Showing posts with label apples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apples. Show all posts

September 22, 2013

Apple Spice Waffles #SundaySupper


Today's #SundaySupper is all about fall foods.

We've already established the fact that I'm not the hugest fan of pumpkin, but I love the warm spices prevalent at this time of year; the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the ginger and all spice. And I love love love apples. Especially the fresh picked ones, yum.

I don't cook with apples too often since I'm generally too lazy to chop them, and I don't like when they get mushy, as often happens with cooked apples. But I love appley baked things like apple muffins and apple cake.

And these waffles, they totally taste like apple cake. But better since they're ready in 10 minutes and you can eat them for breakfast.

Since I don't make waffles that often, I started with a reliable base recipe, from you know where. Then I subbed in some whole wheat flour, added about a cup of diced apples, some brown sugar, some apple pie spice, and I replaced the oil with browned butter.

Oh yeah, they're as good as that ingredient list suggests. A totally decadent, season appropriate breakfast treat.
Apple Spice Waffles
Yield: 8 waffles*

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup browned butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup diced apples

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, sugar, browned butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a batter forms (some lumps are fine). Fold in the diced apples. Cook in a waffle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

*My waffle maker is on the small side; if you have a larger waffle maker, you might get closer to 6 waffles

Recipe adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook



Celebrate fall with the rest of the #SundaySupper crew:

Amazing Breakfasts, Brunches, and Breads
Outstanding Soups, Starters and Sides:
Comforting Main Dishes:
Decadent Desserts:
Tasty Drinks:
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July 21, 2013

Oatmeal Ice Cream- Breakfast for Dinner #SundaySupper


You guys, I've felt pretty uncool many different times in my life.

I voluntarily went to a summer camp that taught college level courses twice in high school (once for essay writing, once for etymologies). I used to read during recess. I was in the anime club. As I type this post, I can look up to my bookshelf and see a book on word origins tucked neatly in between a Phillip K. Dick novel and Douglas Adam's Starship Titanic. Cool is not something I've ever claimed to be.

But this weekend, I feel especially uncool. Because this weekend is San Diego Comic Con and the Food and Wine Conference. So as I sit here with my obscure Russian urban fantasy/horror novels (Sergei Lukyanenko's Watch series. Soooooooo good), almost everyone I follow on Twitter is at some kind of panel or meeting some kind of cool celebrity or Instagramming their swag.

And I'm just like, look at this great deal I got on a video game bundle during the Steam sale. No one cares, because there's Felicia Day doing a meet and greet, and there's Wil Wheaton playing Star Trek Catan with fans, and there's all the super yummy food, and there's a picture of John Barrowman hugging Misha Collins, and oh my god, I seriously just want to insert myself in the middle.
A friend and I decided that what we need is a food AND nerd con. Hey, nerds like food, too. And we would have it at Hershey Park, because it is an amusement park inspired by food. And we could feed all our favorite celebrities cookies. I know, it's a super awesome idea, but I have no clue how to make it happen, except by becoming a nerd celebrity so I would be able to meet all the people who could make it happen. And I have no clue how to become a nerd celebrity... except by, maybe, starting a nerd and food con. It's a total Kobayashi Maru; I can't win. In the meantime....

Hold up. Oh my glob, Wil Wheaton just tweeted that he FREAKING MET STEVEN MOFFAT AND TALKED SHERLOCK. Excessive fangirling commencing in 3...2...1...

...ahem, in the meantime, I wish my fellow nerds at SDCC, and my fellow #SundaySupper-ers at the Food and Wine Conference a wonderful weekend. And for all of us uncool enough to be stuck at home, drowning our sorrows in some digital retail therapy, I can provide the ultimate comfort food: Oatmeal Ice Cream.
This week's #SundaySupper is hosted by Conni from The Foodie Army Wife, and the theme is breakfast for dinner. I decided to bring the dessert, because, well, have you read this blog before? It's sort of what I do. And since the heat wave has yet to break, I decided to go for a breakfast-inspired ice cream. Specifically, an oatmeal-inspired ice cream. The base of this ice cream is a delicious honey and apple jelly combo with just a touch of cinnamon sugar. Then the ice cream is mixed with some plump raisins, some oatmeal cookie chunks, and some oats toasted with a little honey and brown sugar.

