Flour's Apple Turnovers

I am super excited about these turnovers, they were such a success.  I have made these cheese danishes before with laminated dough, and I really liked how they turned out, but as you can see from the picture, the turnovers had that flaky dough that I was so happy to achieve.  I am only going to feature the dough today from Flour, Too, and Friday will have a filling for them from my chocolate cookbook.  The apple turnovers pictured here were just filled with a tart apple sauce filling.  Each apple turnover was 379 calories, and we gave these a perfect 10, although the chocolate ones were a bigger hit.  This dough is kind of a lot of work, but it is definitely worth it.  This recipe will make 20-22 turnovers, and I did 10 apple and 12 chocolate.  Here's what to do:

1 3/4 c flour, plus lots for dusting and folding, probably another cup
1/2 t salt
6 T unsalted butter, plus 1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c ice water

1 egg, beaten
3 T sugar

In a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt and 6 T of butter and beat on low speed for 6-8 minutes, or until the butter is completely mixed into the flour.  Add the water and mix on low for about 20-30 seconds more.  Shape the dough into a 5 inch square, transfer the dough to a cookie sheet, and cover it with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a generously floured surface.  Press the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 5 inches tall.  Roll the remaining 2 sticks of butter out to cover 1/2 of the dough, so 4 inches wide by 5 inches tall.  Fold the bare half of the dough over the butter half of the dough and press to seal the butter between the dough.  Turn the dough 90 degrees clockwise so the dough is 5 inches wide and 4 inches from top to bottom.  Flour the dough on all sides.
Begin rolling the dough from side to side and top to bottom, ending with the rectangle about 15 inches wide and 10 inches tall.  Fold into thirds like a letter, right side coming in, then left side.  Rotate the dough clockwise 90 degrees, then repeat the rolling and folding process.  After the second rolling and folding, return the dough to the refrigerator and rest the dough in the fridge for an hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place it on a well floured surface.  Have the long side facing you, and the folded seam on top.  Roll out the dough into a rectangle 27 inches wide and 8 inches tall.  Fold right side into thirds, then left side, then turn clockwise and repeat the rolling to 27 inches and folding.  Return the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour more.
After the hour, roll it out to 27 x 8 inches again, fold into thirds again, rotate, then reroll it out to 27x8 inches again, refold, then cover and refrigerate for one more hour.  After this last fold, the dough can be refrigerated for up to five days.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet or two with parchment paper.  Roll out the dough into a rectangle 28 x 12 inches.  Cut the dough into 10 equal squares, then fill 1/2 half of the square diagonally with desired filling.   Brush the egg on the bare side of the square along the edges, then pinch the edges together and press them with a fork.  Brush the tops of the pastry with more egg, cut small slits in the tops to allow steam to escape, then sprinkle the tops with sugar.  Bake for about one hour, then let cool.  Serve.

Owen's Apple Turkey Burgers

Here's the burger we had with our apples, and if you talk to Owen and Aaron, you should have those caramelized apples on top, although Noah and I just had our apples on the side.  These were easy to make, and surprisingly tasty.  I was a little uncertain about how well these would work, but Noah gave them a perfect 10, Owen and I gave them a 9, and Aaron gave them an 8.  Make sure to use the bread crumbs, because the apples and the turkey are quite wet without some help.  Owen loves apples, so he was super happy to create these with me :).  Each burger, and we made six, were 425 calories, and that included our buns.  Here's what to do:

6 slices thick cut bacon
2 oz cheese (we used colby Jack, but I would've rather had a different flavor), sliced
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
2 T bread crumbs
salt
1/2 t thyme
1 t garlic salt
1 t onion powder

burger buns
arugula
whole grain mustard
mayonnaise
caramelized apples

Cook the bacon in a large pan, and then set aside, reserving the bacon fat.
Mix the turkey, apple, bread crumbs, thyme, garlic salt, onion powder, and salt to taste.  Form into six patties, and cook in the reserved bacon grease on both sides until cooked through.  Top with the cheese and bacon, let the cheese melt, then serve with the toppings, and the apples.

