Southern Apple Crisp

I came across this Betty Crocker recipe when looking for something to make as a dessert for last night's Family Board Game night. 

As with most recipes I find, I altered the recipe some... such as, three apples I knew would not be enough to feed the eight of us (two of which are hungry teenage boys). 

So instead I doubled the recipe + some. I used a 9x13 pan and probably 9 apples. The other ingredients I doubled. Here's the amounts I used.

Ingredients/Directions for Filling:
9 medium apples (I used fuji)
1 C granulated white sugar
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

Peel, core and dice up apples - place right into 9x13 nonstick cake pan. Sprinkles sugars and cinnamon on top and mix well.  Begin to preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Ingredients/Directions for Topping:
2 pouches Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie mix
1 C butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon

Melt butter. Add cookie mix and cinnamon to butter - mix well. Add half of topping (squeeze between hands to create larger "crumble" like top) to top of apples.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Add remaining topping and put back in oven for another 20 minutes. Crisp should be bubbling and topping browned. Let cool slightly before serving (Also good cold the next morning)

Cinnamon Pumpkin Empanada2

Pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla

Fill a few teaspoons of filling into Pillsbury crescent rolls

Use another to make a top. Press edges

Bake at 450 for at least 20 minutes or until golden brown

Let cool

And enjoy.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Empanada

I found this recipe on a blog called Sook's Kitchen and boy does it look yummy. I'm a big fan of pumpkin (real pumpkin not just "pumpkin flavored") but it's so hard to find canned pumpkin all year round. So this past Thanksgiving (the MOMENT I saw pumpkin on the shelves) I stocked up on a number of cans.

This past weekend I made a Sweet Brie Ring (also found on Sook's Kitchen) for my sister's birthday breakfast. I think this weekend (or perhaps for dessert one evening) I'll be making these Cinnamon Pumpkin Empanadas.

This recipe sure does make me wish it was Autumn (although I'm also still waiting for Spring and Summer to show up).

Ingredients:

Pumpkin filling-

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

Empanada Dough- (I have to be honest...I'm most likely going to use a premade dough)

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 (1/2 oz) packages dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups flour, divided in half

3/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

For the filling: Mix ingredients together and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine water, sugar, salt, yeast, baking powder, and cinnamon. Using an electric mixer, gradually blend in half of the flour. Add shortening and thoroughly mix, then gradually blend in remaining flour.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts, then shape each of those parts into 4 dough balls. Slap the dough balls between the palms of your well-floured hands until somewhat flattened, then roll out on a floured surface into circles approximately 4 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin filling in the center of each circle, fold over, and seal edges by moistening slightly and pressing lightly with a fork on both sides.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes (watch carefully as they can burn quickly).