And you guys, it's a-frickin-mazing. It tastes so homey and wholesome, everything you'd want in a breakfast. But it's creamy, sweet, and decadent, the way that ice cream should be. It's the perfect thing to eat while playing video games and bemoaning your lack of coolness.
Oatmeal Ice Cream

 Ingredients
1 cup water
1/3 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. honey, divided
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar*
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
Heaping 1/4 cup apple jelly
1/3 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2-3 large oatmeal cookies, broken into chunks (optional)

Directions
In a small bowl, add the water and raisins and let soak overnight. Drain well.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy. Add the honey and cinnamon sugar and whisk until well combined. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and the milk over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Remove from heat. Add the milk mixture to the eggs 1 ladleful at a time, whisking constantly. When about half of the milk has been added, mix in the jelly, then finish with the remaining milk, mixing well until smooth. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan, and heat on low, stirring constantly, until it reaches 160°F on a food-grade thermometer. Do not let it boil. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, about 3 hours.

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and toast until golden brown, stirring occasionally to cook evenly. Mix together the remaining honey and brown sugar, and add to the oats, stirring until they are completely coated. Remove from heat, and allow to cool completely.

Freeze the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is a few minutes from being done, add the raisins, toasted oats, and oatmeal cookie chunks. Freeze completely in an airtight container.

*I used a palm sugar/cinnamon blend, which is a bit sweeter than cane sugar. This amount may have to be adjusted if you are using regular white sugar. Taste the custard before freezing it to be sure.

 Recipe adapted from Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
Check out all the other Breakfast for Dinner options #SundaySupper-ers are bringing to the table:

Tres Leches Pancakes from La Cocina de Leslie
French Toast Casserole with Sautéed Apples from The Foodie Army Wife
Gluten Free Breakfast Pizza from Blueberries And Blessings
Basic Vegan Waffles from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Kale, Bacon, Brown Rice Crustless Quiche from Shockingly Delicious
Bacon Egg and Potato Breakfast Tacos from Cookin’ Mimi
Steak and Egg Tostadas from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Breakfast Bowls from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Bacon and Egg Waffles from The Urban Mrs
Homemade Lox from Growing Up Gabel
Seattle Sandwiches (Lox, Shmear, & A Fried Egg) from Juanita’s Cocina
Bacon & Brie Potato Bread Strata with Roasted Pears from Eat, Move, Shine
Saucy Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sliders from Daily Dish Recipes
Greek Frittata from Casa de Crews
Elderberry Flower Pancakes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Rosemary Strata from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Italian Turkey Meatballs (With a Secret) from What Smells So Good?
Bacon, Spinach and Tomato Breakfast Pizza from Runner’s Tales
Red Pepper and Egg Galette from Healthy. Delicious.
Waffles – One Plate, Two Ways: Sweet & Savory from Foxes Love Lemons
Steak & Egg Bagel Sandwich from girlichef
Florentine Benedict from Supper for a Steal
Oatmeal Ice Cream from Treats & Trinkets
Banana Waffles with Peanut Butter Syrup from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Baked Berry French Toast from Table For Seven

But wait, there’s more!

 Open Faced BTC Sandwich from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Crustless Spinach Quiche from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
Bacon ‘n Eggs Bread Pudding from gotta get baked
Denver Breakfast Ring from Curious Cuisiniere
Copycat Japanese McDonald’s from Ninja Baking
One Pan Full English Fry-up from Food Lust People Love
Crumpets with Whipped Orange Honey from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Leek, Mushroom and Gruyère Quiche from Hip Foodie Mom
Joe’s Special, the Original San Francisco Treat from Webicurean
Dark Chocolate, Orange & Pistachio Greek Yogurt Cups from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Gluten Free Tomato Basil Crepes form No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Sour Cherry Crisp from Pies and Plots
Cream Dried Beef and Waffles from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Sausage breakfast casserole from My cute bride
Almond Rice Crepes Stuffed With Sweet Potatoes & Peas from  Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Zucchini Pancakes with Sautéed Tomatoes and Feta from Ruffles & Truffles
Apple, Bacon, and Dubliner Cheese Stuffed French Toast from Neighborfood
Dulce de Leche Stuffed French Toast from Basic N Delicious

Normally it would be very socially unacceptable to have wine with your breakfast, but seeing as this is closer to sunset than sunrise, we say go for it!!!