Caramelized Apples

So this is just a basic recipe for caramelized apples, the same as one would make for pie filling, or a side of apples, or even applesauce, but this is what I did, and each serving was 95 calories.  We gave this an 8 as a side dish, but again, it makes a great applesauce if allowed to cook down even more.  We had this with the burger featured on Friday, and it went really well with it.  Here's what I did:

1 1/2 peeled, cored and chopped Granny Smith apples
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3 T brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
2 T unsalted butter
dash of salt

Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the apples, lemon, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt.  Let cook down, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, maybe a little longer depending on the size of your apples, and let the sugar caramelize.  Serve.

Bobby Flay's Steel Cut Oatmeal with Cinnamon Cream

I love oatmeal for breakfast, and this was a great idea, and such a treat.  The boys gave this a perfect 10, and I gave it a 9, because I felt like there was a little too much orange flavor for me, but I really loved this, and the boys thought it was fun to see the sugar get hard and crunchy with my brulee torch :).  Each serving was 360 calories, for eight servings, but this was a little more than one serving.  We found this in Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook, and here's what to do:

Oatmeal:
1 1/4 c steel cut oats
pinch of salt
1/2 c whole milk
2 t finely grated orange zest
1/4 c packed light brown sugar

Topping:
2 T sugar
2 T maple syrup
1/8 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c raisins
2 T unsalted butter
2 T light brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 T sugar
Cinnamon Cream (found in the cookbook)

Bring 5 1/2 c water to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the oats, salt, and zest and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed (I didn't nee more water), until the oats are tender, 30-40 minutes.  Stir in the milk and brown sugar and cook for 1 minute.
While the oatmeal is cooking, combine the granulated sugar, 3/4 c water, the maple syrup, and the cinnamon in a small saucepan and boil it over high heat.  Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat, stir in the raisins, and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
Heat the butter, add the brown sugar and salt, and cook until melted.  Add the apples and raisin mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes.
Place a little apple mixture in the bowl, then top with some oatmeal, then layer the apple mixture, then top with more oatmeal, then sprinkle some granulated sugar on top and torch with a brulee torch or broil until the sugar melts and crisps up.  Serve with some cinnamon cream or other creamy topping.

Bobby Flay's Thin Apple Tart

I'm so sorry about the late posting today, I spaced what day it was, which is pretty typical any more of my life :).

While this picture isn't very pretty, the food definitely tasted pretty :).  This was out of Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook, and we really enjoyed it.  For 8 servings, each serving was 523 calories.  This was a great alternative to apple pie, and we gave it an 8, partly because I cooked it a little too long.  Here's what we did:

Tart Dough

1/4 c sour cream

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 c plus 2 T flour

1/4 t salt

8 T unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

1/2 c sugar

Apples

1 1/2 c apple juice

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 c sugar

1 T brown sugar

1/4 t cinnamon

2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced very thinly

Creme Anglaise (Bobby Flay gives a cinnamon varitation)

To make the tart dough, whisk together the sour cream and egg yolk in a small bowl and set aside.  

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt a few times.  Add in the butter and pulse until it forms coarse crumbs.  Add in the sour cream mixture, pulse a couple of times, then form into a disc, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.  (I did this the night before, and I needed to add a little water to my dough)

Spread the sugar over where you want to roll your dough, then roll the dough into a large circle, making sure to turn to cover both sides with sugar.  Place the dough in your tart pan lined with parchment, and place in the refrigerator. 

Preheat the oven to 375.

Combine the apple juice, lemon juice, sugars, and cinnamon in a small pan.  Let it thicken slightly and reduce to about 1/2 c, and then set aside.  (Keep an eye on this, mine went from super liquidy to caramel in about 1 minute :))

Lay the apples in the tart dish, overlapping them slightly, until the whole tart dish is covered.  Brush the apples with some of the glaze, then cook for about 35-40 minutes (check at 30, mine was overcooked slightly)

Remove it from the oven and immediately brush the tart with the remaining glaze.  Let cool slightly before serving with some Creme Angalise.

