A_ is for Apple Recipes

It’s that time of year_ time for Apples_ and Apple recipes.

We love apples in our household!

And don’t even get me started on caramel apples, oh my.

Is it just me or do all of these things bring on the feeling of Fall?

Hot chocolate_ a fire in the fireplace_ red noses_ boots_ leaves changing_

craft shows_ pumpkins_ I love it all, ya’ll!

I mentioned before, about an easy Skillet Apple Pie that I made out of the Southern Living magazine. Since then I’ve made it 2 more times, it’s super easy, and only needs 8 ingredients. I’m all about easy _ I’m all about recipes that don’t call for a ton of ingredients_ and I’m all about something that is really, really good….I would give it an A+. You just have to trust me on this one. I also tried another recipe out of the magazine yesterday called Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake. It’s definitely not as easy and has quite a few more ingredients than the skillet apple pie….but overall, I would give it a B+.

Ok. funny story: so I haven’t made too many pies in my lifetime. And this recipe called for refrigerated pie crusts…well I couldn’t find any in the refrigerator isle, but I knew of the ones in the freezer section. So I got those. Don’t do that_ ever! It was a mess to get them unrolled and they were falling apart on me_ I finally had to take the dough and roll it out with a pin..I sweated over the first one I made, that is for sure. Then in making the second one, I found the refrigerated crusts over by the biscuits {duh}…and it made making them a breeze.

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

2lb Granny Smith Apples                      1 tsp ground cinnamon

 2lb Braeburn Apples                              ¾ C sugar

  ½ C butter                                              1C light brown sugar

1- 14oz pkg refrigerated pie crusts            1 egg white

2Tbsp sugar                                               Butter pecan ice cream

Preheat oven to 350*.

Peel apples and cut into ½ inch wedges.

Toss apples with cinnamon and ¾ C sugar.

Melt butter in a 10inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, add brown sugar, and cook stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture.

Spoon apple mixture over piecrust and top with remaining piecrust.

Whisk egg white until foamy.

Brush top of piecrust with egg white, sprinkle with 2T sugar.

Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until golden and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10min to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.

Cool for 30 min and serve with ice cream.

My family isn’t huge on nuts…like with brownies we leave off the nuts or in making cookies we leave them off. Now obviously, pecan pie or eating them plain we like, but just not as an added bonus. So I left the nuts off the cake…turned out just the same, I guess. :)

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Cream Cheese Filling:

1-8oz pkg cream cheese, softened                                                    ¼ C butter, softened

        ½ C sugar                                                                                1 large egg

        2Tbsp all purpose flour                                                                      1tsp vanilla extract

Apple Cake Batter:

1C finely chopped pecans                                  3C all purpose flour

             1C sugar                                                             1C light brown sugar

2tsp ground cinnamon                                             1tsp salt

              1tsp baking soda                                             1tsp ground nutmeg

              ½ tsp ground allspice                                    3 large eggs, lightly beaten

         ¾ C Canola oil                                              ¾ C applesauce

                        1tsp vanilla extract                                     3C peeled and finely chopped Gala apples

Praline Frosting:

½ C light brown sugar                                    ¼ C butter

      3Tbsp milk                                                       1tsp vanilla extract 

                                                                                1C powdered sugar

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

Prepare Batter: Preheat oven to 350*. Bake pecans in shallow pan 8-10min or    until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together 3C flour and next 7 ing. in a large bowl, stir in eggs and next 3 ing., stirring just until dry ing. are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.

Spoon two thirds of apple mixture into greased and floured 14-C bundt pan. Spoon Cream cheese filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1 inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350* for 1hr or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack and cool completely.

Prepare Frosting:             Bring ½ C brown sugar, ¼ C butter, and 3 Tsp milk to a boil in a 2qt saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth, stir gently 3-5 min or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Happy Apple Recipes & Happy Monday!

Heather :)

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