 Hangtown Fry and Wine Pairings with Breakfast for Dinner from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.
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April 25, 2013

Easy Apple Cobbler


You know how there are moments when you're completely bereft of ideas? Your mind is just totally blank, no inspiration, nothing. And you start ransacking the kitchen hoping to find something, anything to light that little spark. You find a few things, you think, "maybe I could..." but then you end up putting it back because you're not really feeling it right now.

And then you find 4 cans (that's right, count them. 4) of apple pie filling in the pantry that someone kept buying, swearing up and down that he was going to make apple pie, but he never did, and then a few months later he'd come home with more cans and swear that he was going to make apple pie. Spoilers, he never did.
So you look at the apple pie filling and go, "Well, I guess I could use this and free up some pantry space." And then you remember that you have leftover cake mix from making cake batter fudge, so you go on pinterest and find a recipe for apple cobbler that has a cake mix substitution. But you end up nixing the cake mix because you're a baking blogger, and you primarily do scratch baking, and using canned pie filling and cake mix would feel slightly fraudulent.

And you also added oats on top because you didn't have the pecans called for in the recipe, and you're not particularly fond of nuts.
So you make the cobbler, serve it warm, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, take some artsy photos of the melty bits, and you feel accomplished. Also, you have a happy belly full of apple cobbler and melty ice cream.

Just me?

Easy Apple Cobbler
Yield: 12-16 servings

 Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking power
1 tsp. salt
3 21oz. cans apple pie filling*
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup uncooked oats (quick or old-fashioned)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Spread the pie filling evenly in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the flour mixture on top of the filling, and add the diced butter evenly over the flour. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle the oats on top and bake 15 minutes longer, or until the oats are lightly golden brown. Serve warm.

*I used 2 21oz. cans and 1 16oz. Feel free to use homemade filling, but you'll need enough for 2-3 pies

 Recipe adapted slightly from Bake or Break

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January 27, 2013

Apple Cake Tart


A few weeks ago, I was looking for something to make, when my mother handed me a hand-written recipe. "Why don't you try this?" she said. "It's a recipe from Cousin Marie that your aunt and I could never figure out how to make. We were convinced that she left something out of the recipe."

Reading it over, I gave my mother a strange look. "Ma, this looks like an icebox cake."

"No. It can't be."

I looked it over again. Pudding, cool whip, graham crackers, and pie filling. Layer and chill. "I'm pretty sure I know what an icebox cake recipe looks like. I'm kind of an expert."

She snatched the recipe back and read it herself. "Huh. I could have sworn that this was the recipe."

"I'm pretty sure you and Auntie Pat together have enough kitchen know-how to figure out an icebox cake."
Fast forward to this weekend. I was looking through my mom's old recipe book, when I found another recipe from Cousin Marie. This one was labeled Peach or Apple Cake. When I took it out to look at it, I saw a note on the back, apologizing for leaving out the baking powder. I had found it.

Making it, I decided "cake" was a bit of a misnomer, as the end result is rather more like an apple tart, but with a thin, sweet layer of cake instead of pastry. So I dubbed it a cake tart. (I'd also considered "Apple Right-Side-Up Cake," but figured that was probably only funny to me and confusing to everyone else)
The original recipe suggested adding chopped walnuts to the top for the apple variation, but I don't like walnuts. I decided to use oats instead. This way I was thoroughly justified in eating a piece for breakfast. Oats and apples and milk and eggs. Totally healthy. Right?

Apple Cake Tart {Printable Version}

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
½ cup warm (not boiling) milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2-3 large apples, peeled and sliced thin*
¼ cup quick oats (optional)
Cinnamon sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, flour, milk, eggs, baking powder, and salt. Pour into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced apples in a single layer on top of the batter. Sprinkle with oats (if using) and cinnamon sugar. Bake 30-35 minutes, until cake layer is set. Let cool on a wire rack.

*Peaches or pears would also work well.

Recipe from Cousin Marie
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January 20, 2013

Apple Baked Oatmeal & Quinoa


Me and the bestie went to see The Hobbit yesterday.

Can I tell you something that shouldn't really surprise you? I loved The Lord of the Rings. Books and movies. And I'm still mad at Peter Jackson for skipping the Cleansing of the Shire simply because he didn't like that part, even though I thought he did a fantabulous job otherwise.