Kristen Ashley's Apple Caramelumble

Kristen Ashley made us another winner again, I love me some crumble, and this is just the way I like it, with a good ratio of crumble to apple, not just super appley.  We all gave this a 9, and I made a basic creme anglaise to go with it.  Follow this link to this delicious recipe, and I will post the amounts I used here, it's pretty close to the same as the weighted ingredients.

2 c flour
pinch of salt
1 1/4 c brown sugar
18 T unsalted butter

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/4 c brown sugar
1 T flour
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon

Mix together the apples, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1 T flour, salt and cinnamon.  Pour into a greased pan.  Mix together the first list of ingredients, and then pour them over the top of the apples.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serve with custard, vanilla ice cream, or creme anglaise.

Each serving, we made 12 of them, with the cream sauce, was 403 calories.

Cook's Illustrated Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Pork and Apples go together really well, and this is another example of that pairing working.  Cook's Illustrated came up with a winner again, like usual, and although Aaron doesn't love pork chops, he still gave this a 7.  Owen gave it an 8, and Noah and I gave it a 9.  For 1 serving, the calories are 312, and we made six servings for this recipe.  This was found in my Cook's Illustrated International Best Recipe cookbook, our favorite :), and this is what I did.

3 oz bacon, chopped
2 T oil
2 T flour
1 3/4 c apple cider
3 bone-in pork chops (we cut them in half for our servings, they were really big)
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thin wedges
2 T water
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 t minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves

Fry the bacon until crisp, leaving 2 T of bacon fat in the pan.  Gradually whisk in the flour until smooth.  Whisk until the mixture is a light brown, then whisk in the apple cider.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then set aside and cover.
Salt and pepper the pork chops.  Heat 1 T of the oil in a skillet until smoking.  Brown the pork chops on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, then set aside.  Add the onions, apples, water, 1/2 t salt, and the remaining T of oil to the same skillet.  Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, and stir until the onion is softened.  Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook, about 30 seconds.  Return the chops to the skillet in a single layer along with any juices and the cider sauce.  Cover the chops and onions and add the bay leaves.  Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the pork is tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the chops, increase the heat of the skillet to medium high, and simmer the sauce, stirring frequently, until thickened.  Discard the bay leaves and serve with the chops, apples, and onions and reserved bacon.

Picky Palate's Apple-Spice Puff Pancake with Caramel Syrup

This is a delicious breakfast treat!  We loved this.  The boys and I all gave it a 9, and the real high point was the caramel sauce.  Picky Palate's puff pancake with syrup is easy and delicious, but the calories are crazy!!!  For 1/4 of the pancake and syrup, the calories are 835, gulp.  We had this with bacon and fresh fruit for dinner, and I had to watch my calories all day to be able to eat it.  I like that I don't have to stand and watch and flip a bunch of pancakes, it is all just one big pancake that we slice at the end.  Anyway, this was delicious, and here's what to do:

9 T butter, divided
1 c plus 1 T packed brown sugar
2 granny smith apples peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t plus 1/8 t kosher salt
5 large eggs
1/3 c milk
1 t vanilla
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c sour cream

Preheat the oven to 425.  Melt 1 T of the butter and 1 T of the brown sugar over medium heat.  Add the apple and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
Add the flour, sugar, and 1/8 t salt into a medium bowl.  Add the eggs, milk and vanilla into a separate medium bowl, whisking to combine.  Stir into the dry ingredients until well combined.  Add the apples, stirring to combine.
Melt 4 T of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour the pancake batter into the skillet.  Bake for 18-22 minutes until puffed and golden.
While the pancake is baking, melt the remaining brown sugar and salt, and 2 T of water in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring, until bubbly and smooth, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining butter and stir until melted.  Add the heavy cream and sour cream, stirring until well combined.  Reduce the heat to low until ready to serve.  Cut the pancake into four wedges and drizzle each wedge with the caramel syrup.

