Raspberry Jam and Apple-Tart for a Hobbit's Uninvited Guests

“What’s that? Tea! No thank you! A little red wine, I think for me.”
“And for me,” said Thorin.
“And raspberry jam and apple-tart,” said Bifur.
“And mince-pies and cheese,” said Bofur.
“And pork pie and salad,” said Bombur.
“And more cakes – and ale – and coffee, if you don’t mind,” called the other dwarves through the door.
“Put on a few eggs, there’s a good fellow!” Gandalf called after him, as the hobbit stumped off to the pantries. “And just bring out the cold chicken and pickles!”

~ The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkein

I had a couple favorites at Dessert Club Lit Night, and this was one of them.  As you can see, it's a simple, straightforward tart recipe.  Not too many ingredients.  But when they're awesome, like butter, sugar, and apples, you don't need much else.  

Poor Bilbo.  Dwarves showing up and making demands.  But you have to admit, they have good taste.  

Raspberry Jam and Apple-Tart (print recipe)
Serves 8

1 1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
7 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and halved
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Combine flour, 8 tbsp. butter, and salt in a food processor and pulse until pea-size crumbles form, about 10 pulses. Drizzle in 3 tbsp. ice-cold water and pulse until dough is moistened, about 3—4 pulses. Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Unwrap dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough into a 13″ circle and then transfer to a 11″ tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges; chill for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375º. Working with one apple half at a time, thinly slice into sections, keeping slices together. Press sliced apple half gently to fan it out; repeat with remaining apple halves. Place 1 fanned apple half on outer edge of the tart dough, pointing inward; repeat with 7 more apple halves. Separate remaining apple slices. Starting where the apple halves touch and working your way in, layer apples to create a tight rose pattern. Fill in any gaps with remaining apple. Sprinkle with sugar and then dot with remaining butter. Bake until golden brown, 60—70 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat apricot jam in a small saucepan until warmed and loose; pour through a fine strainer into a small bowl and set aside. Transfer tart to a wire rack; using a pastry brush, brush top of tart with jam. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream.

Recipe from Sara Moulton via Saveur.com, and Dessert Club member A.M. 

"Man Bait" Apple Crisp

Today is Ed's birthday; he's 36.  And if there's anything this man of mine loves, it's a spicy-sweet-crunchy-topped apple crisp, followed very closely by apple pie, both a la mode.  So this was the first thing we made out of my new favorite cookbook, Joy the Baker.  Super clever idea, making extra topping and mixing part of it in with the filling for thickener (and texture).  And that topping is wicked good.

Crisp is such a simple dessert to make, and so darn delicious and satisfying.  And because there's actual real fruit in it, pretty big pieces, too, we can also call it healthy-ish and have it for breakfast.  Which we do.  

I caught my man 11 1/2 years ago.  But it doesn't hurt, every once in awhile, to re-bait and cast the line.  With a dessert like this, he's sure to bite.  Again and again and again. 

"Man Bait" Apple Crisp (print recipe)
Makes one 9 x 13 pan

Filling:
10 to 12 medium-sized apples (a mix of Fuji and Granny Smith)
6 T granulated sugar
3 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups chopped pecans
2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

2.  To make the filling: peel and core the apples and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  In a small bowl, mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Place all of the apple slices in a large bowl, and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Using your hands, toss the apples with the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated.  Set aside while you prepare the topping.

3.  To make the topping: in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, and oats.  Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Remove 1 heaping cup of the topping and sprinkle it over the apple mixture.  Toss with your hands to incorporate.  Place apple mixture in the prepared pan and spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples.

4.  Bake the crisp until topping is toasted and apples are bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.  Scoop warm crisp into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

1 year ago:  Pumpkin Biscuits
2 years ago:  Bayou Bakery
3 years ago:  Almond-Cinnamon Cookies

Rougemont Apple Pastry Cake

 I'm not a pastry snob, being a total amateur and all.  And actual pastries are an art, and a hard one.  But this relatively simple cake made me feel almost professional - check out that height!  And how about that pastry cream inside?  Fancy.  And that almost-perfect crust.  Thank you.

Never mind that, when I took this to a dinner party, and was asked what I had brought, I proudly replied, "Oh this?  It's a Rougemont Apple Pastry Cake."  He gave it a suspicious once-over, and sniffed.  "Well," he said, "I never met a pie I didn't like," and walked away, as if he had bestowed some form of acceptance, or approval.  Ahem.  Recover.  Smile graciously.  Keep it deep inside that it's not a pie.  It's a pastry cake.  Like I said.

