 "An apple a day" - we've all heard the saying and there's a lot of truth to it. Everyone knows that apples are healthy. They're highly digestible, fiber-rich and full of pectins, vitamins and minerals. Eating a daily apple has been shown to improve skin diseases, arthritis and lung problems such as asthma and even to help remove heavy metals from our bodies. I'm sold. I'll gladly eat an apple a day.🍏🍎 I'm not sure I get quite the same benefits from eating them dipped in warm caramel or in donut form though.😅 I mean raw apples are great but if given the choice, who wouldn't choose to eat their daily apple in pie form?😉🥧 We all love fruit that's been covered in sugar and butter.  I enjoy serving traditional apple pies with my buttery homemade crust but there are times when that's just not practical.🥧 The real issue is that I usually don't have enough tables and chairs in my house for my guests to properly sit down to enjoy their slice of pie.😅 My solution: hand held apple desserts like these Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars. All the deliciousness of a freshly baked slice of apple pie without need for plates, forks, tables or chairs.😂 I mean I guess you could eat them with a fork but I'm not that fancy.😂 These tasty hand held squares are apple packed, buttery crumb topped and all kinds of delicious.😋  Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars Crust and Crumble 3 3/4 cups flour 2 cups brown sugar 24 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda Filling 3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 Tablespoon lemon zest 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup caramel sauce
 Bake 55-65 minutes.  Cool 4 hours. Cut into 24 bars.
 Ciao!
0 Comments
My family has had a long running tradition of driving to the North Georgia mountains to pick apples every Fall. It was really never about the apples though. It was all about the experience for us: the hay ride, the petting farm, the apple cannon and the cider and fried pies!!🥧😋 I'll forever be grateful for the memories that we created while filling our bags with Rome Beauty apples.  Rome Beauty apples are crisp and sweet.🍎 They're great for crisps, cobblers and applesauce but if I'm being honest, they wouldn't be my first choice for pie. Every pie baker has their preference and mine is Granny Smith apples.🍏 I love the tartness and crispness of a Granny Smith apple and more importantly, they hold their shape without breaking down in the oven. I get more orders for gluten free and dairy free food every month so I'm continually on the lookout for new desserts to serve these clients. This apple cake is so good that I served it in mixed company - to people on restricted diets and everyone else. And let's be honest - that's important when I don't want to make 2 separate desserts. And yes, I did use Granny Smith apples in mine but feel free to substitute your favorite apple.  Apple Cake 1½ pounds granny smith apples (peeled and cored) 1 1/2 Tablespoons brandy 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons gluten-free flour ¼ cup almond flour 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon xanthan gum 1 large egg 2 egg yolks 1 cup canola oil 1 cup almond milk 1 teaspoon vanilla
 Bake cake 1 hour and 15 minutes on lowest rack at 325. Run a knife around edges and cool 2 hours in pan.   Cut into 12 wedges.  Ciao!
 It's October which means it's time to declare Apple Week on the blog. 🍏🍎 Who doesn't love apple season? I mean - it's practically un-American to not embrace this season.😅 Even if you're not a fan of apple pie, apple dumplings, apple cake, apple crisp, caramel apples or apple cider ... there's still plenty of ways to enjoy apple season. Have you ever spent an afternoon in an apple orchard picking your own fruit, shooting an apple cannon, launching an apple sling shot or taking a hay ride and left without a smile on your face? Impossible.😁  If you're a fan of apple desserts - if you prefer dairy free desserts - or if you like to pack as many apples into one serving than you ever thought possible - this apple gateau if for YOU!! It looks really fancy - it even has a fancy name - but good news - it's surprisingly easy to make. If you've got a food processor - it's even easier but if not - don't worry - a mandolin can do the same job. And no, you really don't need to measure your apple slices with a ruler like I did - I'm kind of over the top when it comes to apple slice accuracy.🤣  Apple Gateau Gateau 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 2 eggs 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 pounds granny smith apples, peeled 2 teaspoons honey Whipped Cream 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
 Place loaf pan on top rack of 350 oven for an hour and a half. Place a foil lined baking sheet on bottom rack to catch drips.  Run knife around edges of cake. Brush top with warm honey. Let cool for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove cake using parchment sling and cool 2 more hours.