Pioneer Woman's Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls

Although I was going to post this a little later, I told my parents about it on Sunday and they requested pictures and a recipe.  These are such good sweet rolls.  I have tried the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls and her chocolate chip cookie sweet rolls, but these are featured in her newest cookbook, so I decided to make them, and they are a hit.  These caramel apple rolls taste like apple pie, and have such a great flavor, and also aren't too difficult.  You can find the recipe for these on the Pioneer Woman's website, here is the link, and I followed it pretty closely, I just found the amount of powdered sugar called for in the frosting to be too much, so I would cut that back based on your needs.  I also needed to cook them longer, big surprise, my oven is off, but otherwise I followed the recipe.  The calories for 26, which is how many rolls I made, were 352, and the rolls got a 9 from me and the boys, and a 7 from Aaron.  Try these, they are delicious!

Don't you love Jonah's Thomas the Train plate ;)?

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble

So I normally love the food I've tried from Lauren's Latest blog, but this salted caramel apple crumble, unfortunately, was a flop for me.  I gave it as high as I did because it wasn't terrible, but we were all severely disappointed.  This smelled and looked wonderful, and the caramel tasted great, but the salty apples just ruined this for us.  Also, the crumble topping was too salty too :(.  This was easy to put together, and I followed the recipe exactly except for putting less salt than it called for on the apples, but it just didn't work for our family.  1/8 of the total was 477 calories, and Oma and Opa gave it a 7, Aaron and Noah gave it a 6, I gave it a 5, and Owen gave it a 4.  Oh well, we won't make this again.

for the caramel sauce-
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
for the crumble-
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
for the apples-
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the caramel sauce- heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt sugar. Continue cooking and swirling sugar until it turns amber in color. Whisk in sea salt and heavy cream. Mixture will bubble up violently briefly. Continue whisking until sauce is smooth in consistency. Stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside.
For the crumble- combine all ingredients together using a stand mixer. Mixture will be crumbly, but stay together when squeezed. Set aside.
Prepare apples and toss in lemon juice. Cook apples in a large cast iron skillet over medium low heat in butter to draw out moisture. Sprinkle with salt to draw out all the moisture possible. Drain apples and place back into skillet. This process should take about 5-7 minutes of cooking.
Pour 3/4 of prepared caramel sauce into the apples and stir gently. Top with the crumble topping. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and serve with remaining caramel sauce.

Oatmeal Apple Pancakes

These were some good pancakes, but the boys didn't love having the apples in it.  I found this recipe in a book where the high point is the recipes.  The author is JoAnn Fluke, and she has lots and lots of recipes.  I have lots of them I want to try, but most of them are cookies.

 

Oatmeal Apple Pancakes

1 small apple

1 T lemon juice

1/2 c flour

2 T sugar

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1 t vanilla

3/4 c buttermilk or regular whole milk

2 t vegetable oil

1 egg

 

Peel and core the apple.  Cut it into very thin slices, place them in a bowl, and sprinkle them with lemon juice.  If using a sour apple, sprinkle with sugar.

Place flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a food processor.  Process together.  Add the vanilla extract, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and egg to the dry mixture in the food processor.  Scoop out 1/4 c for each pancake on griddle.  Place 5-6 apple slices on top of each pancake, then press in lightly.  Flip pancakes to continue cooking.

 

If you notice, I forgot to put the amount of oatmeal in when I wrote down the recipe, so I just put in 1/2 c oats, and the recipe worked well.  We made 9 pancakes for this and the calories per pancake were 113 per pancake.  Owen gave them an 8, Noah and I gave them a 9, and they really were good, and pretty healthy.  We enjoyed them.

Simply Recipes Apple Turnovers

We had a yummy breakfast treat, Apple Turnovers!  I love these, and always have, and this recipe was easy and great.  Owen gave them an 8, and Noah and I gave them a 9.  The calories per pastry were 300, and we made 6 pastries.  I used the frozen puff pastry dough, because I had some and it's a lot easier than making my own ;).  We found the recipe at Simply Recipes, a great resource for recipes.  Anyway, here's how I made the recipe.

