Foodie Friday -- Apple Week

Welcome to the October 18th Foodie Friday. I'm celebrating Apple Week with the

Novel Bakers, Jain, Mary, and Pam.

 

 

 

 

 (You can find links to their blogs at the end of this post.)

 

 

 

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

 



Here's a quick recap of Apple Week:

 

Monday -- Apple Crab Cakes

 

 

 

Tuesday --  Southern Apple Crumble

 

 

Wednesday -- Apple Brie Bruschetta with Bacon, Honey, and Pecans

 

 

Apple Week concludes with a triple feature . . .  

 

Apple Pancakes and Caramel Apple Topping

Apple Pie

Apple Ice Cream

 

Let's start with pancakes.

 

Apple Pancakes with Caramel Apple Topping

 

Shake 'n Pour pancake mix

3 to 5 tablespoons pureed honey crisp apples

Mix pancakes according to directions and add pureed apples.

Shake and pour. Cook according to the instructions.

 

For the topping, place 1 cup granulated white sugar in a warm frying pan. Add 3 tablespoon butter and cook on low heat until sugar has melted. Tilt the pan, swirling the butter-sugar mixture, until it starts to caramelize. Chop, peel, and core 1 Honeycrisp apple. Add apples to pan and stir. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon over pancakes.

 A classic apple pie is next.

 

Pie Crust

Yield: 2 crusts

 

 2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup soft butter

1 egg

1 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

 

Combine ingredients. Make a soft dough and cover with Saran Wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Remove. Discard plastic. Roll dough on a cold surface and shape into two crusts.

Reserve leftover dough to make a pastry garnish.

 

 

Apple Pie Filling

1 Granny Smith apple

2 Honeycrisp apples

2 Red Delicious apples

dash of lemon juice

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Butter (3 or 4 pats, cut into bits)

Peel, core, and slice apples. Toss with sugar and lemon juice. Add flour and cinnamon and mix. Place in a pie shell and dot the top of the apple mixture with butter.

 

Making the Pie

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place 1 freshly rolled out crust in the bottom of an oven-proof pie dish. Using a fork, poke holes in the crust. Add filling. Place second crust on top and crimp the edges. With a knife, cut vents into the top shell. Roll out the leftover dough and create shapes with cookie cutters or presses. Brush top of the crust and cut-outs with an egg wash.

Bake 30 minutes or until top crust is brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents. If the crust browns too quickly, cover with tin foil.

 

 

I found adorable cutouts at Williams-Sonoma.

 

 

 Apple Ice Cream

Serves: 3 Big Eaters

 

1/2 honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and pureed

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 vanilla bean, cut and scraped

 

Mix contents and pour into an electric ice cream maker.

Follow the directions for your machine. I use a Cuisinart, and the ice cream was ready in 30 minutes.

I love this recipe because it's tasty and egg-free. No cooking--a bonus for exhausted cooks.

 

Garnish the ice cream with pastry cut-outs, if desired.

 

 

 

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 will delight your senses.

 Jain   a quiet life,

Mary   Home Is Where the Boat Is,
Pam   Sidewalk Shoes

 

I'm on my way to a book party so I'm posting a bit early today.

 If you are participating in Foodie Friday, please take a moment to read the guidelines.

To add a link to your post, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x"
beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE.

** Would you like to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions" group board at Pinterest?
It can be found HERE. We're a small, sociable group; Foodie Friday folks are always welcome to "pin" with us and chat about food. Just leave a comment on one of my recent"pins," so I'll be sure to see it, and I will send you an invitation. Or you can email me.

 Thanks for visitin'!

Note: I'll return this Saturday with a peek at Rattlebridge Farm's exterior shutters, another sample clock for the kitchen,  and a visit with an architect. 

 

Shared at Metamorphosis Monday

Foodie Friday Link-up

Social Bookmarking

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.

Social Bookmarking

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.  

Social Bookmarking