Fast forward to the Hobbit. I read the book in sixth grade for class, and I didn't really like it. My mother, who also loves LotR, swore that it was because I read it for school with a teacher I didn't like. I tried reading it again, later. Still nope. So I wasn't too excited to for the movie.

And then Peter Jackson went and cast Martin Freeman as Bilbo. And then he cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug. It's like he planned it all out specifically to make me see it. I'm not sure I would have gone otherwise, but I love those two actors far too much to miss it. And maybe I was a tiny, tiny bit happy to see Middle Earth again.
But all that said, I wasn't thrilled with it. And I think my main problem was the length. 3 hours long, and not a whole lot happened. Plus, at times it seemed a bit confused. The Hobbit is a kid's book, and there are times when it seems that Peter Jackson tried to make it kid-friendly. Like the little-boy humor found in a few places, such as the troll accidentally using Bilbo as a handkerchief. Or when the dwarves start singing and kind of make it feel like a Disney movie. And if they had made it a kid's movie, that would have been fine, but these moments are immediately followed by epic battle scenes (which feel a bit tacked-on, to tell the truth) or terrifying moments with Gollum or the goblin king or the "pale orc" that I do not remember whatsoever from the book (I'm old). And no kid would be able to sit through the three-hour movie that was more exposition than anything else. Not to mention that a lot of the action scenes felt a bit recycled from LotR, and the CGI somehow doesn't look as good as it did in the other movies over a decade ago.

The fact is, they made the Lord of the Rings into 3 movies for 3 very lengthy, very involved books. Peter Jackson even originally pitched a two-movie script, thinking that he wouldn't be able to sell 3. So the fact that they're turning the shortest and simplest book of the series into 3 movies I think will make for a lot of tedious moments.

Will I go see the next one? Yes. Martin Freeman was a wonderful Bilbo, and I did adore the dwarves. And Benedict Cumberbatch as a dragon is just too delicious to miss. I just hope it moves a bit faster, and I'm a little bit sad that we won't be seeing Gollum again.
This recipe... has absolutely nothing to do with the Hobbit. Although I like to think that it's the sort of hearty fare Elrond might serve for breakfast in Rivendell. Or maybe it's too simple for elves. Hmm, in the Prancing Pony in Bree? That's from the Fellowship. But they didn't go to any taverns in the Hobbit, precious. Maybe the Bagginses eats it for breakfast, maybe it does. Gollum, gollum.

 (Sorry. I'll stop with the impressions. Yes we will, precious.) (Last time, promise)(Gollum)

Since everyone in my house is sick, I decided we needed a warm, hearty, healthy breakfast. The kind that fills your tummy and makes you warm from head to toe. And since I have an awful lot of oats, and an awful lot of quinoa, I baked them both with some apples and dried cherries. Then served it nice and hot and drizzled with syrup. Yum. It's like a giant oatmeal cookie that you can eat for breakfast.

You probably could make this with old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats, and it would probably fall apart less, but quick oats was all I had. If you want to try, you should probably increase the liquid.
Apple Baked Oatmeal and Quinoa {Printable Version}
Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup quick oats
2 tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. apple pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup peeled and chopped apples
1 cup dried cherries*
1 cup milk
¼ cup maple syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, oats, sugar, apple pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the apples and dried cherries, and spread evenly into the prepared pie dish.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour evenly over the
oatmeal mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until set. Serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup.

*Dried cranberries or raisins would also work well.

Recipe by Kim

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December 8, 2012

Apple Cheddar Scone Mix & 1 Year Blogiversary Giveaway!{Closed}


The Giveaway is now Closed
Do you guys know what today is? It's my one year blogiversary!!!

Well, technically, it was November 28th. But I don't know what I was thinking starting a blog in November. Dec. 8th 2011 was my first recipe post, and from now on, we're going to pretend that it's my actual blogiversary. Okay? Okay.

Since one of my first posts to gain any real traction was my homemade gift sets, I thought it was fitting to celebrate with something along the same vein. Homemade scone mix.
Since this is apple cheddar scone mix, there are really 2 options for making it. Which one you choose will really depend on your recipient and how lazy you are. The first way, the way I made it, is just the dry ingredients. Flour, powdered buttermilk, dried thyme, sugar, and leavenings. Then when making them, you add some fresh apple, cheese, butter, and water.

