Cinnamon Apple Sharlotka with Peanut Butter Drizzle

It's finally apple season! Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the apples, crisp fresh morning air, pumpkin everything, the sound of leaves crunching, & the beauty of all the colorful leaves. So to celebrate, I decided to make an apple dessert! It seemed like a good way to ease into fall flavors.

We had this for breakfast - it's definitely healthy enough! Although it does have more sugar than I normally have at breakfast, it also has fruit, whole wheat flour, eggs, & cinnamon. Plus peanut butter! And if you're like me, you'll add another spoonful of pb on top before enjoying.

Here are just a few of the health benefits from this cake:

• Apples: fiber, vitamin C, phyto-nutrients
• Whole Wheat Flour: fiber, manganese, tryptophan, selenium
• Organic Eggs: choline, selenium, folate, B vitamins, lutein, protein
• Cinnamon: calcium, iron, aids in digestion
• Sucanat: potassium, Vitamins A & C (Sucanat is a raw sugar, often used for the same flavors as brown sugar. Unlike refined sugars, it retains some nutrients, making it a healthier option.)
• Peanut butter: healthy fats, protein, staying power!

To celebrate our anniversary, I used my heart shaped springform pan. I got it awhile ago, but don't use it often because it's awkward to cut even slices from a heart. It's fun to have for celebrations, though! Just don't be jealous when I "accidentally" cut my slice bigger than yours. :-)



Cinnamon Apple Sharlotka with Peanut Butter Drizzle
Serves 8
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

6 large apples (I used Granny Smith)
3 large organic eggs
3/4 c sucanat
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2-4 T natural peanut butter, to drizzle on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spray the paper & sides of the pan with cooking spray. Place springform pan on a large, rimmed baking sheet to catch any leaks that may occur while baking. (I would have had a mess to clean up in my oven!)

Peel, halve and core your apples. Chop them into small chunks (about 1"x1/2" each). Place apple chunks into the pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs & sucanat until thick. Beat in vanilla. Stir in the flour, mixing until just combined.

Pour batter over the apple chunks in pan. Spread the batter to make sure it evenly covers all of the apples. Make sure to help the batter fill in the spaces between the apples.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven & cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan, then flip cake onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, & carefully flip it back onto a serving platter. Drizzle with peanut butter. Serve warm.