Me?  Nope, not a snob at all.

Rougemont Apple Pastry Cake (print recipe)
Makes 12 to 16 servings

Pastry Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4 to 6 T ice water or half-and-half

Apple Filling:
10 to 12 large apples, cored, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins, plumped and dried* (I used golden raisins)
1 T lemon juice

Vanilla Sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Finishing Touches:
Confectioners' sugar
Apricot jam, warmed

1.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Brush bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform with melted butter and place on baking sheet.

2.  For Pastry Crust, place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.  Add butter and pulse to make a grainy mixture.  Add water and pulse to make a shaggy dough.  On a lightly floured work surface, gather dough together, kneading a few moments to make a smooth dough.  Wrap and chill dough at least 1 hour before rolling out.

3.  Meanwhile, for Apple Filling, toss apples with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, raisins, and lemon juice.

4.  Preheat oven to 350.  Roll or press out dough evenly and fit on bottom and sides of prepared pan (dough should be between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.)  Fill with Apple Filling, pressing gently.  For final layer of apples, arrange in concentric circles.  Apples should come to top of pan.  If they don't, prepare more to fill out the pan, tossing with 2 T sugar and a touch of cinnamon.

5.  Cover pan lightly with aluminum foil.  Bake cake 60 to 70 minutes or until apples are soft, removing foil after 20 minutes.  The top apples might seem dry and browned around their edges, but interior apples should begin to feel soft - use a skewer to test apples.

6.  For Vanilla Sauce, in a small bowl, blend melted butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, and cinnamon.  Pour this over hot pastry cake, trying to get sauce to drip into crevices.  Bake another 20 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

7.  Refrigerate pastry cake at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.  Dust with confectioners' sugar or brush with warmed apricot jam before serving.

*I usually don't bother to plump my dried fruit, but if you want to, cover the fruit with very hot water and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes; drain and pat dry with paper towels before using in a recipe.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

1 year ago:  Doughnut Upside Down Cake
2 years ago:  My First Fudge
3 years ago:  White Chocolate Macadamia Muffins

Apple-Cranberry Pie

 No clever prose for this one, my dears.  This one was requested for Thanksgiving, and while I'm skimming it by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I hope you will still be able to make it.  Because cranberries and apples, always excellent.  And this comes from last year's pie night winner, and she seriously knows pies.

Apple-Cranberry Pie (print recipe)

8 oz. (2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 c orange juice

1 c plus 1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c water

1 Tbsp cornstarch

3 1/2 lbs Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored,and sliced 1/4 in thick

1 recipe double-crust pie dough

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Bring cranberries, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt to boil in medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing berries against side of pot, until berries have completely broken down and juices have thickened to jam-like consistency, about 10-12 minutes. Off heat, stir in water and let cool to room temp., about 30 min. Can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.

2. Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and cornstarch together in large bowl. Add apples and toss to combine. Cover and microwave, stirring with rubber spatula every 3 minutes, until apples are just starting to turn translucent around edges and liquid is thick and glossy, 10-14 min. Let cool to room temp., about 30 minutes. Can be stored in fridge up to 2 days.

3. While fillings cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll 1 disk of dough into 12 in. circle on lightly floured counter. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-in. pie plate, letting excess dough hang over edge. Leave any dough that overhangs in place. Wrap dough-lined pie plate loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Roll other disk of dough into 12-in. circle on lightly floured counter, then transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.

4. Spread cooled cranberry mixture into even layer in dough-lined pie plate. Place apple mixture on top of cranberries, mounding in center. Loosely roll remaining dough round around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto filling. Trim overhang to 1/2 in beyond lip of pie plate. Pinch edges of top and bottom crusts firmly together. Cut four 2-in. slits in top of dough. Brush surface with egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar.

5. Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake until crust is light golden brown, about 25 min. Reduce oven temp. to 375, rotate baking sheet and continue baking until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 25-30 min. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling has set, about 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temp.

Recipe from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting

  It's apple season.  You already knew that.  I had some darn good apple recipes last year, especially the Apple Cake with Buttery Caramel Sauce and those to-die-for Apple Pie Bars.  I thought I'd focus my efforts this year on making a great apple pie (two failures down, still working on it), but when I saw this cake on the cover of September's Southern Living, I knew I had to make it, and I paid full newsstand price.  Just so happened it was part of a whole feature on apple recipes, which I am still working my way through. (I tried the skillet apple pie - not great.)

