Apple Brie Bruschetta with Bacon, Honey, and Pecans

Welcome to Apple Week,

presented by The Novel Bakers. 

When I was planning menus for this event, my shopping list was a bit on the sweet side. On impulse, I gathered a few items for a savory experiment.

 

Apple Brie Bruschetta.



 

Apple Brie Bruschetta with Bacon, Honey, and Pecans

 

Serves 6

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

 

1 bakery baguette, cut into 14 one-half inch slices

1/2 pound brie wedge (I used Ile de France)

olive oil (enough to brush on each bread slice)

12 slices of applewood smoked bacon

2 honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced

juice of 1 lemon

3 pats unsalted butter

extra virgin olive oil

honey

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

 

Place baguette slices on a baking pan. Brush each side with olive oil. Place pan in the oven and bake three minutes on each side or until toasted. This is healthier than the pan-browned version. Fewer calories, too!

 

Remove pan from oven.

Fry bacon and drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.

Cut rind from the brie and discard. Cut cheese into thin pieces, approximately the size of each bread slice. Bake for 2 to 4 minutes or until the brie has melted. Remove pan from oven.

Slice the apples, the thinner the better, and toss in fresh lemon juice.

Arrange 1 apple slice on top of the brie.

In a skillet, add a few shakes of EVOO and 3 pats unsalted butter. Toast the chopped pecans, tossing frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain. Add pecans to bacon and mix.

Spoon the nut-and-bacon mixture on each bruschetta and drizzle with honey.

Delicious served warm or room temp.

 

 Printable Recipe

 



 

Each bite delivers a scrumptious, layered treat--sweet, savory, crunchy, smooth. They were a hit with Will, and even Bandwidth (who hates apples) came back for seconds. 

When I wasn't looking, Bandy made a little garnish. 

The experiment was a success!

This appetizer is a bit crumbly, so have a thick stack of napkins for your guests.

Of course, if you've made bruschetta for a quiet dinner at home, throw caution to the wind, along with a few nuts.

Apple Week was inspired by Susan Wiggs' bestselling novel, The Apple Orchard.

I'll return tomorrow with a whimsical look at the book plus another apple dish.



Apple Week continues today with fellow bakers Mary, Jain, and Pam.
I can't wait to see what these talented ladies have prepared. Weaving words and photography, they've taken already taken us on picnics and a tour of a California orchard.
I'm looking forward to today's apple adventures with the girls.
 

 Jain   a quiet life,

Mary   Home Is Where the Boat Is,
Pam   Sidewalk Shoes



 

Shared at Metamorphosis Monday.

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Southern Apple Crumble

 Welcome to Apple Week,

presented by The Novel Bakers.

 

I'm not a fancy cook.

 

In the kitchen, I'm speedy and shameless.

Rolling all over the place and making a mess.

 

When it comes to fruit desserts,

I rely on store-bought pie fillings and crusts.

 

I actually like those items.

I don't want to peel apples for 500 hours when I could be goofing off.

 

 

But Apple Week nudged me out of my comfort zone, straight into the heart of comfort food.

 

I baked a Southern Apple Crumble, the kind that my grandmother used to make in a cast iron skillet. And, because I didn't want the fruit to be the same size or consistency, or even the same variety, I needed to control the apples.

That wasn't going to happen with store-bought pie filling or canned apples.

 

I needed to bake my crumble from scratch,

a word that strikes fear into the lazy cook's heart.

 

But it was worth it.



This one-pot dessert is a country cousin to stately, lattice-topped pies.

 

It's not a debutante.

It won't win a beauty pageant, either. But it's delicious and soul-satisfying, the perfect

dessert on a chilly October evening.

 It travels well to picnics and potlucks, too.

 

 

Best of all, it's easy.

 

You don't have to peel the apples.



 

Layered textures are the hallmark of this dish.

Creamy, chunky, and crunchy.



 

Are you ready for a taste of autumn?

 

Southern Apple Crumble

 

Serves 4

 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 vanilla pod (split in half and remove seeds)

3 Granny Smith apples, cored (peeling is optional)

3 Honeycrisp apples, cored (peeling is optional)

4 teaspoons dried cranberries

1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 lemon, zested

juice of 1/2 lemon

 

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Grate 1/2 of the Granny Smiths and Honeycrisps.

Chop the remaining apples into bite-sized chunks and toss in lemon juice.

In a heavy, 3 quart baking dish, add sugars. Caramelize over a medium

flame, 4 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla seeds, cinnamon, and apples (including lemon juice).

Cook for 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and cranberries. Stir.

Remove pan from the burner.

 

Topping

3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup granola

 

Into a large bowl, add sugar, butter, flour, and cinnamon.

