Sometimes it is just fun to make a dessert up and present it in a different way. This is a lovely Apple Pie but made up in a bowl. Read on….
- Pastry of your choice (in a box, frozen or your own)
- 4 Braeburn apples, cored and peeled)
- 4 Granny Smith apples (cored and peeled)
- 1 cup caramel ice cream topping (or your own homemade)
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts
- 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice
- 2 tbsp. butter, cut in 8 small pieces
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 tbsp. water
- 1 egg white
- sprinkle of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine 1/2 of the caramel sauce, pistachios and pie spice. Set aside.
In a large bowl, slice the apples and toss to mix them up. Equally fill the ramekins with the apples, drizzle the caramel sauce over the apple slices, Add a pat of butter on each pie and squeeze a tsp. of lemon juice over each one.
When you have your pastry rolled out, cut into 8 squares, lay a square of pastry over each pie, pinching the corners with your fingers. It won’t cover the pie completely so don’t panic.
Set these out in a parchment lined baking dish and set the ramekins on.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp. water with an egg white and brush the pastry,
Bake these for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the apples are cooked through. Remove to a rack and let cool for 20 minutes. While still warm and just as you are about to serve, drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over each pie and add a light sprinkle of cinnamon. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side wouldn’t hurt either.
Apple Crumb Pie
This is the first day of Spring. Thank Goodness! What a winter the world has been through this year. Never mind, we all need is a dessert tonight and here we go.
- Pastry for 8″ square pan
- 6-8 apples, cored, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
- 1/2 – 3/4 tbsp. cinnamon (to taste)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup oatmeal
- 6-7 tbsp. butter (not margarine)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line the bottom of an 8″ square pan with your favourite recipe for pastry (or store bought will do).
In a large bowl, mix together the sliced apples, 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon. Toss with your hands gently to coat the apples. Pour this into the baking pan.
Mix together 1/3 cup of sugar, the flour and oatmeal and the cold butter. Cut in with two forks or pastry cutter until crumbly and sprinkle over all the apples. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Watch that it isn’t burning.
Turn the broiler on and for the last 2-3 minutes, broil the top to get a nice golden brown colour.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream or cheddar cheese. For a special touch, drizzle a caramel sauce over the surface.
In a few words, yum yum and yum.
Pork Tenderloin/Apple Slaw Sandwiches
What a superb combination – apples and pork tenderloin. You will love this recipe.
- 2 red-skinned apples (Pink Lady or Honeycrisp), cored and julienned
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, torn in pieces
- 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
- 12 oz. pork tenderloin, cut into 4 pieces
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Crisco oil
- 8 thin slices of rustic bread
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. honey mustard
Apple Slaw
Toss the julienned apples with olive oil, tarragon and lemon juice. Set aside.
Pork Tenderloin
Crush the panko crumbs with a rolling pin for a couple of rolls and transfer to a shallow dish, Place each piece of pork between plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Set aside.
Pour the flour, salt and pepper into a shallow dish. Place the beaten egg in another shallow bowl. Dip each piece of pork into the flour, then egg and finally panko crumbs.
Preheat skillet with about 1/4-1/3 inch of oil over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes each side or until golden and no pink remains.
Put together the pork, apple slaw between two slices of bread where you have applied the mayo and mustard.
Now, how is that for a deluxe sandwich? Darn tooten….
Baked Figs and Apple Dessert- Another Power Food
How happy am I to find proof of this. We have our very own fig tree (thanks to our kids) and if you never tried them, rush out and buy some. They are fabulous anyway you want to serve them.
They also help prevent hypertension, osteoporosis and heart disease. They can be eaten raw, wrapped with proscuitto and drizzled with fig balsamic vinegar, baked, stewed, stuffed, jam…..the list is endless.
For the beginner, try this one.
- 2 tbsp. honey (or agave syrup)
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4 apples, chopped and peeled
- 10 figs, stems removed
- 1/2 cup granola
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 5 ingredients and mix well in a bowl. Add the apples and figs and mix until all coated in the sugar mixture.
Pour this into a 12 x 12 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the granola on top. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, checking to see if the apples are cooked.
Remove the cover and bake for another 5-8 minutes. Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving. Okay, enough of the healthy…a dollop of whipped cream, creme fraiche or ice cream would be lovely. You choose the ‘devil’ for this one. I did my part!!
Caramel Apple Crisp
A long time ago, a lady I knew gave me this recipe. Don just loves it and so will you.
- 6 cups of sliced Granny Smith apples (peeled and cored)
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 28 unwrapped caramels (or 1 pkg. toffee bits)
- 2 tbsp. water
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 Quaker rolled oats
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Grease a 2 qt. baking dish and place the sliced apples in. Sprinkle with the lemon juice.
Add the caramels and water in a microwave dish, cover and cook for 2- 2 1/2 minutes until melted. Stir until well blended. Pour this over the apples.
Melt butter and stir in balance of ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over the caramel mixture.
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the apples are tender.
Serve with cinnamon flavoured whipped cream or ice cream.
YUMMY!
Provolone and Warm Duck Salad
When Autumn is just around the corner and the last days of a beautiful Summer slowly fading, here is a wonderful transition in salad form.
