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)

Fried Apple Pancake Rings

Holy Smokes Folks!

I came across this recipe today on Pinterest and *droooooooooool* I'm gonna need to try this and soon. But I couldn't wait until then to share it with you. So here we go!

Fried Apple Pancake Rings

Skill Level: Easy
Time: Approx. 30 mins

Ingredients:

1 C Bisquick Pancake Mix
1 Egg
1/2 C milk
1 tsp Pumpkin Spice Mix
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 medium apples, peeled and cored

Directions:

Step 1. Beat baking mix, egg and milk with rotary beater until smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice and lemon zest to batter and mix until incorporated.

Step 2. Core and cut apples crosswise in 1/8-inch slices.

Step 3. Using a toothpick dip slices into batter. Cook on hot griddle until golden brown, turning once. Serve hot with apple cider syrup.


Apple Cider Syrup Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Lemons juice and zest
Apple Cider
Cinnamon

Directions:

To make hot apple cider syrup: Add apple cider, lemon juice and zest, and cinnamon to a saucepan and bring to a boil. (Use your own comfort/judgement with how much to mix.) Reduce the liquid to a syrup consistency, by half.

(Note: A friend I showed the recipe to is worried the apples will still be crunchy after the process and not soft like in most traditional apple pancakes. I'll let you know the crunch-factor once I make them)

Cinnamon + Apples + Goat Cheese + Honey = OMFG!!

I get an email newsletter from The Stir and today they had this recipe. It's still a bit too warm to turn the oven on but you better believe the next evening it dips into the 50s or 60s I'll be coring apples and stuffing with honey goat cheese. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...oh, sorry about the drool there.

Baked Cinnamon Apples With Goat Cheese & Honey

Posted by Kim Conte

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:

1/3 cup brandy

1/4 cup raisins

4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

4 large apples

3/4 cup apple cider

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Finely chopped toasted walnuts

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat at the brandy over medium heat. Place the raisins in a bowl and cover with the warm brandy. Let sit until plumped, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.

2. In a small bowl, mash the goat cheese, honey, lemon peel, and 2 teaspoons of the reserved brandy until smooth. Add the raisins and mix until well blended. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 20 minutes.

3. Scoop out the stems, cores, and seeds from the apples, leaving the bottoms intact. Using a paring knife, peel the skin from the top inch of the apple. Stand in a baking dish.

4. Divide the goat cheese mixture into 4 equal portions and stuff into the apples.

5. In a bowl, whisk together the cider, sugar, cinnamon and the remaining reserved brandy. Pour over the apples. Bake uncovered until the apples are tender, 45 to 40 minutes, basting every 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Place the apples on plates and spoon the pan juices over them. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and serve immediately.

Baking: Caramel Apple Cookies

The holidays are fast approaching which means one thing in my kitchen - BAKING!

Baking Pies...Baking Tarts

Baking Cakes...Baking Cookies

Baking...Baking...Baking

I may have a small household but there's always someone - somewhere - who is more than willing to leave their diet behind and "sample" what comes out of the oven. 

Each year there are the staples, the yummy treats that always find their ways back onto my cooling rack. 

Mexican Wedding Kisses...

Frosted Date Cookies...

Candied Yams...

Pumpkin Pie...

Sweet Potato Pie with a Graham Cracker crust...

Oh, and of course my Grandmother's Molasses Cookies (with a non-vegetarian recipe)...but we'll cover that at another point. I do try to "spice" things up each year though with new goodies I have found online, in magazines, or various cookbooks I've bought through the year. 

One that I made last year, that is just too yummy to NOT make again this year, was Caramel Apple Cookies. I don't remember where I found the recipe but I'm glad I did. A few friends (whom I shared the recipe with) have just loved them - so I thought I'd share them here too.

CARAMEL APPLE COOKIES:

For the cookies:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (*NOTE: I used butter instead)

1-1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 apple juice, divided

2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup apples, peeled and shredded (*NOTE: I used Pink Lady Apples)

For the Caramel Frosting:

2 to 3 tablespoons margarine, softened

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

1-1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons milk

5 tablespoons finely crushed walnuts 

To make the cookies:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease baking sheet(s). In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and brown sugar in medium bowl until blended; beat in egg and apple juice. In another mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice and the apples. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake a 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

To make the Caramel Frosting:
Heat margarine, brown sugar, and water over medium high heat in saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; beat in powdered sugar and enough milk to make spreadable consistency; use immediately. If frosting begins to harden, return to low heat and stir in more milk.