But this sweetie was all the cover photo promised it would be.  Tall and spicy, sweet and nutty.  Brown-sugar-cream-cheesey.  Absolutely perfect for fall, and you know Bundts are the best portable/potluck cake going.  So if, say, your school holds an Election Day bake sale, like ours does, this would be just the thing.  I made it for our little family farewell party the night before Ed left on his annual elk hunting trip.  And - good planning - enjoyed most of the leftovers while he was gone!

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting (print recipe)
Cream Cheese Filling:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Cake Batter:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 1 1/2 lbs.) - I used Cameo or whatever I had just picked at the orchard

Praline Frosting:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 T milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

1.  Prepare filling:  Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth.  Add egg, flour and vanilla; beat just until blended.

2.  Prepare batter:  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in apples and pecans.

3.  Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan.  Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges of the pan.  Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife.  Spoon remaining apple mixture over Cream Cheese Filling.

4.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (at least 2 hours.)

5.  Prepare frosting:  Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter and 3 T milk to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.  Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly.  Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Recipe from Southern Living, Sept 2011

Pancake Week #1 Ricotta Pancakes with Roasted Golden Delicious Apples and Roasted Prosciutto

Let's start off the week with something impressive, shall we? I don't want you to think I've been dinking around, not taking Pancake Week seriously. You have no idea the time I put into it, seeking out the most interesting and delicious-sounding flapjacks I can find.

These fit that description to a T. You know Tyler Florence, right? (Love his line of Sprout baby food.) Well this is his recipe, so between him and me, you know we won't steer you wrong.

Though I admit, this is one of the most involved recipes this week. But it's an entire meal - it's got starch, fruit, and meat! So cook it up and serve it for dinner and love every bite.

Ricotta Pancakes with Roasted Golden Delicious Apples and Roasted Prosciutto (print recipe)
For the Topping:
12 slices prosciutto
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional
4 Golden Delicious apples
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup

For the Pancakes:
2 cups ricotta
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
Butter, for cooking
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional
1 cup maple syrup, warmed on stove-top

1. For the topping: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On 1 tray lay the slices of prosciutto out in a single flat layer. Season with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired, and pop into the oven. Roast the prosciutto until crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Cut each apple into thirds, remove the cheeks and discard the core. Slice each piece into 4 and toss with butter and maple syrup in a large bowl. Transfer to a roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast the apples until they are fork-tender and slightly caramelized on the top, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on ripeness of the fruit.

3. For the pancakes: Combine the ricotta, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into the ricotta mixture and stir until fully combined. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then gently fold into the batter.

4. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little butter. Cook 2 to 3 pancakes at a time using a 6-ounce ladle or measuring cup to pour the batter into the pan. The trick to perfect round pancakes to carefully pour all the batter in the same spot and let it roll out to a complete circle. Cook the pancakes on 1 side until they set. When small bubbles appear on the uncooked surface, flip the pancakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Keep the pancakes on a plate set at the back of the stove under a dry towel to keep warm while you make the rest.

5. To serve, lay the pancakes on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with roasted apples, crispy prosciutto strips and warm maple syrup. Makes 4 servings

Recipe from Tyler Florence, FoodNetwork.com

City Bakery Apple-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake

Are you picking up on a theme this month? I'm posting all the cakey things I made in December that didn't really fit in the goody plate groove. Plus we are getting into birthday season at my house so should just get used to lots of cakes and cupcakes in the next few months.

I felt like making this cake was a huge risk. I don't have a lot of upside-down cake experience and I really didn't know how it would turn out, much less taste. And I've never had City Bakery's original so I can't compare.

Luckily, and I do feel in some ways it was truly luck, it was magnificent. Really beautiful, moist vanilla butter cake topped with this warm halo of festive fruits. We served it at room temperature with whipped cream and it was divine. As a further measure of it's acceptability, we served it to company and all the kids liked it.
City Bakery Apple-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake
Fruit Topping:
1 1/2 cups diced peeled apples (I used a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious)
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cranberry or apple juice
2 T cornstarch

Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 T sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously spray a 7-inch cakepan or an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with more nonstick spray. Place pan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (seriously, do - the topping may leak a bit.)

2. For fruit topping, toss all ingredients in a medium bowl and then spoon into prepared pan.

3. For cake, in a mixer bowl cream butter with sugar until well-blended and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and blend well. Fold in dry ingredients and blend well. Spoon batter over fruit in cakepan.