Apple Turnovers

2 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 T cherry flavored Craisins
1/4 c sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t cornstarch
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 t vanilla
1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
2 T butter, cut into small pieces
1 T sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 and put oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.  Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.  Mix together the apples, Craisins, sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch.  Add in the vanill and applesauce.  Roll out the puff pastry, and then cut it in desired number of pastries.  Place apple filling in the middle of each square, and add butter pieces to it.  Fold the pastry square into a triangle, press sides together, and sprinkle top with sugar.  Bake for 20 minutes or until puffy and golden.

Roast Duck Stuffed With Apples

We had roast duck stuffed with apples tonight, and although it was a pretty good success with my family, it needed improvement.  We gave it an 8, except for Noah who gave the duck a perfect 10.  We also gave the potatoes all 8's except for Owen who gave them a 9.  This was a simple recipe, but in my quest to expand my family's tastes in meat (mostly hamburger and chicken breasts, two of my least favorite cuts of meats but their favorites), I will try again to better the duck I make next time, so stay tuned for Cook's Illustrated's take on how to roast a duck.  I'm excited to try it :)  I first had duck in Germany for Christmas there, and I was delighted.  It was so rich and flavorful, and my host-mother knew just how to prepare it.  I did not succeed in cutting out enough fat, so I'll have to do better at that next time.  Anyway, here's the recipe for what I did make, and the only changes I made to the recipe is to add potatoes to the roasting pan, to cook the duck on a rack, and to make a roux for the gravy rather than use cornstarch.  I'm not a big fan of cornstarch in my gravy.  With the gravy, for six servings, each serving had 497 calories, and that includes the potatoes and eating the apples if you want to.

Ingredients:

1 young duckling

salt, pepper, paprika

1 onion, chopped into wedges

5 potatoes, chopped

 4 T butter, melted

 1.5 c water

some chicken broth  for basting

5-6 medium sized tart apples (i.e. Granny Smith)

Preparation

Thaw the duckling over night in the fridge. Next day remove the giblets pack from the inside of the duck. Rinse duck with cold water inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut off the neck skin and the tail section, where most of the fat is stored. Make a cut in the skin on the breast side towards the tail. Remove any fat from under the skin if necessary. Season duck inside and outside with salt, pepper and a little paprika.  Preheat oven to 400.

Wash and peel the apples, remove core. Cut in wedges and fill the duck as necessary, do not overfill because the duck could fall apart during roasting.  Place duck in a roasting pan, breast down.
Add onion and potato to the bottom of the roasting pan with a little hot water,  pour butter evenly over the duck. Roast uncovered in a pre-heated oven for 1.5 - 2 hours. When the back of the duck is browned turn duck breast side up. Baste duck several times during roasting and in the last 10 minutes baste the duck with the beer or salty water and increase the temperature to 450° F. This will create a nice crusty skin.

Remove duck from roasting pan, remove ties and apples and let duck rest covered with tin foil. Remove the onions from the pan, loosen drippings, remove fat from sauce (optional) by transferring it into a Gravy Separator or if you make the duck a day ahead, you can finish the gravy the next day. Transfer the gravy strained into a small pot and place in the fridge over night. The next day you can scrape off the hardened fat from top with a spoon. Finish the sauce: Make a roux, then heat the gravy  and season to taste.

Chickpea Pancakes with Ginger Apple Compote

 We had chickpea pancakes with ginger apple compote for a breakfast for dinner meal the other night, and I like that these pancakes are a little healthy :)  Noah and I gave them an 8, Aaron and Owen gave them a 7, but everyone liked the pancakes better by themselves except for me.  I love fruit topping on my pancakes, but not the rest of the family.  Without the apples, everyone gave the pancakes a higher score.  Sigh...:)  With the fruit topping included, we made 21 pancakes and each pancake with the fruit was 103 calories.  Without the fruit topping each pancake was 93 calories.  This was an easy recipe, I just threw everything in the food processor instead of just processing the chickpeas, so the preparation was a breeze.

