Caramel Apple Crisp!

I love caramel apples in the Fall, you know the kind that you make yourself by melting caramel and dipping them and then rolling in nuts or whatever you choose.  I also love a good apple crisp.  This recipe puts those two great Fall flavors together.   It's an easy dessert to put together, but you will get a lot of compliments because the aroma is just delightful and let's face it, anything with caramel involved has to be good.   Here is what you will need for this. 

6 to 7 baking apples, cored, peeled and sliced (I used Granny Smith)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1 cup caramel ice cream topping, warmed and divided
1/2 cup butter, cut in pieces (1 stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats (not instant)
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the apple slices in a 2 quart casserole or baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Sprinkle the apples with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 cup white sugar.   Drizzle with 1/2 cup of caramel ice cream topping. 

In a separate bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, salt, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and vanilla.  Add the butter slices and cut them in with a pastry cutter or a knife until it is a crumbly texture.  Stir the oats in until well combined.

Crumble over top of the apples.  Place in oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until nice and brown.  After out of the oven and right before serving, drizzle the other 1/2 cup of caramel topping over the top of the crisp. 

Serve with a scoop of ice cream and if you want to go all the way, drizzle a little more caramel on top! 

Fried Apple Pies!

  

Fried pies are another southern classic that people love.  I don't think people make them much anymore though.  They are actually not all that hard to make, but they do take time.  It just seems that most people don't really know how they are made.  So when I went to cook with my mother last week, we did a batch of fried pies.  

We usually use dried apples for the apple pies, but on this day she had some really good Gala apples so we decided to use them.  You can, of course, used the dried fruit.   We also made the dough for the pastry with a buttermilk baking mix, but a lot of folks do use canned biscuits.  

In my opinion, the taste of the dough you make up is much flakier and better, but the biscuits work.  You will need the large biscuits though.   

 Here is what you will need:

Apple Filling

5 Gala apples or some other firm apple, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 stick butter (4 Tbs.)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbs. cornstarch

Pastry

2 cups buttermilk baking mix (like Bisquick)

1 cup water

1 stick melted butter (for brushing the tops)

Place the peeled, diced apples in a skillet with the butter sugar and salt.  Saute them until they cook down and get tender. 

Mix the apple juice, cinnamon, vanilla and cornstarch together.  Pour over the apples and bring to a quick boil then turn the heat to medium and cook until the juices thicken.  The apples should be cooked until they are mush but should be very tender.  Turn off and let this cool on the stove.  Place in the refrigerator and chill.  It's really best to do this the day before to allow sufficient time to get cold, but you could do it in the morning and have it cold enough by the late afternoon.   If the filling is not cold, it makes it really hard to keep it in the pies when you fry them.

Mix the baking mix and water until you get a soft dough, like biscuit dough.  You might have to add just wee bit more water than the 1 cup. It's really best to do this ahead and chill the dough also, but you can proceed from here. 

Divide the dough into 8 even sections.  Take each section and roll it out on a floured surface.

Cut about a 7" circle from each rolled dough section.  A good way to get a nice circle is to place a large saucer or bread and butter size plate down and then cut around it..voila, pretty circle of dough.  Place about 1//3 cup of the apple filling in the center. 

With a pastry brush wet the edge of the dough all the way around with a little water. Fold the dough over and seal them with the tines of a fork all the way around.  Continue with the other seven until they are all filled and sealed.  It  is a  time consuming little task making fried pies.  This might be why nobody knows how to make these anymore...lol!   Your family will love you for the effort though, so keep going, we are almost there!

Now time to fry and this is where we need to discuss your options.  You can deep fry these in a deep fryer of oil.  Actually, a lot of folks do it this way.  Just heat your oil to about 350 and drop them 1 or 2 at a time in and cook until golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Or you can fry them in a large skillet with about a 1/2 inch of oil in it. or my mother puts oil on her large griddle (like you cook a batch of pancakes on) and places all of the pies on them at one time.  Take the melted stick of butter and brush the uncooked side with it, then when you turn them, brush the other side with it. and brown the other side.  This actually works great and you can get them all cooked at one time and quickly.  With this method the pies are not as greasy as with the deep fried method, but for some people that is what they like about a fried pie...grease.  This produces a more buttery pie.  We love them like this, but you know between me, Mama and Paula Deen, we keep the dairy farmers in business with our butter consumption...lol!  You can't go wrong with either method...deep fry or pan fry. 



Fried Apple Pies!





Caramel Apple Cheesecake!

I love anything with caramel and I also never met a cheesecake I didn't like, so I knew this would be a winner for me and it was!!!  This is a decadent dessert, special enough for holidays or special occasions, but it's really very easy!!! 

Here is what you will need:

1 (9 oz.) prepared graham cracker crust 

1 (21 oz.) cam of apple pie filling

2 (8 oz.) pkgs.. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 cup caramel ice cream topping

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it's light and fluffy.  Beat in sugar and eggs.   Add the cinnamon and vanilla. 

Place the graham cracker crust on a cookie sheet, just for easier handling and in case of spill overs.  Be sure to use the large 9 oz. crust that says "2 extra servings".  The regular graham cracker crust will not be large enough.   Keebler makes the large crust. 

Spread half of the caramel topping in the bottom of the crust.

Spread half of the apple pie filling over the caramel. 

Put the other half of the caramel topping and the rest of the apple pie filling in a small saucepan over low heat and stir together.  This will be used later for the topping.

  Pour the cheesecake filling over all and spread to the edges.   Place in the preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes or until set.   Allow to cool on the counter.

Spread the rest of the apple pie filling  and caramel topping over the top.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans.  Cover and chill for 3 hours or until ready to serve! 