 Cut cake into triangle wedges.  Serve with whipped cream  Ciao!
 Traveling is all about new experiences and adventures and that includes trying foods that I wouldn't normally eat. With that being said --- welcome to Amy's England food tour.😅 🏴
I honestly didn't expect the culinary diversity that I experienced during our 2 week stay in England and I'm not mad about it. We had some incredible meals and I learned that I actually quite enjoy mushy peas.🤣🫛  Tasting so many different foods on our trip inspired me to expand my own culinary repertoire at home. I've always been kind of a traditionalist when it comes to macaroni and cheese. I stick to my classic macaroni and cheese recipe and when I'm feeling extra fancy - I add a buttery crumb topping.😅 I certainly never considered adding jalapeños to my traditional macaroni and cheese. That's just crazy. Right?!? I took this dish to 2 different bring a dish meals and I got so many compliments that that this recipe has quickly become my new go-to macaroni and cheese recipe. Who knew that jalapeños and bacon, scallions and cream cheese all make delicious additions to the classic dish? I'm not a bacon fan and even I thought this was pretty darn tasty.😋😅  Bacon Jalapeno Macaroni and Cheese 1 pound cavatappi 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound bacon, cut into 1" pieces 1 cup panko 3 fresh jalapenos, chopped fine 3 Tablespoons flour 2 3/4 cups heavy cream 2 3/4 cups whole milk 12 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes 4 cups mild cheddar cheese 1 cup chopped jarred jalapenos 2 Tablespoons brine from jarred jalapenos 8 scallions, sliced thin
 Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over macaroni.  Set dish on a foil lined baking sheet and bake 22-25 minutes at 375.   Help me settle a debate in our house. Is 30,000 steps too many for a vacation itinerary?😬 Kidding, sort of.😂 I'm the trip planner in our relationship my goal for any trip is to make sure that we get the most out of every single minute that we have to explore a new city.🏃🏻♀️ I want to be certain that we hit all of the touristy highlights and find the hidden gems in each place - even if that means that we have to sacrifice sleep.😅 If this seems more like a conquest than a vacation - my husband would agree with you. Can you believe that he thinks vacations should be relaxing and restful?🤣 It's taken a long time but I'm finally learning to combine our vacation styles. Last month we spent 4 days running around London (sometimes literally) followed by a week of relaxing and floating down the English canals on a narrow boat. #compromise😅  I've learned to compromise but I may never stop pleading my case for an ambitious vacation itinerary. And one of my biggest selling points is always extra steps = more calories burned which means more croissants, chocolate au pain, cinnamon rolls, scones and biscuits.🥐 London is chock full of delicious patisseries and we tried to sample them all. 😋 Anyone else feel overwhelmed when standing in front of a case of chocolate, almond, cinnamon or raspberry filled croissants? How could I possibly choose just one? My solution - order one for breakfast and another for an afternoon snack. (Now you can see why I needed to walk some extra steps.😅) Now that I'm home, I don't have access to a patisserie with freshly baked croissants - which is probably a good thing - but I still crave those scrumptious morning pastries. For now, I'll have to make my croissant breakfast bake in my own kitchen.  Irish Cream Croissant Bake 12-13 croissants 4 eggs 1 cup Irish Cream 4 oz cream cheese ½ cup milk ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp almond extract 1 tsp cinnamon powder ¼ tsp salt Berries: ⅓ cup raspberries, blueberries & blackberries Crumble Topping: 1 cup chopped pecans ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tbsp butter ¼ tsp cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp salt
 Sprinkle berries over the croissants. Note: I made the crumble topping ahead of time and stored it in the refrigerator but I forgot to add it to the recipe before serving.🤦🏻♀️ It was still delicious without it but I recommend that you try it both ways.  Ciao!
|