 

FOR THE PANCAKES:
1-½ c flour
1 T Baking Powder
¾ t Salt
1 can (16 Oz. Can) Chickpeas
1 c Applesauce, No Sugar Added
1 c Milk
2 Eggs
1 T Honey
4 T Butter, Melted
1 t Vanilla Extract

FOR THE COMPOTE:
2 whole Apples
1 t Fresh Ginger
¼ t Vanilla Extract
2 T Brown Sugar
¾ c Water

In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt).
Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and mash. You can also use a blender or food processor but make sure not to over puree.
Add the rest of the wet ingredients (applesauce, milk, eggs, honey, butter, vanilla) to the chickpeas and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.
Cook pancakes.
To make the ginger apple compote, peel, core and dice the apples. Peel and grate the ginger using a microplaner. If you wish, you can substitute fresh ginger for 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger.
In a saucepan, add the apples, ginger, vanilla extract, sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until apples are cooked, water has reduced and the consistency is thick. Pour over pancakes and serve 

Curried Chicken and Apple Pita

We had this chicken and apple pita for lunch, and it was a good lunch, but we found the recipe had to many apples in it for our taste.  The original recipe says to chop the apples, and then later it says use the apples grated.  I wish I had grated the apples instead of chopping them, and only used one apple instead of two.  Aaron gave this a 5, and the rest of us gave it a 7.  The calories for 1 pita were 258, and the recipe made six pitas for us.  For the original recipe, follow the link above, but here is the way I made the recipe:

1 T olive oil
5 chicken tenders (seasoned)
1/2 onion chopped
2 t coriander
2 whole granny smith apples chopped
1 t curry powder
1 t garam masala
1/2 c ricotta
1 T milk
1 T sour cream
salt and pepper
6 pitas

Heat olive oil in a pan, then add the seasoned chicken tenders.  Cook until done, then add in onion and cook until softened.  Remove to cool.  Mix all the ingredients together except for pitas.  Serve with warmed pitas immediately, or cool for a little while in the fridge.

Like I said, this would've been better with less apples and with the apples grated, but still it was really good.

The Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings And Dorie Greenspan'sAlmost Fudge Gateau

 

I have two recipes to share today.  This first one is such a simple recipe, it's hard to even count it as a recipe :), but it's so worthwhile!  The recipe can be found here, and you have to try it!  I used ginger ale instead of Mountain Dew because I didn't want the caffeine. 

Apple Dumplings

 

2 whole granny smith apples          2 cans (8 oz. cans) crescent rolls

2 sticks butter                            1-½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla                           cinnamon, to taste

1 can (12 oz.) mountain dew soda

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9

x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over

apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees

for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

 

 

 

I made this for extra dessert for Owen's birthday, and it was a hit.  It received perfect 10s and 9s. 

We had Dorie Greenspan's Almost Fudge Gateau for Owen's Birthday Cake this year, because it's his favorite chocolate cake.  This cake also received 9 and perfect 10's.  This one requires more work, but it is definitely worth it.  I love how smooth and shiny the gateau comes out.  Yummy!

Almost-Fudge Gâteau
5 large eggs
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup of sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons coffee or water
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
For the Glaze (optional)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a mixer bowl or other large bowl and the yolks in a small bowl.
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add the chocolate, sugar butter and coffee. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted; the sugar may still be grainy, and that’s fine. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let the mixture sit for 3 minutes.
Using a rubber spatula, stir in the yolks one by one, then fold in the flour.
Working with the whisk attachment of the mixer or a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they hold firm, but glossy peaks. Using the spatula, stir about one quarter of the beaten whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest. Scrape the butter into the pan and jiggle the pan from side to side a couple of times to even the batter.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cake has risen evenly (it might rise around the edges and you’ll think it’s done, but give it a few minutes more, and the center will puff too) and the top has firmed (it will probably be cracked) and doesn’t shimmy when tapped; a thin knife inserted into the center should come out just slightly streaked with chocolate. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the cake rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Run a blunt knife gently around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Carefully turn the cake over onto a rack and remove the pan bottom and the parchment paper. Invert the cake onto another rack and cool to room temperature right side up. As the cake cools, it may sink.