This is so yummy!!!   Enjoy!!! 

Apple Pie!

There is nothing more down home and comforting than "Apple Pie".  I guess that is where the saying "It's as American as Apple Pie" comes from!  It's really a fairly easy pie to make, but I do get asked about a recipe for it quite a bit, so I guess it's not something everyone already has.  This is my mother's recipe that she has made for years and it's got just the right blend of seasonings.   Here is what you will need:

Pie pastry for a two crust pie (use refrigerated or make your own)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

6 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced (preferably Gala apples)

4 Tbs. butter

1 egg white

1 Tbs. sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add in the apples and toss together. 

Line a pie plate with one of the crusts.  Add the apple mixture.  Dot the top with the butter cut in thin slices.  

A lot of apple pie recipes call for Granny Smith apples, but we prefer a little sweeter baking apple like the Gala.  It still holds up for baking, but doesn't require as much sweetening.  If you do use Granny Smith's which are more tart, you might need to add a little more sugar.

Roll the other crust out and cut into 1/2 inch strips for making a lattice top crust.  Make sure to crimp the top crust pieces down to the edges of the pie plate so they don't rise up and come loose during baking.

Brush the top crust with egg white.  Sprinkle the top of the pie crust with the 1 Tbs. sugar mixed with the pinch of cinnamon.  Place on a cookie sheet for baking. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30 more minutes. 

The top crust should be nice and brown. 

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!



Apple Pie Burritos!

This is a really easy and fun dessert that tastes delicious!  So it's a win, win, win kind of recipe!  This would be great on Taco Tuesday or to serve as the dessert on a Mexican buffet, but it's just plain good anytime really.  To be honest, I ate one of these the next morning for breakfast and it was yummy! 

This is one the kiddos could actually help make too which is always fun!  Here is what you will need:

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 (21 oz.) can of apple pie filling (you could actually use any type of pie filling you like...cherry, blueberry)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, cut in pats (1/2 stick)

1  1/2 cups Sprite (or any lemon lime soda)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Evenly divide the fruit filling between the flour tortillas and then roll them as you would a burrito.  Place seam side down in an 11"x7" baking dish you sprayed with nonstick spray.  Mix the sugars and cinnamon together and evenly spread over the top.  Dot with the pats of butter.  Pour the soda evenly around the edges of the baking pan.  Sprinkle the top with just bit more cinnamon if you really like the flavor like I did!

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until just browned a little. 

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!



Rum Raisin Apple Cobbler!

It's apple picking time in southern Kentucky so I am always looking for new and different recipes to use them.   We use apples  quite a bit in southern cooking, both for desserts and as a side item.  This is a little different spin on the apple cobbler and it is so tasty!  The combination of the apples with the raisins, butter and rum is just perfect.  Here is what you will need for this delicious cobbler:

1 cup butter, divided (2 sticks)

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 cup dark rum

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

pinch of salt

6 large cooking apples (Granny Smith or Rome work well)

1 box yellow or butter cake mix

1/3 cup half and half cream (can use whole milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) of the butter.  Mix in the cornstarch, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, vanilla and raisins.   Peel, core and slice the apples.  Add them to the butter mixture and toss until coated. 

Spray an 11"x 9" baking dish with nonstick spray and pour the apple and raisin mixture in.  Melt the other stick of butter and mix it with the cake mix and the half and half.  Spread evenly over the apple mixture. This mixture will be thick so it's best to drop in on top by the spoonful and then spread it evenly.  Place in the 350 degree oven for 1 hour. 

It should be nice and brown when done!  Remove from oven and allow to cool just slightly!

 Serve while slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! 





Fresh Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce!

This is my mother's recipe for her Fresh Apple Cake.  You can serve this delicious cake with or without the warm caramel sauce, but I will warn you that if you serve it with the sauce, you will never serve it without it again.  It takes it from a really good cake, to a lip smackin' yumilicious cake!  This is a cake that really needs the recipe followed pretty closely for it to turn out,  so for those of you who like to experiment and alter, you have been warned.  I do that myself at times, so I do understand.

 Here is what you need for this cake:

4 cups apples, peeled and diced (any good cooking apple)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups self rising flour*
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze (for the top of the cake)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Caramel Sauce
1 stick butter (1/ 2 cup)
1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla


* This cake works best with self rising flour and even though it has self rising flour in it, it still needs a little baking powder added for it to rise properly because of the fruit in it.  If you cannot get self rising flour, use all purpose flour with 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt.


The day before you want to make the cake, peel and chop your apples and place them in a bowl covered with the 2 cups of sugar.  Refrigerate overnight.


The next day in a large mixing bowl mix combine the apples and sugar with the eggs, oil and vanilla.
 

Combine the dry ingredients all together in another bowl. Add the walnuts to the flour mixture and stir to coat them. 


Gradually add the dry ingredients to the apple mixture.  Stir until well combined.  Spray either an angel food cake pan (the kind with the removable bottom) or a 9"x13" baking pan well with a nonstick spray for baking that contains flour or butter and flour the pan.   This cake does not work well with a Bundt type pan.  It is so moist, it will not turn out without falling apart in most cases.


Place in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 25-30 minutes if using the angel food cake pan and about 60-65 minutes if using the 9"x13" pan. 

Let the cake cool for at least 1 hours before glazing the top.  For the glaze pictured on the top, just mix the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla and drizzle over the top.
 

To make the warm caramel sauce, which you can serve over each slice or without, mix the butter, milk and the sugars in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Allow this to boil for 3 full minutes, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. of vanilla.   This will thicken as it sits, but should be served slightly warm over each cake slice. 

Fresh Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce!