Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble
Ingredients:

Apples:

3 apples, peeled and chopped (any variety really, I prefer gala but choose granny smith if you prefer more of a crunch)
pinch of cinnamon (I use several shakes)
1 tbs flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

Carefully mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place coated apples in an 8×8 pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

Crumble:

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
14 tbs cold butter, cubed

Mix together flour and brown sugar in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or use two forks to incorporate. Stop mixing when butter is roughly pea sized.

Pour crumble over apples and lightly pat down. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Adapted from BBC http://www.cakeandallie.com

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Apple Cinnamon Bread

Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread (makes one 9×5 inch loaf)
Ingredients:

For the bread:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped

For the swirl:
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

For the bread, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Using an electric mixture, beat oil and sugar together in a large bowl. Add eggs and beat until smooth and pale. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. With a spatula, fold in apples.

Pour half the batter in the prepared loaf pan.

In a small bowl, mix together the swirl ingredients until combined. Spoon half of the mixture in 5 or 6 circles on top of the batter. With a knife, swirl the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the batter. Pour the remaining batter into the pan and repeat the swirl with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mix.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Recipe from AllRecipes

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Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Muffins (makes 12)
Ingredients:

for muffin batter:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

for topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, very cold, cubed

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 12 muffin wells with papers and set aside.

To make the muffin batter, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix in oil, egg and milk and fold in apples. Evenly distribute batter between muffin wells, filling them 2/3 of the way full.

To make topping, whisk together sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. With a pastry cutter, forks, or your hands, cut in butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Spoon topping over the muffin batter, distributing it evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes http://www.cakeandallie.com

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Christmas Apple Braid

Apple Braid

Makes 1 bread (approximately 12 servings)

For the Apple Filling

3 medium-size Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Bread

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast (I prefer SAF Instant Yeast)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the Glaze:
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 teaspoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the Apple Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices, then cut the slices in half. Toss the apple pieces with the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bake the apple filling in an 8-inch square baking pan (or 9-inch pie tin) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Note: Do not turn the oven off at this point. You will be using it to bake the finished braid.)

Make the Bread: While the apple filling is baking, begin preparing the bread dough. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and oil and mix the dough for 6 minutes using an electric mixer on medium-high speed.

Spray a smooth clean surface with cooking spray and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead the dough briefly to give it a smooth surface (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish). Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 12-inches by 16-inches in size. Lift onto a greased baking sheet.

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each side into strips about 1-inch wide down each side, leaving the center third of the dough uncut. Spread the apple filling down the middle third of the dough. Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side. Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands, if necessary, to straighten.

Bake the braid in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the braid cool for several minutes.

Make the Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until blended and smooth.

Brush the glaze in a thick coat over the entire surface of the apple braid while it is still cooling. Carefully transfer the braid to a cooling rack set on a baking sheet (to catch drips) to finish cooling and prevent the bottom of the braid from becoming soggy from sitting in any pooling glaze. Slice and serve.

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Apple Cinnamon Slow Cooker Porkloin

Apple Cinnamon Slow Cooker Porkloin
Serves 4-6
3 pounds porkloin
3 red delicious apples, sliced
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup red onion, sliced

Lay several apples in the base of the slow cooker. Slice slits into porkloin horizontally about 3/4 inch deep. Drizzle honey into slits and fill each with an apple slice.
Transfer porkloin to slow cooker. Drizzle with any remaining honey and cover with apples and onions.
The onions help cut the flavor, otherwise this would be a huge mouthful of unrelenting sweetness. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cook on low for 7 hours.

http://rachelschultz.com

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Caramel Apples

Yields 10

Ingredients:
10 small Granny Smith Apples
1 recipe Homemade Caramel, recipes follows
12 oz. milk chocolate or white chocolate chips*
Assorted toppings for coating, see list below
10 craft sticks or twigs