While I was making it, however, I was thinking, that's really not much of a mix. Chopping the apple is the hardest part. So I thought, why not add in some dried apples as a part of the mix? Then, if you're going to go that far, you might as well add some powdered cheddar cheese, too.

Now, I don't have dried apples or powdered cheese in my pantry. But if I were giving this mix to, say a new mom, or someone who doesn't have too much time to spend in the kitchen, I might go out and get some. Then it'll be butter, water, done. But I'm too lazy to go out and get those specialty ingredients, so I won't be giving it to anyone like that.

And if you're going to go the powdered cheese route, make sure to get quality stuff, like this. No sense in making a homemade mix if you just plan on adding in the junky stuff.
Then just put it in a holiday themed bag or jar, print out some baking instructions, and you're all set. You could add a cute little spatula, or a pastry cutter, or give it with a holiday mug and some good coffee, the possibilities are endless.

For your convenience, I've linked 2 different sets of baking instructions. One with the dried apples and cheese powder, and one with fresh. I've also put them two to a page, because this is super easy to make multiple batches of. Then you make presents for ALL the people.
The scones themselves are pretty darn tasty, with the peppery thyme and the salty cheddar and the sweet apples. Goooood stuff.

But wait, there's more!

My buddy Tracy of Sassy Apron Creations made a special apron just for one lucky Treats & Trinkets reader.
It's cute. It's pink. It has ruffles. And polka dots. I am so super tempted to keep it for myself. I'll have to content myself with the epic awesomeness of the ruffled Batman apron Tracy made for me.

And a second lucky reader will get a surprise box of awesome.


What's in the surprise box of awesome? It's a surprise. Why is it a surprise? Because it's my blog's birthday and I want it to be and surprises are cool.


HOW TO ENTER:
Leave a comment on this post answering one of the following two questions:

What's the best gift you've ever gotten?
OR
What is your favorite holiday treat?

Additional Entries:
That's a total of FIVE possible entries! Remember to leave me a SEPARATE comment for each entry. (If you already follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, let me know in separate comments).

 This giveaway is open to US residents ONLY and will run from 11:30am EST (GMT -5) on Saturday, December 8th, 2012 until 12:00pm EST on Sunday, June 16th, 2012. The winners will be chosen randomly via RANDOM.ORG on Monday, December 17th, 2012.

 Please note that all comments are moderated, and it may take some time for your comments to appear.
Apple Cheddar Scone Mix {Printable Verson}

Yield: About 2 cups mix*

Ingredients
1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. powdered buttermilk
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup diced dried apples (optional)
½ cup powdered cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions
In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well blended. Store in an airtight container up to three
months.

*If adding the dried apples and powdered cheese, the yield will increase accordingly.

 Recipe adapted slightly from Favorite Brand Name Gifts From the Kitchen

 Baking Instructions:
With dried apples and powdered cheese
With fresh apples and cheese

Posted by at 11:24 AM Comments
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November 11, 2012

Drunken Apple Pie




Me and pie, we have some issues. Well, not so much pie, as pie crust. I can't make it. I've got this mental block. I mean I make it, but then it won't roll out because it's hard, or I roll it out and it sticks to everything, or I don't roll it out thin enough, or I can't get it to roll out in a circle, and it's too long one way and too short the other, or I'm incompetent and can't manage to get it in the tin right.

And then I'll be watching a show on the cooking channel about pie and they'll be all, oh, it's so easy to make your own crust. And then when you roll it out, you just wrap it on the rolling pin and just drape it over the tin. And I'm like, that does sound easy, Kelsey. Thanks! And then I try it and it's an epic fail and I'm reduced to tears, sobbing over the mess that I was sure this time was going to be a beautifully flaky pie crust.

But you guys see that excessively ugly pie up there? Do you see it? Do you know why it's so ugly? Because I made pie crust! Successfully. Cut in cold butter, sprinkled ice cold water, rolled out with a rolling pin, crimped the edges and everything.

And of course, it had vodka in it.

Yes, you read that right. See, I was looking through the Dash magazine that comes in the Sunday paper, and they were giving Thanksgiving tips, and the last one was all, pie crust is so finicky. So they were all, we swear by this recipe and vodka is the magic ingredient! And it worked.
So I had my vodka pie crust, what should I put in it? My brother says, "How about drunken apples?"