4. Bake until firm and cake springs back slightly when gently pressed with fingertips, 50 to 65 minutes. Cool 15 minutes and then invert cake onto a serving plate. Carefully peel off parchment paper circle. Serve just warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Click here for printable recipe

Apple Cake with Buttery Caramel Sauce

I was tempted to write part of the title in all caps: BUTTERY CARAMEL SAUCE, because it is: AMAZING, but then that would make it seem like the Apple Cake wasn't, so I left it.

I told you I've struggled to find a decent apple cake, right? It seems like an important piece to have in the repertoire. Well this one fits the bill (though I still want to find a good Bundt one.) I was afraid, when I put it in the oven, that it wouldn't turn out. There seemed to be an awful lot of apples in not-so-much batter, but I'm glad I trusted the recipe. The cake baked up light and spicy around those apples and made for a perfect - not too dry, not too moist - treat.And that sauce! Who knew butter and cream and sugar could make something so delectable? Ok, we probably could have guessed they could, but why have I never made this before? I admit to taking one, maybe two, spoonfuls straight into my mouth before drizzling it over my cake. Buttery. Caramel-y. Indeed.

Apple Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (I put in more, like 3/4)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I put in more, like 3/4)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

6 cups chopped, unpeeled cooking apples (I used my twirly peeler)

1 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

1 recipe Buttery Caramel Sauce (for real!)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking pan; set pan aside. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat for 2 more minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Fold in apples and nuts. Batter will be thick and that's OK! Spread batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 45 minutes. Serve with Buttery Caramel Sauce (yo!)

Buttery Caramel Sauce (What You've Been Waiting For)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in granulated sugar, brown sugar, and whipping cream. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm.

*I don't know where this recipe came from. I saved it out of some junkmail cookbook offer because the picture looked good. Makes me wonder about the cookbook. It is possibly from the Better Homes & Gardens family, but that doesn't narrow it down much.

Apple Dumplings with Cider Sauce

A dumpling is a cooked ball of dough. It can be steamed, boiled, baked, fried, sweet, savory, filled or not. But an apple dumpling is a little handful of heaven. When it's done right.

I have been dying to try this recipe since last year. When there is fruit, syrup, filling and dough involved, my mouth waters but my confidence trembles. So much can go wrong! But. If someone is going to get it right, it is probably the Test Kitchen so I forged ahead.

Hello. Yummo. Here is why the Test Kitchen got it right:

• Dough - they tried several types and settled on a sweet biscuit dough which was easier to work with and did a good job absorbing the liquid without becoming soggy. I can attest, the dough was perfect.
• Apple - again, tried several types AND amounts. Whole apples didn't cook all the way through. Some varieties turned to mush. Halved golden delicious was perfect.
• Sauce - instead of baking the dumplings in syrup, which just makes them soggy, they make a delicious apple cider sauce separately and pour it on for serving. I did say yummo, right?

Apple Dumplings

Dough
2 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
3	tablespoons sugar
2	teaspoons baking powder
3/4	teaspoon salt
10	tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
5	tablespoons vegetable shortening , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
3/4	cups cold buttermilk
Apple
6	tablespoons sugar
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
3	tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
3	tablespoons golden raisins , chopped
4	Golden Delicious apples*
2	egg whites , lightly beaten

1. MAKE DOUGH Process flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined. Scatter butter and shortening over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to bowl. Stir in buttermilk until dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly until dough is cohesive. Press dough into 8- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut in half, wrap each half tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. PREP APPLES Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. In second bowl, combine butter, raisins, and 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar mixture. Peel apples and halve through equator. Remove core using a melon baller and pack butter mixture into each apple half.

3. ASSEMBLE DUMPLINGS On lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into 12-inch square. Cut each 12-inch square into four 6-inch squares. Working one at a time, lightly brush edges of dough square with egg white and place apple, cut-side up, in center of each square. Gather dough one corner at a time on top of apple, crimping edges to seal. Using paring knife, cut vent hole in top of each dumpling.

4. FINISH APPLES Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange dumplings on prepared baking sheet, brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Serve with Cider Sauce.

*Other sweet, moderately firm apples such as Gala or Braeburn can be substituted.

Cider Sauce
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1	cup apple cider
1	cup water
1	cup sugar
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
2	tablespoons unsalted butter
1	tablespoon lemon juice

Bring cider, water, sugar, and cinnamon to simmer in saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to 1½ cups, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Drizzle over dumplings to serve.