Blend with a pastry cutter. Stir in the granola.  Spoon the topping over the apple mixture, then place the mixture on the stove. Heat until the apples bubble. Pop the dish into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the topping is brown.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

 Click for Printable Recipe
 

 



 

How about a dollop of whipped cream?

Yes, please. A big dollop.

 



 



 

Apple Week Recipes:

 

Monday, October 14th -- Apple Crab Cakes and Granny Smith Salad



Apple Week continues today with fellow bakers Mary, Jain, and Pam.
I can't wait to see what these talented ladies have prepared.
 

 Jain   a quiet life,

Mary   Home Is Where the Boat Is,
Pam   Sidewalk Shoes



 

 

Thanks for stopping by.

Resources:
 



"Apple Week" was inspired by The Apple Orchard by New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs

 

Author's Website
 

Update: I turned 60 today. When I read my email this morning, I saw that Jain, the organizer of The Novel Bakers, had brought my friends together for a surprise birthday party. I slept a bit late this morning and didn't have a clue until I saw the comments on this post. I'm bowled over! Hope you'll celebrate with the girls. Come along and see what they're up to:  home is where the boat is rattlebridge farm ...a quiet life... sidewalk shoes debbie jackie jenna kitty  linda lynn patti rett samsarahSusan at Between Naps on the Porch  Shared at Metamorphosis Monday.  

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The Novel Bakers Present Apple Week

 

Crisp autumn air arrived just in time for Apple Week,

presented by The Novel Bakers, a group of readers, friends, and bakers.

 

 

 Our organizer, Jain, selected a delightful novel to inspire us this month: The Apple Orchard by New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs.

 

 

After I read the book, I started to crave apples. 

I'd just weathered the Summer of Sickness, battling tick and mosquito bites, and I was eager to stay well. If an apple a day kept the doctor away, then our family needed a bushel.



 I was ready to put on my apron and cook.

Bandwidth and I came up with a fresh, early Autumn meal: Apple Crab Cakes and a Crispy

Apple Salad.



 

 

The apples 'woke up' the crab meat, adding a fresh, zingy taste. And there's nothing

like apples and homegrown lettuce.

 



 

 

 

Apple Crab Cakes

      Serves: 6
 

 Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
 

3 cans white crab meat, drained

lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)

1/2 cup (less or more; your call) chopped celery

1/4 to 1/2 cup white onion, chopped

1/4 cup shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping tablespoons Duke's Mayonnaise (or more if the mixture if too dry)

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup peeled and grated apples (I used Granny Smith and Honeycrisp)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

Sherry

Tabasco and hot pepper flakes (optional)

Salt, freshly ground pepper

all purpose flour (for dredging)

breadcrumbs (plain and Panko, for dredging)

Procedure:
 

Place drained crab meat in a deep bowl and set aside.

Sautee onions and celery in 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons EVOO until

vegetables are "clear" and tender. Add apples and cook two to four minutes, depending on the texture you want.

Cool.

Add sautéed vegetables/apples to crab meat. (Save the pan to fry cakes.)

Add beaten egg and mix.

Add mayonnaise, honey, Old Bay, sherry, Tabasco, hot pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.  Add bread crumbs until the mixture isn't sticky and will hold its shape.

Mix well and shape into cakes. Place on a cookie sheet.

Find 2 long, shallow pans. Fill one with all purpose flour and the other with Panko bread crumbs.

One at a time, dip each cake in flour, then in Panko.

Drizzle olive oil in pan. Fry patties in the sautée pan over a medium-high flame. Cook until the cakes are brown, turning once. Transfer cakes to a serving platter (line it with paper towels).

Squeeze a fresh lemon over the cakes, if desired.

Cooking Notes:

 Crab cakes can be bland. We like plenty of sautéed vegetables, with generous helpings of mayonnaise and sherry. Two types of bread crumbs help hold the cakes together; panko
crumbs add crunch with every bite.



  

Gordon Ramsay's Crunchy Apple Salad

(courtesy of Bandwidth)  Serves 2

 

1 Granny Smith apple

Bandwidth's organic romaine

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

Olive Oil

 

Peel, core, and cut apple into julienne strips. Toss strips with the lettuce

(reserve apple bits for garnish)

Zest 1/2 of the lemon. Squeeze lemon over lettuce and apples.

Drizzle the salad with olive oil and mix well.

I whisked a little honey into the oil.

Garnish with apple and lemon zest.

 

 

You are cordially invited to join The Novel Bakers for . . .

Apple Week continues with my fellow bakers: Jain, Mary, and Pam. I can't wait to see what these talented ladies have been cooking!

 

 Jain   a quiet life,

Mary   Home Is Where the Boat Is,
Pam   Sidewalk Shoes

Resources:



 

The Apple Orchard by New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs

 

Author's Website

 

 

A Metamorphosis Monday contribution. 

 



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