Genius runs in the family.

And then my father wanted raisins in it, but I could only find one little box of raisins, so I decided to make mini pies. I put raisins in one, toffee bits in the other, and kept the third plain apple. This is the raisin one. Can you see the R that I carved in the crust?

And believe it or not, this is the best looking of the three pies. Well, in the tin, the plain apple one looked better, but when I took it out, well...
Dammit man, keep it together!

My drunken apples imbibed a little too heavily there. Or it could have been baked longer. Heh.

...What's that? You want to see the one with the toffee bits? No, you don't. No, you really, really don't. It looks like something out of a cheesy horror movie about baked goods.

...Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you.
AIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quick, get out of here! The vodka crust will only hold it back for so long. Save yourselves!

Got the patchwork top crust holding back something lurking in the depths of the apple pie filling. It looks like it's going to explode any minute now.

Yeah, this one's looking better and better, huh?
 Of course, who really cares what the outside looks like? Like any dessert, it's what's on the inside that counts.
Mmm, boozey apples....

Spiced Piecrust {Printable Version}
Yield: 2 piecrusts

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. apple pie spice
1 tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small chunks
4 tbsp. solid white vegetable shortening (Crisco), chilled and cut into small chunks
2 tbsp. vodka
Approx. ¼ cup ice cold water

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture looks like wet sand, and there are no pieces bigger than small peas. With a fork, mix in the vodka and just enough of the water that the dough comes together and is slightly tacky. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into disks, wrap separately in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 45 minutes, or up to two days. Roll out as desired on a well-floured surface.

Tip: Whenever you have to handle the dough, make sure to only use the tips of your fingers. This is the coolest part of your hand, and will help keep the butter from melting.

Recipe adapted from Dash Magazine

Drunken Apple Pie {Printable Version}
Yield: 3 mini deep dish pies (or 1 regular 9 inch pie)

Ingredients
6-7 apples peeled and chopped into ½ inch pieces (approximately 6 cups)
Juice of 1 orange
¼ cup flour
2 tbsp. rum
2 tbsp. brown sugar*
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. apple pie spice
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 recipe Spiced Piecrust
Raisins, toffee bits, or dried cranberries, if desired, 1-2 oz. per mini pie
Water, for brushing, and cinnamon sugar, or 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the apples with the orange juice immediately after chopping to prevent browning. In a large mixing bowl, mix the apples with the flour, rum, sugar, cornstarch, spices, and vanilla, making sure the apples are well coated. If desired, add mix-ins, such as raisins. You can also divide the filling into 3 equal parts first and add a different mix-in to each.

Roll out the piecrust on a well-floured surface to approx. ¼ inch thickness. Cut 3 circles about 2-3 inches larger than the lip of the mini pie tins for the bottom crusts. For the top crusts, cut 3 circles about ½ an inch larger than the lip of the pie tins. Line the tins with the bottom crusts, and divide the filling equally between them. Place the top crusts over the filling and seal the two crusts together, pinching them with your fingers, or pressing the edges together with a fork dipped in flour.

Brush the tops of each pie with water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, or brush each with the egg
wash. Score the tops with a sharp knife, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 30-35 minutes,
until the filling is bubbling, and the crust is golden brown.

*Depending on how sweet your apples are, this amount may need to be adjusted.

Recipe by Kim

Posted by at 12:03 PM Comments
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October 10, 2012

Oven Baked Pumpkin Pancakes with Pan-Fried Apple Wedges


You know what one of my pet peeves is? When I have an out-of-office employee come and sign in and say to me, "Gosh, I never realized how many farms there are around here!"

Every single time, I'm tempted to say, "Really? You knew it was called the Garden State, but you didn't realize we had farms?"

Look, New Jersey gets a bad rap. Most people only ever see Newark airport and the Parkway, which are two of the worst parts you can see (well, and Camden. But we won't talk about that). But me? I grew up in suburb that's more sub than urb if ya know what I'm sayin'. It's never unusual to drive past a field and see cows or sheep grazing, or a field of corn, or a roadside farm-stand. On my way to work, I pass a small dairy  farm, 2 horse farms, and at least one family-owned farm. In fact, one day when I was coming home, I was driving past the dairy and I saw two baby calves gamboling in the field. My day was made.

