It's Apple Season. . .Share Your Recipes!

[MagiePerdu]

CELEBRATION CAKE

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely shredded carrot
1 cup coarsely shredded apple
3/4 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup whipping cream
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup coarsely crushed purchased apple chips
Whole purchased apple chips (optional)
5- to 6-inch-long cinnamon sticks (optional)

Directions

Preheat convection oven to 325 degrees F or standard oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt. Add carrot, shredded apple, nuts, oil and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pans, spreading evenly.

Bake cake layers in convection oven 25 minutes or bake in standard oven 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

For frosting, in a food processor bowl place the whipping cream, sour cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cover and process for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until stiff peaks form, stopping to scrape down sides every 30 seconds. (Or, place ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand blender or electric mixer until stiff peaks form.)

To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer on a serving platter. Spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top of the first cake layer. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup crushed apple chips atop frosting. Top with second cake layer; frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Decorate cake with whole apple chips and cinnamon sticks, if desired. Makes 12 servings.

[MagiePerdu]

Toffee Apple Cheesecake

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups finely chopped toasted walnuts
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed; or 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, plus 1/4 cup apple brandy
3 eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped, peeled apple
1 or 2 medium apples, such as Jonathan or Golden Delicious, cored and cut into thin slices
1/4 cup caramel ice-cream topping
White Chocolate Leaves (optional)
Apple Rose (optional)

Directions

For curst, combine chopped walnuts and flour. Stir in melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of an ungreased 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Set pan aside.

For filling, in large mixing bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add juice concentrate and eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in finely chopped apple.

Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Place in a shallow baking pan in oven. Bake in a 375 degree F oven 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch pan, 35 to 40 minutes for 9-inch pan, or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan and cool for 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan; cool 1 hour.

In a medium skillet poach apple slices in a small amount of boiling water for 1 minute or until softened; drain. Cover; chill cheesecake and apples separately at least 4 hours.

To serve, arrange apple slices atop cheesecake. Drizzle with warm caramel topping. If desired, garnish with White Chocolate Leaves and an Apple Rose.

White Chocolate Leaves: Melt 6 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating over low heat, stirring constantly; cool. Stir in 3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup. Turn mixture out onto a large sheet of waxed paper. Let stand at room temperature for 3 to 24 hours or until dry to the touch. Gently knead for 10 to 15 strokes or until mixture is smooth and pliable. If mixture is too soft, chill in the refrigerator about 15 minutes or until easy to handle (or knead in enough powdered sugar to stiffen the mixture). Store any unused mixture in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks (mixture will stiffen with storage; before using, knead mixture until it is pliable). Flatten mixture slightly; place between 2 sheets of waxed paper dusted with powdered sugar. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Using leaf-shaped cutters or a knife, cut into shapes. Use a wooden toothpick to draw veins on leaves. Curve leaves as desired.

Apple Rose: Starting at the tip of an unpeeled, extra-thin fresh apple slice, roll up diagonally to form a cone shape for the rose center. Press on additional slices, curving around center to make thin petals. Add enough of these thin petals to make a rose.

Tip: There is a misconception surrounding the cheesecake – that's it's tricky and tempermental. Here are a few tips to dispel those rumors and ensure success:

Let your ingredients stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. This eases the mixing process.

Blend cheese and sugar thoroughly before adding anything else; once the batter thins, it is difficult to smooth out the lumps.

Avoid overbeating, especially after adding the eggs. Overbeating incorporates too much air, causing the cake to puff, then fall and crack.

Don't overbake. An overbaked cheesecake is a dry and cracked cheesecake, so check it at the minimum baking time. The cheesecake is done when the center appears nearly set. A 1-inch area at its center will jiggle slightly when the cheesecake is done (it will firm up as the cake cools). Don't do a knife or toothpick test in the cake's center –it makes a crack. And if there is sour cream in the batter, the knife won't come out clean even when the cheesecake is done.

Set a timer for the exact cooling time given in the recipe. When it rings, carefully loosen the crust of the cheesecake from the pan. If you wait, the cheesecake may begin pulling away from the sides and crack.

[MagiePerdu]

Baked Apples with Creamy Caramel Sauce

This recipe can be varied by substituting other chopped nuts or dried fruits. Dried currants, cherries or cranberries and chopped dried apricots work well, as do pecans, almonds or hazelnuts.

INGREDIENTS:

6 medium apples (Jonagold, Braeburn or Gala)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Purchased caramel sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 325°F. Remove core from apples with apple corer or small knife; place apples in 13x9-inch pan.

Combine butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon in small bowl. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Spoon mixture into center of apples; cover with foil.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until apples are tender when pierced with knife. Serve warm with caramel sauce spooned over top.

[barbnolastname]

Ingredients

5-6 tart apples
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping

3/4 cup flour, plus
2 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons oatmeal
7 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
12 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces (I use less)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put apples, sugars, and cinnamon in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Stir to combine.

Let sit about 20 minutes until some juice is released from the apples.

Combine flour, oatmeal and sugars.

Mix in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour melted 2 tbsp butter over apple mixture in the casserole.

Sprinkle with topping mixture.

