour. 

Easy Dinner: Strawberry-Peach-Basil Shortcakes & Antipasti!

Happy weekend, all! Do you have something fabulous planned for today? I had the day off yesterday (and had every intention to be productive) but all I have to show for it are a few photos of the kind-of-homemade dinner I pulled together. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the too-good-to-pass-up cheese counter at Brooklyn Lader. Whatever the reason, I was not in the mood to cook a full meal. So I "made" one of my favorite simple summer dinners: antipasti, salad and a fruity dessert.

I picked up spicy sopressata, Iberico ham, Cacciatore boar salami, super-ripe goat cheese, Italian bitto cheese and a hunk of tom de savoie, then turned some leftover baguette we had in the freezer into croutons and crostini. My boyfriend taught to warm up a piece of charcuterie by rubbing it on your upper-lip right before you eat it. Apparently it helps you get the most flavor possible out of each bite. Have you ever done this? It looks a little funny, like you're sniffing cold cuts, but it works! 

I went out quickly to buy a few bottles of rose and ended up trapped in the rain—how romantic if I wasn't alone! I returned home soaked (but with wine inhand!) and just enough time to dry off, make dessert and a big caesar salad before a friend came over for martinis and storm-watching. 

I may not have accomplished much with my free day but dinner was mighty tasty and I'm feeling utterly relaxed :) Enjoy the sunshine. Here's a recipe for last night's dessert... 

STRAWBERRY, PEACH AND BASIL SHORTCAKES
SERVES: 4


FOR THE SHORTCAKES
1 cup self-rising flour
Pinch of salt 
2 tablespoons sugar 
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus melted butter for brushing
3 ounces cold milk
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling


FOR THE FILLING
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoons sugar 
1 cup sliced Georgia peaches
Small basil leaves (optional)
Vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream, for serving


1. Make the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 425˚. Whisk the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or quickly work it in with your fingers, until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Stir in the milk to make a shaggy dough. 
2. Scoop the dough into 4 piles on a parchment-lined baking sheet and gently pat each into a 1-inch-thick round disks (dust your hands with flour, if needed). Brush the top of each round with melted butter, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
3. Meanwhile, make the filing: Toss the strawberries and sugar in a bowl; set aside until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Toss the peaches and basil in another bowl. 
4. To serve, slice each shortbread in half. Fill with the strawberries, strawberry syrup, peaches and basil, if using. Serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. 

Pink Palmier Hearts

Next up in my collection of sweets for your someone special, palmier hearts. You don't need the skills of a budding pâtissier to pull off these French cookies. In fact, a box of frozen puff pastry and some sanding sugar is all it takes—surprising, considering how intricate the buttery layers look! Potential baker: If you picture yourself someday smooching your gent on the streets of Paris (or just love picturing him in Saint James stripes), give these a go. Who knows,  you may snag a few extra baiser for all of the hard work you did (not!) do putting them together! You're welcome.

PALMIER HEARTS
1 box frozen puff pastry, thawed
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sanding sugar


1. Lay 1 sheet puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board, with the long edge facing you, and roll it out slightly to flatten. Fold the 2 short ends into the middle (to look like a book). 
2. Fold the 2 short ends into the middle again.
3. Gently press the 2 sides together to make a circular–heart shape. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
4. Slice the log into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, reshape the hearts if necessary (they may flatten during slicing). One at a time, brush the edge of the hearts with egg and roll in sanding sugar, pressing to coat.
5. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400˚ until puffed and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets. Reroll in sanding sugar,  if desired.
6. Repeat with the remaining sheet puff pastry, or save for another project! 

Just saying....

Thanksgiving Round Up: Only the essentials.

 

I usually peg Thanksgiving as my favorite holiday because it's the day I can freely sample 5 pies in one sitting for the sake of "togetherness," but that's not entirely true. To me, the true joy of Thanksgiving is watching my beautiful family flex their cooking muscles each year. And it's not that their dishes are getting more extravagant, in fact it is their careful editing and refinement that keeps me in awe. This was no exception.

Some Highlights:

 

Our beverage director, above, chose a prosseco to kick off the afternoon. Pre-turkey: We sipped while snacking on family staples, assembled by my Katherine, including her favorite comte and a rendition of Aunt Margret's shrimp cocktail. But today her usual crudités was dressed with homemade hummus: extra thick and totally addicting with crunchy snap peas.

See recipe below.

The preppy table setting was the real show-stopper, in my opinion. Every tabletop was dressed by my impossibly chic Aunt Beth. She is brilliant, so it comes as no surprise that she can transform a room with fabric and fruit. DIY: All you need is...

• FOR THE OVERLAY: Gingham fabric, enough to cover a standard tablecloth (a few yards), or one long strip for a runner. Leave the edges raw or fold back about 1/2-inch fabric and adhere it to the underside of the fabric using iron-on adhesive for a faux-hem.
•  FOR EACH SETTING: Use cloth napkins in a color that compliments, but does not match, your gingham. Put a small piece of fruit on each plate (pick one that pops!) If using place cards, cut a shallow slit in the fruit using the tip of a pairing knife, then slide the place card into the slot.

Obsessed with this simple place setting.

OTHER FAVORITES: 

Aunt Beth's Roasted Brussels Sprouts

                                       Mimi's new puppy-cut.                                                  Isabelle as a Native American.

                        Nick as the active god father.                                                   Katherine Phraner in her tribal frock.

And dessert, obviously...

It's not unusual for us to over do it on the back end of the meal. The family sweet tooth is a trait we share (and satiate) quite happily. But we boiled it down to the essentials this year: apple pie, pumpkin pie, Aunt Eileen's cheesecake, rice pudding, upside-down cake and a few bite-size sweets.

My chewy almond cookies

Cranberry-Apple Upside-Down Cake

There was only one food-related tragedy: Nana Murphy slipped while transporting her pies in the backyard just minutes before dessert was served. Thankfully she walked away unscathed and the pies (which landed on a sheet tray instead of the mud) were fixed with a few minor adjustments. Good thing, too, because this year Nana used FNM's take on the traditional pumpkin pie. The recipe calls for brown sugar in the filling instead of granulated, which jacks up the pie's spiced, caramel flavor. It was a hit!

I hope you all had a beautiful holiday weekend! Happy Monday, Enjoy :)

  

HOMEMADE HUMMUS

MAKES: about 3 cups

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds), mixed well

Juice of 3 lemons

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Paprika, for sprinkling

Chopped fresh parsley, for sprinkling

1. Put the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in food processor and puree until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the 1 teaspoon olive oil and puree until combined. 

2. Transfer the hummus to a serving dish. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley.



CHEWY ALMOND COOKIES
Find the recipe at: BonAppetit.com

Note: These cookies are meant to be turned into sandwiches using raspberry jam, but I think they're much tastier on their own.














CRANBERRY-APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
SERVES: 10 to 12


6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup plus 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
2 Granny Smith apples, cut into eighths

1. Butter and flour a 9-inch-round cake pan; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Stir the orange zest, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water together in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the cranberries and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; let cool.
2. Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Put the cornmeal in the bowl of an electric mixer. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the cornmeal and beat on low speed to combine. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
4. With the mixer running on low, add half of the flour mixture, then half of the milk. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Finished folding the batter together by hand.
5. Pour the thickened maple syrup into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Arrange the apples on top of the maple syrup, then spoon the cranberries around and on top of the apples. Spread the batter over the fruit and bake until the cake springs back when pressed, about 40 minutes. Let the cake cook 5 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.