To Make the Optional Glaze:
First, turn the cooled cake over onto another rack so you’ll be glazing the flat bottom, and place the rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper to catch any drips.
Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.
Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water or in a microwave oven – the chocolate should be just melted and only warm, not hot. Meanwhile, bring the cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir very gently with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Stir in the corn syrup.
Pour the glaze over the cake and smooth the top with a long metal icing spatula. Don’t worry if the glaze drips unevenly down the sides of the cake – it will just add to its charms. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature or, if you’re impatient, slip the cake into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. If the glaze dulls in the fridge, just give it a little gentle heat from a hairdryer.

This is worth the work, and looks really impressive and tastes great.   Happy Birthday my Owen! 

 

 

Applesauce Spice Bars

Applesauce Spice Bars
Pages 117-118, Baking: From my home to yours Dorie Greenspan
For the Bars1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar (I used dark brown for this and the glaze)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon applejack, brandy or dark rum (optional) (I didn't use this)
1 baking apple, such as Rome or Cortland, peeled, cored and finely diced or chopped (I used a honey crisp apple)
1/2 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden) (I used pomegranite Craisins, because that's what I had and I like them better :))
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't use these, I don't like nuts and my kids can't have nuts in their classes)
For the Glaze2-1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13 inch baking pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the inside of the pan with flour. Tap out the excess flour and put the pan on a baking sheet.
THE BARS: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.
Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are well blended. Add the applesauce, vanilla and applejack, if you’re using it, and whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple, raisins and nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the cake just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let the cake cool while you make the glaze.
THE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to the boil, whisking frequently. Adjust the heat so that the glaze simmers, and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Turn the bars out onto a rack, remove the paper and invert the bars onto another rack, so they are right side up. Slide the parchment paper under the rack to serve as a drip catcher, grab a long metal icing spatula and pour the hot glaze over the bars, using the spatula to spread it evenly over the cake. Let cool to room temperature before cutting.
Cut into 32 rectangles, each about 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.

Storing: In a covered container, the bars will keep for about 3 days at room temperature. Because of the glaze, they cannot be frozen.

I was so happy to feel a little like baking again, and although it didn't last long, I made these and have really been enjoying them since.  Noah and I really liked them, I gave them a 9, Noah gave them an 8, and Owen and Aaron didn't like them very much, not really surprising since they weren't brownies or chocolate chip cookies.  Owen gave them a 5 and Aaron gave them a 3.  At least I enjoyed making them and Noah and I enjoy eating them :)  I like that they are full of fruit, and that they are so easy to make.  Quick, smell good, easy food.  Perfect when pregnant :)

Apple Cider Oatmeal

I love oatmeal for breakfast.  Maybe it's the fact that I ate it so often growing up, and compared to lumpy cream of wheat and cracked wheat mush, oatmeal was the clear winner, or maybe it's just such a treat to have something healthy and filling that tastes so good.  Either way, I could eat oatmeal every day.  We don't, but I could :).  I've wanted to try this recipe for a while, doesnt' Apple Cider Oatmeal sound delicious?  Well, it was really good, Owen and I both gave it a 7, and Noah, who only likes fruit n cream instant oatmeal, gave it a 3.  I think he liked it better than that, he ate it quite well, he just was mad at me because it wasn't the instant stuff...sigh :)  Anyway, this is a really quick recipe to put together.  I made a double serving, since three of us were eating it, and I cooked it on the stove.  I used quick oats because we were already running behind our usual get ready for school schedule, so I needed this to cook quickly.  Also, I used a fuji apple because I didn't have any granny smith, and I didn't add nuts because I don't like nuts :).  I also added 2 T brown sugar at the end.  The wheat germ added some nice density to the oatmeal, it was a really hearty breakfast.  The calories for 1 serving were 234 the way I made it, since I took two servings and divided it in 3.  If you only made it into two servings, the calories were 350. 
Tomorrow we're finally having that fish and green beans.  I promise :)