- 2 tbsp. white miso
- 1 tsp. dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tbsp. water
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 6 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 duck legs confit
- 8 rocket lettuce leaves, coarsely chopped
- 2 red delicious apples, julienned
- 8 slices Provolone cheese, julienned
In a medium bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the first 6 ingredients until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
In a frypan, cook the mushrooms with butter until golden, about 7-8 minutes. Season to taste and set in a warming oven to keep warm.
Reheat the duck leg confit according to instructions on the package. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
Divide the rocket evenly on 6 plates. Add the mushrooms, apple, duck and provolone. Drizzle with the dressing, serve immediately with a wonderful Chardonnay, warm buns and sweet butter.
OMG! This makes my mouth water. Try it….you’ll see.
Apple Toffee Pie
I once had a friend who made this pie. Don loved it so much so I am putting this out for you all to try. It is yummy, to say the least.
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 6 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- 1 cup English Toffee bits
- 2 tbsp. butter
Use your favourite pastry recipe and mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt . Set aside.
Peel, core and slice the apples. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients with the slices to coat well. Lay out the apple slices in attractive layers and sprinkle the remaining dry ingredients over the top. Dot the top with butter.
Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 350 and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Make sure the apples are tender and it doesn’t get too brown.
Serve with cinnamon flavoured whipped cream and WOW!
Apple Pecan Crisp
This is a lovely dessert. I can’t imagine anyone not liking the flavours of apples, oatameal and toasted pecans…yummmmmm!
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/8 cups of rolled oats (not instant)
- 1 1/8 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups toasted, chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened
- 4 1/2 lbs tart-sweet apples such as a Gala
- 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 4 – 5 tbsp. sugar (to taste)
- 2 tbsp. flour
- cinnamon whipped cream or vanilla ice cream drizzled with Calvados
**what the heck, drizzle the Calvados over the whipping cream as well.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Sift together the flour, cinnamon and salt and add the oats, brown sugar into a bowl and blend the butter in with your fingers to form small clumps. amd set aside.
Peel and core apples and cut into 1/4 inch wedges then toss with lemon juice, sugar and flour in a large bowl. Transfer to a baking dish, spreading evenly.
Crumble the topping over the apples and bake until golden and the apples are tender, abpout 45 minutes.
Top with the cinnamon flavoured whipped cream or cinnamon whipped cream and be sure to drizzle some Calvados over this. OMG this is delicious.
Apple Streusel Muffins
This recipe is in my cookbook “The B & B Cookbook” (order from Amazon or your local library) and it is truly a great morning ‘waker-upper’.
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, vanilla and stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be stiff). Fold in the chopped apples.
Grease muffin tins and fill them 3/4 full.
Streusel Topping
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. cold butter
Combine the ingredients and cut in the butter until very crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over all the muffins and gently press to adhere.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick and if it comes out clean…done
Cool for five minutes before removing to a rack. One more thing….
Glaze
1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
1-2 tbsp. cream (not milk)
1 tsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Mix together until combined and smooth. Drizzle over the muffins. Need I say – OMG these are good.
Coffee any one?
Cooked Fresh Fruit Dessert
This is summertime and the peaches are abundant and the apples will be shortly. Try it both ways and you will enjoy both of them.
- 6 apples or peaches
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar (approximately)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
Peel, and slice into wEdges. Place sugar and water in a saucepan, heating to boiling .
Add fruit amd cook slowly until tender. Add the vanilla. Taste and add a touch more sugar if you require it.
Allow to cool and when ready to serve, use your prettiest dishes and add whipped cream, lighly flavoured with (peaches – almond), (apples-cinnamon).
Wanting to look like you are a slave to the stove? Just dust a little flour on your nose and sigh….loudly.
.
Apple Puff
Ahh….weekend just hours away and this is a nice, lazy day kinda start to the long weekend.
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- dash of salt
- icing sugar
- 1 cup whipped cream, flavoured with a sprinkle of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Saute apples in butter until soft. Now arrange in a pie plate, in a pretty overlapping pattern.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and slowly add the flour and beat until really smooth. Stir in the milk, vanilla and salt and pour over the apples.
Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Quickly add the icing sugar, a dollop of whipped cream and Voila! You did it again. Oh yeah, serve immediately.
Hint: If you want to make it ‘adult’, add some Calvados to the butter when cooking the apples. Just sayin’…..
Chicken Calvados
This is another wonderful chicken dinner to serve family and even company.
Serves 4
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 4 – 4 oz. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
- 4 tsp. vegetable oil
- 4 delicious apples. peeled, cored and sliced thin
- 1 cup apple juice
- 3 tbsp. Calvados (apple brandy)
Combine all the dry spices and rub into the chicken breasts. In a large frypan, heat the oil and saute the chicken until browned. Transfer to a plate.
In a skillet, cook the apple slices until golden brown and tender; stir in the apple juice and bring to a boil. Return the chicken breasts and turning as needed to cook through. Transfer now to a platter.
Stir the Calvados in the skillet and cook until the apples are glazed and the liquid has thickened. Spoon over the breasts and serve.
I will promise you this will be a first for most people to try. Here you go….’damn I can do this”.
So, so good.