Recipes from Cook's Country, October 2009

Apple Pie Bars

Best things about fall:

Jacket weather, crunchy leaves, football games and APPLES.

Worst thing about fall:
Too few weekends.

Best thing about fall on this blog:
These bars!

Mhm. My friend made these last fall and I was amazed at how perfect they tasted. Haven't we all had mediocre oatmeal-topped apple-something in our lives, you know, like with canned apple pie filling and a crust made with cake mix? Bleh.

These are not that. These are thrilling to the taste buds in every way and better than almost any apple dessert I've had. I have made several attempts at apple cake in the last year and still have a long way to go down that road, sheesh, but when it comes to apple bars, I can stop. I've hit perfection.

One more thing. Do you have one of these twirly peelers? You gotta get one. Not only do they make peeling apples a breeze, but they do potatoes and pears, too (if they're not too soft.) So fast and easy, plus safe and super fun for kids. I did an apple day with Ginger's Peewee group last year, and was that a hit! And if things go as planned, you're going to need one of these this fall to keep up with the VGP.

Apple Pie Bars
Crust:
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 plus 1/8 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 t salt

Filling:
3 T butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 to 10 apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith)
1/2 T cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 c water

Topping:
1 1/2 c oats
1 c flour
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into cubes and chilled

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper so, after cooling, you can lift bars out before you cut them.

2. Make the crust: Beat butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add flour and salt, and beat until a soft dough forms. Press dough into bottom of pan and bake in center of oven for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.

3. Make the filling: Melt butter and sugar together in large skillet. Add apples and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg and cook until apples are caramelized and the liquid is evaporated, about 10 more minutes. Scrape bits from bottom of pan and add water as needed to prevent scorching.

4. Make the topping: Mix first six ingredients (everything except the butter.) Cut in butter with pastry cutter or mix with paddle in stand mixer until mixture is in clumps.

5. Spread the apple filling over the crust. Scatter the crumbs on top, pressing them lightly into an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is golden; rotate the pan halfway through baking. Let cool completely on a rack, remove from pan using parchment, before cutting into squares (about 2 1/2 inch squares). You should end up with about 18 bars.

Recipe adapted from FoodandWine.com

Ebelskivers with Spiced Apple Filling

Ebel-what??? I know. It's OK. I didn't know what they were either, much less how to spell or pronounce them, until a few years ago when my sister-in-law Michelle made them for Christmas breakfast. I give you the blurb from the inside flap of Kevin Craft's book Ebelskivers:

Originally from Denmark, ebelskivers (pronouned "able-skeevers") are snacks or desserts traditionally served during holidays and at celebrations. Today, cooks offer these puffy, sphere-shaped pancakes with a wide range of sweet and savory toppings and fillings, varying them in countless creative ways.

You need a special pan first of all, but luckily my Mom got one for Christmas so I borrowed it along with Craft's book. Ebelskivers are like a cross between doughnuts and pancakes. They can be filled or not. Michelle usually puts apples or jelly inside. For this, my first attempt, I did a traditional spiced apple filling. But the sky is seriously the limit. Mom might not be getting her pan back right away.

Ebelskivers with Spiced Apple Filling
Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 T granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 tart green apples such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced

Batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup whole milk
2 T unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Finishing Touches:
1 T unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. To make the filling, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar, just until bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the apples, reduce the heat to medium-to-medium-low, an cook, stirring often, until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.2. Preheat the oven to 200F.

3. To make the batter, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well blended. The batter will be lumpy.

4. In a clean bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold about one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest just until no white streaks remain. Use the batter right away.

5. Brush the wells of the ebelskiver pan with some of the melted butter and place over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add about 1 T batter to each well. Working quickly, carefully spoon about 1 tsp of the apple filling into the center of each pancake. Top each with another 1 T batter.
6. Cook until the bottoms of the pancakes are lightly browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Use 2 short wooden skewers to turn all the pancakes and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.
7. Transfer the finished pancakes to a platter and keep warm in the oven while you repeat to make 2 or 3 more batches. Dust the warm ebelskivers with confectioners' sugar and serve right away. Makes about 21 pancakes, 4 to 7 servings

Granny-McIntosh Apple Buns

We went apple picking and while I still have not been able to crank out all the apple recipes I had lined up, I am slowly and steadily working my way through a few, one at a time.