Directions:
Insert 1 craft stick vertically through the center of each apple, set apples aside. Butter two 13x9 pans, and make enough space in the refrigerator for them to sit evenly. 
Prepare Homemade Caramel as directed and allow to cool about 10 - 13 minutes then immediately dip apples in caramel (note: from my experience this caramel doesn't reheat well, so with that said you basically get one chance to dip so don't let the caramel cool too long and work quickly when dipping, you may even want to have a friend help to be able work quicker). If you want to make yours to look like the ones pictured (with the apple showing through the center on top) then tilt apple when dipping and don't fully immerse apple in the caramel, then carefully swirl the apple to coat all edges. Lift apple and let some of the excess caramel drip off and run the bottom of the apple along the inside edge of the pan. Tilt apple upside down and swirl just until the caramel is about to run off, then immediately turn upright and transfer to buttered baking dish in refrigerator. Repeat process with remaining apples, be sure to space them a bit apart on baking dish so they don't stick together. Allow caramel coated apples to set in refrigerator.
Heat chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power, in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Using an icing spatula or butter knife, coat edges with melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with desired toppings. Return to refrigerator to allow chocolate to set. Serve at room temperature and store in the refrigerator in airtight containers or Ziploc bags.

*Blocks of chocolate can also be used, just chop into small, uniform pieces to ensure even melting. Also, I highly recommend using quality chocolate (chips or blocks) such as Guittard, Ghirardelli or Godiva (any of the G's =). The lower quality chips don't melt as well and tend leave that dull residue when they set.

Homemade Caramel

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
In a large enameled cast iron pot, combine butter, sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat mixture to a boil just over medium heat (the 6 of an electric stove), stirring frequently. Once mixture has reached a boil, stir in remaining one cup heavy cream. Then without stirring,(again just slightly over medium heat) bring mixture to exactly 239 degrees then immediately remove from heat (this should take around 20 - 25 minutes). Carefully pour caramel into a medium nonstick saucepan and stir in vanilla (transferring caramel to another pan helps it cool faster and will leave behind some of the little brown specs at the bottom of the cast iron pan. You don't have to transfer it but if you don't just allow the caramel to cool a little longer than the 10 minutes). Allow to cool 10 minutes before dipping apples.

Coating Ideas

To crush, place ingredients in a ziploc bag, seal and crush with a rolling pin. I probably make these too much because I've started naming them =). When I listed the white or milk chocolate chips I'm referring the which type of melted chocolate to coat them with.

• Crushed Oreos with white chocolate chips - Cookies and Cream 
• Crushed Oreos with milk chocolate chips - Cookie Fudge 
• Crushed Butterfingers - Candy Bar Apple
• Chopped nuts, such as pecans, almonds or peanuts - Nutty
• Sliced or chopped almonds and poppy seeds with white chocolate - Almond Poppyseed 
• Chopped dried cranberries & chopped walnuts or pecans with white chocolate chips - Christmas Apple
• Sprinkles - Every Kids Favorite
• Crushed graham crackers or graham cracker pie crust & a little cinnamon & nutmeg with white chocolate chips - Apple Pie
• Crushed sugar cones or waffle cones with white chocolate chips - Ice Cream Apple
• Chopped mini marshmallows & optional chopped nuts with milk chocolate chips - Rocky Road
• Crushed pretzels - Salted Caramel
• Crushed shortbread with milk chocolate chips - The Twix 
• Crushed lavender & vanilla bean with white chocolate chips - The Gourmet

...or whatever else you can come up with.

Recipe Source: Caramel Apples - Cooking Classy, Homemade Caramel - adapted fromallrecipes.com

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Bite size apple pies

These little pies were so much fun to make.. so EASY...and so delicious. They went together in minutes and before long... we had fresh hot apple pie for dessert! Start to finish was maybe 20-25 minutes.

I wasn't sure if I should peel the apple or leave the skin on, as the recipe didn't specify. So I left them on...I liked the texture and color it added. Next time I'll try without so I can compare the taste, though. I also wondered if the apple would be hard and uncooked baking such a short time, but they were very soft and tender, the crust crispy and golden.

I served them warm with ice cream....2 little pies a piece was just a perfect size dessert. I made only half a batch as I wasn't sure how they would taste cold or reheated.

I still don't know...... as they were gone in a flash.

But my kitchen smelled great all day.... apples and cinnamon...making me wish I had made the full batch!

Bite Size Apple Pies

Taste of Home

1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 pkg. (14.1 oz..} refrigerated pie crust 
3 tbsp. melted butter, divided
2 medium tart apples, each cut into 8 wedges

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, set aside 1 Tbsp. On a lightly floured surface, unroll the pastry. Brush with  2 Tbsp. melted butter, sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. 

Cut each sheet into 8 one inch strips, about 8 in. long. Wrap one strip around each apple wedge, placing sugared side of pastry against apple.

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 16.

cookinupnorth.blogspot.com

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