Maple-Apple Pudding Cake

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! All I can say is that I must love you for sharing this one! Pure dynamite! They captured the goodness of a moist cake, bread pudding, a crispy apple-fritter, and a sweet maple syrup sauce all in one dessert. Does it get better? I submit that it does not! This was heavenly! I wiped it out in no time! Dangerously good! I will be making this one again... and again. Loved the apple-cranberry mixed with the nuts. SO GOOD!

In a feat of culinary magic, an intensely maple-flavored sauce forms in the bottom of the dish and a tender fruit-studded cake rises to the top while this homey cake bakes. Use grade B (cooking) maple syrup if you can find it to ensure a deeper maple flavor.

Maple-Apple Pudding Cake (By: Patsy Jamieson, Cooking Club of America)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium apple, such as Braeburn, peeled, chopped (1/2 inch)(1 cup) (Said to peel, but I didn't- you don't even notice- it's so good!)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped (don’t thaw if using frozen)
1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
1/2 cup apple juice
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1. Heat oven to 350˚F. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in large bowl.
2. Whisk egg and brown sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in milk, butter and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in apple and cranberries. Pour into baking dish.
3. Bring syrup and apple juice to a boil in small saucepan. Gently pour over batter; sprinkle with walnuts. (I felt a little weird doing this, but trust me, it turns out. All that flavorful sweet liquid runs through to the bottom.)
4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until top of pudding springs back when lightly touched and sauce forms on bottom (do not overbake). Cool 20 minutes on wire rack; serve warm.
8 servings

PER SERVING: 365 calories, 10.5 g total fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 4 g protein, 67 g carbohydrate, 45 mg cholesterol, 265 mg sodium, 1.5 g fiber