First day after picking was these apple buns. I just couldn't wait to try them! The recipe was one without a picture in the book, so I read through and envisioned a kind of apple-stuffed croissant sweet roll. My vision was about right except I was thinking of something about fist-sized, not these monsters the size of my entire arm!But there was no complaining when I served them warm for afternoon snack, and the next morning for breakfast. Fall is the best for baking, and it's hard to beat something with fresh apples in it.Granny-McIntosh Apple Buns
Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees)
5 tsp rapid-rise yeast
5 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt

Filling:
6 to 8 McIntosh apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large unpeeled Granny Smith apples, shredded
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1/2 generous cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Finishing Touches:
2 large eggs
Pinch sugar

Cinnamon Fondant:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 to 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Water, as required, to make a thick glaze

1. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat.

2. In a mixer bowl, hand-whisk water and yeast and a pinch of sugar and let stand 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup flour and blend and then add butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, salt and then most of remaining flour. Mix and knead with dough hook on lowest speed 5 to 8 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to make a soft dough.

3. Remove dough hook and place dough in a well-greased bowl. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise 40 to 50 minutes or until doubled.

4. Meanwhile, prepare apples and have other filling ingredients nearby. Whisk eggs and pinch of sugar in a small bowl for egg wash.

5. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Roll out to a 22-inch circle. Deposit pieces of butter all over dough's surface. Scatter sliced apples over dough. Top with sugar and cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice) and then scatter shredded appple on top. Cut into 12 to 16 wedges (pizza cutter works great for this.) Stretching each wedge slightly, roll up each wedge into a crescent, starting at wide end. If apples leak out, just stuff them back in.

6. Place on prepared baking sheets, brush each crescent bun with egg wash and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled.

7. Preheat oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

8. For cinnamon fondant, whisk ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and soft. Smear fondant on buns with a flat spatula, skimming (or licking!) away excess.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

German Apple Pancake

A few weeks ago I was craving apple pie. Not the process, the result. So I went to the store and bought some Pillsbury crust and a ton of apples. I can never remember how many it takes.

The pie was perfect and hit the spot on the bull's eye. But I ended up with a few too many apples and was wondering what to do with them. Then I remembered a recipe for German Apple Pancake from my sister-in-law Michelle that I had never tried. So I whipped out my copy of Support Your Local Stovetop and made Sunday morning breakfast.

The recipe requires a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. I only have a 12-inch so I used that, and it made the dish a bit spread out so when we overturned it to the platter it kind of fell apart. But we really didn't care because it was about to be gobbled up in the next 5 seconds as soon as I took a picture. And it tasted sooo good!Next week we're going apple picking and doing Apple Day at Peewee School. I have about five new apple recipes lined up to try so this is the first of a kind of unofficial Apple Month here on the VGP. Hopefully some will actually be good enough to post - stay tuned!

German Apple Pancake

½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T granulated sugar
½ tsp table salt
2 large eggs
⅔ cup half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T unsalted butter
1¼ pounds Granny Smith apples (if you like tart) or Braeburn apples (if you like sweet) (3 to 4 large apples), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
¼ cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 500°F (425°F if using a cast iron skillet.)

2. Whisk to combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla until combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and whisk until no lumps remain, about 20 seconds; set batter aside.

3. Heat butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently with heatproof rubber spatula, until apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes (if using a cast iron skillet, cook them only until just barely golden, about 6 minutes.) Off heat, stir in lemon juice.

4. Working quickly, pour batter around and over apples. Place skillet in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 425°F; bake until pancake edges are brown and puffy and have risen above edges of skillet, about 18 minutes.

5. Using oven mitts to protect hands, remove hot skillet from oven and loosen pancake edges with heatproof rubber spatula; invert pancake onto serving platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into wedges. To serve, dust the apple pancake with confectioners' sugar and pass warm maple syrup or caramel sauce separately, if desired.

Apple Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

Of course yummy any time of year, these would be especially delicious in the fall with fresh apples you picked yourself. But no one is saying you have to wait that long!

With fresh chopped apples inside, these flapjacks are thicker than others so they require a longer time to cook through than normal pancakes.
Apple Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
1 T butter, melted
2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped

Sift dry ingredients. Combine egg, milk and butter. Add liquid ingredients gradually to dry ingredients. Stir only until batter is smooth. Fold in apples. Batter will be thick. Drop by 1/4 or 1/3 cupfuls onto very hot greased griddle. Serve with cinnamon syrup. Makes 10-11 pancakes of 1/3 cup batter each.

Cinnamon Syrup

1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Mix syrup, water, sugar and cinnamon in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and stir in milk. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Recipe from Shanna Stratton