Bake 30-40 minutes until topping is golden and filling is bubbling.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

[MagiePerdu]

Thanks for posting this...I LOVE crisps...so easy to make and enjoy.

BTW, Barb, haven't seen you around much lately, was pleased to see your post!

[MagiePerdu]

Apple Sweet Rolls

A yummy (if somewhat involved) recipe from our friends at The Prepared Pantry!

If you can make cinnamon rolls, you can make these apple sweet rolls. The method is the same except that you use an apple pie filling made with apples. It makes really loaded, scrumptious sweet rolls.

You can use this same roll recipe and technique to make other sweet rolls.

Ingredients

For the dough:

4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
1/3 cup dry milk solids
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dough conditioner
6 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 cups water at 105 degrees
1 7 gram packet yeast">yeast

For the filling:

8 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup flour
3 large cooking apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons dry milk
2 tablespoon meringue powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the dough:

If you are using instant-type yeast, combine approximately 1/3 of the flour, the water, and the yeast by beating it with a dough hook for 30 seconds or until combined. (Some types of yeast require proofing first.)

Add the remainder of the ingredients and the softened butter and continue mixing for about five minutes at medium speed. The dough should be soft (but not too sticky to handle), smooth, and elastic. Water absorption may vary depending on climatic conditions. If you feel that the dough is too moist, add one or two tablespoons of flour. If it is too dry, you can dribble in a little water while running your stand-type mixer.

Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn once to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about one hour.

For the filling:

Turn the dough onto a lightly greased work area. Roll the dough into a rectangle with the dough 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick.

Heat the butter in the microwave until just melted. Spread it on the rolled dough with a pastry brush. Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, diced apples, walnuts, and vanilla.

Spread the apple filling (or other filling of your choice) on the dough rectangle and distribute it evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Roll the dough into a jellyroll.

Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the roll into twelve equal slices. Place the rolls evenly on a greased 11 x 17-inch baking pan. Press the rolls to flatten them, if necessary, so that they touch. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled again, about an hour. Allow plenty of time to rise. The dough should be soft and puffy.

While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned. When they are baked, remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack. When using a metal pan, remove the rolls from the pan immediately. Metal pans cool quickly, causing the rolls to stick to the pan.

To frost the rolls:

Add the powdered sugar, dry milk, meringue powder, and vanilla to a medium bowl. Add enough water, a tablespoon at a time, to make a spreadable frosting. The frosting should be thick but spreadable. When you frost the rolls, the heat from the rolls will soften the frosting further and allow it to flow slightly. The frosting will set as it cools. Frost the rolls while still warm. Let the rolls stand for ten to fifteen minutes before serving.

[MagiePerdu]

EASY APPLE STRUDLE

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg. Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling

Directions:

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 30 min. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix egg and water.

UNFOLD pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 16" x 12" rectangle. With short side facing you, spoon pie filling on bottom half of pastry to within 1" of edges. Starting at short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush with egg mixture. Cut several 2" slits about 2" apart on top.

BAKE 35 min. or until golden. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack 30 min. Slice and serve warm.

This makes an impressive dessert, but is relatively quick and easy. . .what more could you ask for!? Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

[MagiePerdu]

Here's another Apple bread recipe. The sour cream is what makes the bread moist (and heavy).

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans (divided for multiple use)
1 8-oz container of sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp apple pie spice (optional)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped or shredded Granny Smith apples (this should be about 3/4 lb of apples)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Directions:

Prehead your oven to 350.

Bake 1/2 cup of the pecans in a shallow pan about 8 minutes, or until they are toasted and smelly nutty (check and stir halfway thru)

Beat the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed for 2 minutes, or until they are well blended together.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, apple pie spice (if you are using it), soda and salt and the add the mix to the sour cream mixture, beating just until it is all well blended.

Stir in the apples and the half cup of toaste pecans.

Spoon your batter into a greased and floured 9 X 5 loaf pan. Sprinkle with the other 1 cup of chopped pecans, pressing them lightly into the batter.

Bake the loaf at 350 for 1 hour (or slightly longer, depending upon your oven . . .test by slipping a wooden pick into the center. . .if it comes out clean, your loaf is done). If the bread is baking too quickly, you can cover it with foil after about 50 minutes to keep it from over browning.

Cool the loav in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove the loaf from the pan to the rack.

Bring the butter and brown suger to a boil in a heavy 1 qt. sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it boils and then boil about a minute.

Remove the praline sauce from the heat and spoon it over the top of the bread. Let it cool completely before serving (about an hour).

This bread freezes well if you wrap it in plastic wrap and then in aluminum. It'll free for up to 3 months and you can thaw it at room temp.

[Modemouth]

bump

[MagiePerdu]

Thanks for the bump, Mary...reminded me to post this recipe from Bisquick:


Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep frying
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large unpeeled Granny Smith apple, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Directions

In deep fryer or 4-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil to 350°F.
In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, water, egg, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Fold in apple. Working in batches, drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, or until golden brown. Use a metal slotted spoon to remove fritters from oil; drain on paper towels.
Before serving, sprinkle fritters with powdered sugar.