Teriyaki Bites and Cheesecake

Today was a busy day, but we had fun making a special dinner for Owen who had his first day of first grade today! Noah and I missed him like crazy, but we'll adjust, right? Anyway, here's our dinner tonight, you can find it at ourbestbites.com. We had Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, and we made them appetizer size rather than skewer size.  The chicken and bacon received a perfecct 10, but Owen and Aaron didn't like the pineapple as much so the whole toothpick received a 9.  Noah and I gave it a 10 even with the pineapple.  These were delicious, easy, and super fun for the boys.  They are also only 66 calories per toothpick, when you make 24 little bites. We also had tater tots which the boys in our family, including Aaron, swear are the perfect food :).

Now onto our special dessert. We were watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay, I love cooking shows and the boys have decided they like them too, anyway, we were watching the cheesecake episode, and Owen said he had to try the Caramel Apple Cheesecake.  Owen is not super into desserts, so I wasn't sure how well this would go over, but I told him for his first day back at school we'd have this cake.  So Noah and I made it, and Noah and I gave it a 10.  Owen gave it an 8, and Aaron gave it a 6, since we all know Aaron doesn't like desserts.

This was fun to make, although time consuming, and I only made tiny alterations. I didn't have walnuts so I used pecans in the crust, and didn't add any nuts on top, so I used 1/2 the nuts the recipe called for. I also don't cook with alcohol, so I used some cider instead, and I think it was too sweet because of that, but still delicious. Finally, I didn't have any creme fraiche so I just mixed a little sour cream and cream together and spread that on top of the cheesecake. The calories for 16 servings were approximately 550/serving. We had to watch what we ate so we could afford a slice of this cheesecake. This is worth making and definitely worth the calories to eat it. Yum!

Tomorrow we're having Chicken Spinach Stromboli.

Chicken Salad and Apple-Cinnamon Rolls

We had some yummy recipes today! For breakfast we had some apple stuffed rolls from Ourbestbites.com, and the recipe is a take on their pizza rolls.  It's found in their cookbook, but here is the recipe.
Stuffed Apple-Cinnamon Rolls

1 package refrigerated pizza dough or 1 recipe homemade (I used homemade) pizza dough
2 c shredded green apples, about 3 apples
3 T brown sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1 T flour
1 T butter, melted
1 T sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
6 T powdered sugar
1 T butter, melted
1/4 t vanilla
1-2 t milk
Preheat oven to temperature specified in pizza recipe.  Spray a baking dish.  Roll out the pizza dough, and cut into 3 inch squares.  (I had 25 squares at the end, because I can't roll out a perfectly straight rectangle :))  Combine the shredded apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour.  Divide it evenly between your squares, and roll them up with the seam side down in the plate.  (I ended up having less filling than dough, so I made a few with some prunes.  If you like prunes, these are fabulous, if you don't try some other fruit).  Combine 1 T butter, sugar and cinnamon, then crumble over the rolls.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top.  Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.  While the rolls are cooling, mix together the powdered sugar, 1 T butter, vanilla and milk.  Drizzle on top of the rolls and serve.  These are best served warm, but they are great after cooling too.

We gave these an 8, and with the addition of 1/2 c prunes, the calories were 111/roll for 25 rolls.

Dinner was delicious, and also from the Our Best Bites cookbook.  It was a Spicy Honey Chicken Salad and it was fabulous.  The chicken had so much flavor, and the salad ingredients all went together really well, especially with the dressing.  We gave this a 9, and the calories for 6 servings were 456/serving.  We will definitely be having this again.  The most time-consuming part was boning and skinning the chicken, and if you bought it already boned and skinned, you would have a dinner that only took about 15 minutes.  Delicious and fast, my favorite :)

We are having some chicken and cheesecake tomorrow.