Cover of Ree's cookbook

First things first……Go buy this cookbook! You can go here or here or here or your local bookstore whatever you prefer.   If you haven’t been reading Ree Drummand aka The Pioneer Woman’s blog I highly recommend you start today, in fact leave here and go there. Once you arrive at her site you will understand why you should be reading her blog.

Now that I go that out of the way, back to her new cookbook.  This cookbook is everything you would want a cookbook.  I’m the type of cook that loves to see the finished product of a recipe and it’s a bonus to have step by step photos.  I never a buy cookbooks unless it’s in color and has plently of pictures.  Ree’s cookbook is everything that  I could ever want in a cookbook.  It’s full of color and the pictures are so goreous.   It’s just like her site with step by step photos of every single recipe all in color. Her recipes are not over the top they are just simple and delicious recipes. You do not need any type of cooking school to be able to make her recipes. They are wonderful southern recipes from the heart and guaranteed to please everyone. I have already made several recipes from her site and my all time favorite is Migas. I was very pleased to find out it was in her cookbook.

Migas! So delcious you must try this recipe,

She also throws in a few pictures of her family.  From her four beautiful kids to her sister-in-law, brother-in-law, sister, friends and of course her rugged cowboy, Marlboro Man. Her book is a lot like her site. She has cows, horses, dogs and of course the beautiful wild mustangs. Her photos of the wild mustangs are my absolute favorite. Her sense of humor is also in her cookbook. You wouldn’t be able to call it The Pioneer Woman Cooks with her wonderful humor. One of my favorite parts of the cookbook has nothing to do with food, its the dedication, to Marlboro Man.

Book dedicatioin

I didn’t want to post too many pictures of her book, I did not want to ruin the wonderful surprise of this great cookbook. I hope she publishes another book in the future. I love this cookbook and I know everyone that buys will too.

Step by step recipes all in color.

Then there's this. This picture shows up more than once in her book.

Printable Recipe

I have a confession to make, I do not like baked, apples. I think it’s the texture that turns me off. I do not care for apple pie, apple crisps, apple tarts, apple jams…nothing that has cooked apples. I like candy apples, I like the flavor of apples but I do not like cooked apples. My husband on the other hand does like cooked apples that’s why I made the cake to begin with. Now that I have made that clear I have to stay this cute little chunky apple cake might have changed my attitude apples. I found the recipe at Eat Better America and the reviews sounded promising so I thought I would give it a try. I did not change the recipe with was hard for me to do I normally change just able every recipe I come across. I’m glad I didn’t change a thing. This cute little chunky apple cake turned out better than I thought, considering I do like like baked apples. As it was baking the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and apples filled the house, the smell was tantalizing, I could not wait until the 45 minutes was up! The recipe says to serve warm so that’s what I did, I let it cool for 10 minutes before I sliced into this mouth watering chunky apple cake. My first bite was delightful and I couldn’t wait for the next bite! You must try this cake it was so delicious, next I might eat it with a scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Chunk Apple Cake
Eat Better America
Ingredients
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups peeled and diced apples

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and side of 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with shortening; lightly flour.
2. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla and egg until flour mixture is moistened. Stir in apples. Batter will be very thick and chunky. Spread in pan.
3. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 35 to 45 minutes.