When I was little, we went pumpkin picking on school field trips, and I went apple-picking every year with my family. I had a friend who's parents owned an alpaca farm. And lest you think I grew up in some strictly rural area, you're never really more than a 10 minute drive from a highway or shopping center around here. You've got the middle-of-nowhere feel without the inconvenience.
My point is, these pancakes were topped with hand-picked apples from an orchard not far from my house, and pumpkin-- well, the pumpkin came from a can, but it could have come from the farm stand just down the road. It didn't, but it could have.
Have you ever had a fresh picked apple? Not only do those suckers tend to be huge, but the flavor is so much better than those tiny flavorless things in the grocery store. The brother and sister-in-law went apple picking and brought back a big ole grocery bag of the things. Now, I'm weird. I love apples, I love apple-flavored things, but I hate baking with apples because it's such a pain in the behind to peel and core and chop. Usually I feel like it's a bit of a wasted effort too, because cooked apples tend to be mushy and too sweet and don't taste much like apples.

But then I was flipping through Old Reliable and found a recipe for pan-fried apple wedges. The recipe only called for butter, apples, and apple jelly, and I was intrigued. I reduced the apple jelly slightly, added in just a little bit of brown sugar and just a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. And holy fried apples was it good. The apple wedges were cooked just enough to be soft while still being firm with a bit of a snap, there was such a great apple flavor without being overly sweet, and you just got a slight savory note from the butter. And they're drenched in this sort of sticky apple syrup that tastes like sunlight and crisp fall air and fresh-picked apples (though mostly the third thing). I may have eaten the entire pan of apples by myself.
The only question that remained was what to put them on. Old Reliable suggested serving them as a side to ham or pork, or over pancakes. I wasn't going to bake a ham or roast a pork loin, so pancakes it was. Except I'm kind of pancake-incompetent (I can never figure out how to flip them), so I went with oven-baked. I was going to use a plain recipe that I've used before and liked, but then I remembered all the pumpkin puree I had left over from my last post. What's more season appropriate than apples and pumpkin?

To tell the truth, the pancakes aren't my favorite, but they do go very well with the apples. Neither are overly sweet, so together they're just the right amount. And my pumpkin-loving mother liked them, so it might just be me and the fact that I'm not the hugest pumpkin fan. They're a good vehicle for the apples and isn't that the point?
And in nerd news, who watched the world television premiere of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog last night?

Right? Right? I own Dr. Horrible on DVD, so I'm not sure why I was so excited to watch it with commercials. And I own the soundtrack. And a shirt (but that was for charity, so there). And I can quote the entire movie from memory, and I sing all the songs. You don't want to watch with me unless you're already a fan.

Also, New York Comic Con tomorrow! Anybody else going? Anyone? Bueller?  I got the 4-day pass because I had the vacation time saved, and now I'm kind of wishing I'd gotten the 3-day pass, because no one's available to come with me. *sad face* And I have a wedding on Saturday up in the Catskills, so I don't even know if I'm going to be able to go on Sunday (which is my favorite, because it's kid's day and you see all the little kids dressed up and you see little Captain America fighting a guy in a tiger costume and it's so cute). So if you're planning a wedding, don't plan it for the same weekend as Comic Con. Word to the wise.

Oven Baked Pumpkin Pancakes {Printable Version}

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the butter in a 9 inch pie plate and let melt in the oven. Swirl the butter
in the plate to coat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, and brown sugar until well-
combined. Whisk in the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Add mixture to the prepared
pie plate and bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are browned and the middle is puffy. Slice and
serve immediately. Serve with butter and syrup or Pan-Fried Apple Wedges.

Recipe by Kim

 Pan-Fried Apple Wedges {Printable Version}

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
2 large apples
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup apple jelly
Cinnamon & nutmeg, to taste
Lemon juice

Directions
Peel* and core the apples, slicing into thin wedges. Toss the wedges with a few squirts of lemon juice as
you slice to prevent them from browning. Add the sliced apples to a mixing bowl and toss with brown
sugar.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the apples in a single layer and cook 5-7
minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wedges are tender crisp. Stir in the jelly, cinnamon,
and nutmeg, and heat through. Serve over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream, or as a side to baked ham or
roast pork.

*If desired, you can leave the peels on.

 Recipe adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook
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