CCC: Southern Comfort (Drunken) Caramel Apple Pie

It's time for another Mom's Crazy Cooking Challenge and the theme is Apple Pie.  Each month participating bloggers go off and make something related to that theme.  Then on the 7th of each month everyone reveals their challenge recipe and the blog hop begins!

Though I may have used Granny Smith Apples in this pie but believe me when I say that this is NOT your Granny's apple pie recipe.  It's sweet like apple pie but with a bit of a naughty side.  The filling is rich with apples and caramel but that's not all, it's then made drunken with a good hit of Southern Comfort liqueur.  And while you're at it, why stop there?  In my homemade pie crusts, I also add a bit of vodka to make it oh-so-flaky (the theory is that the alcohol bakes off leaving behind pockets of airy goodness).

Now, I actually don't drink except on special occasions.  But, you might think that I'm a bit alcoholic...at least where cooking is concerned.  Penne a la Vodka?  Yes, please.  Brat Burgers with Drunken Onions?  Uh huh.  Stuffed Chicken Marsala and Chicken Marsala Risotto (to be posted Monday!)?  You betcha.  Adding a bit of red wine to my Minestrone Soup?  Flavor BAM!

This apple pie did not disappoint and if it weren't filled with butter and sugar, I'd be tempted to eat the whole pie myself.  It has all of my favorite things: a flaky, buttery crust; loads of tart apples...sweetened with (drunken) caramel...swoon!; and then a crumbly cinnamon sugar streussel topping studded with nuts.  The original recipe calls for toasting the nuts but I'm lazy and skip this...besides I think they toast just fine as they bake regularly with the rest of the pie.  Overall, this pie takes some effort but is totally worth it.

Regular apple pie just won't be the same any more...

One Year Ago: Brown Sugar Spice Cutout Cookies with Maple Icing

Past and Upcoming Challenges:

• September 7, 2012 - RANCH DRESSING/RANCH DIP (I made Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning)
• October 7, 2012 - APPLE PIE (You're here right now!)
• November 7, 2012 - STUFFING
• December 7, 2012 - PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE

Southern Comfort (Drunken) Caramel Apple Pie

Yields: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2/3 cup (11 Tbsp) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 Tbsp chilled vodka
• 3-4 Tbsp ice water

For the Topping

• 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tbsp) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the Filling

• 5-6 medium-sized tart baking apples 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup Southern Comfort liqueur
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. To Make the Crust: Using a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add butter; pulse until the mixture looks crumbly. Add vodka and 3 tablespoons ice water, and pulse until the dough begins to form a ball. If it doesn’t come together, add the additional 1 tablespoon water, and pulse. Gently mold the dough into a disk,; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Wipe out the bowl of your food processor with a paper towel to get ready to make the topping.
3. To Make the Topping: In a food processor, process both sugars, the cinnamon, salt and flour for about 1 minute. Add butter; pulse 10 to 15 times, until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the pecan pieces. Refrigerate the topping, covered, in a a medium bowl until ready to use.
4. Transfer the unwrapped pie dough to a lightly floured flat surface. Roll it into a 1/8-inch-thick circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. To keep the dough from sticking, gently pick it up every once in a while and rotate it in place, adding more flour underneath if necessary.
5. Wrap the dough lightly over the rolling pin, and set it in the ungreased pie plate. Press it into place, and crimp the outside edges with your finger or a fork.
6. To Make the Filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place a pan in the lower rack to catch any pie filling overflow (Trust me, you'll thank me for this.). Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the apples and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle it on the apples, and reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Simmer the apples for about 1 minute.
8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples from the skillet to a large baking sheet, and arrange them in a single layer. (If you heap them in a pile, the hot apples will steam and get soggy.)
9. Pour the Southern Comfort into the butter-sugar mixture in the skillet. Simmer the mixture over medium heat at least 5 minutes, until the alcohol burns off. Add the cream, and continue cooking about 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick as pourable caramel. Return the apples to the skillet.
10. Pour the apple filling into the unbaked pie crust, and sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is brown. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature with garnishes of your choice such as  ice cream, whipped cream or caramel sauce.

Source: Barely modified from Erza Pound Cake as originally from Rebecca Rather's The Pastry Queen

Apple Cinnamon Truffles

This is it.  The grand finale to Apple Extravaganza week on my blog and coincidentally also all-time post #250! That's some pretty exciting stuff!  Who would have known that in just a few years I would have made so many new recipes (and honestly, what I post isn't even all of it!).  You all inspire me to do what I do!

Now back to this recipe.  My husband absolutely LOVES truffles.  At Valentine's Day one year I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles and our friend Jackie made Oreo Truffles.  He pretty much inhaled them both and we were baffled at how few truffles were leftover at the end of the night.  Anytime I make a dessert he practically begs me to make the cookie dough truffles so I thought I'd throw a truffle recipe into the baking mix.  Chris wasn't so keen on the idea of having fruit instead of chocolate in the mix but he went along with it anyway.

Scott was a little sad when he found out the oreos were going to be pulverized to be used in the recipe but once they were put together he changed his tune, too.  These were a hit with both of our guys!  They're very sweet and the small size makes them deadly because you feel justified in eating several at a time.  Not surprisingly Chris guarded his allotted truffles once we got home.  Sharing was not an option but that's okay because I happily ate the other treats that Emily and I produced.

To sum things up, Emily and I made six recipes between the two of us:

• Apple Pie Cookies
• Apple Cider Beignets with Butter-Rum Caramel Sauce
• Apple Cider Butter
• Shrimp with Green Apple Chipotle Salsa
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Apple Cinnamon Truffles

If you liked these posts, leave a comment to let us know because Emily and I (and/or any of my Dinner Club friends) would LOVE to do another marathon cooking/baking session sometime.  Any theme ideas or recipes that you have to share would be lovely!  If you want to be a taste-tester for one of our sessions, we might be able to arrange that, too ;).

Apple Cinnamon Truffles

Photo Credit: My wonderfully talented friend, Emily

Ingredients

• 1 package Golden Oreos
• 6 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup Apple Pie Filling, pureed
• 1 tsp Ginger, divided
• 2 packages White Chocolate Baking Bars
• 2 tsp Cinnamon 
• Crushed Pecans, for garnish

Directions

1. Add the Oreos to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) and mix together with the pumpkin (or pureed apple pie filling), cream cheese and 1/2 tsp. ginger. Once combined, use a cookie scoop to form into small balls and place on a plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. 
2. Cover a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until fully melted. Stir in the cinnamon and remaining 1/2 tsp. ginger. 
3. Remove the balls from the fridge and dip into the chocolate, making sure they are coated evenly. Place on the wax paper and repeat until all balls are covered in chocolate. Sprinkle pecans on top and refrigerate until hardened.

Source: The Jey of Cooking as slightly adapted from Cooking with Christen

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Holy mother of butter!  I urge you to try to ignore the fact that there are not one, not two, but THREE sticks of butter in this recipe because once you do, you can fully enjoy the ecstasy of this rich dessert.  As I mentioned yesterday, this is a Paula Deen recipe so to contain lots of butter is a pre-requisite.  Oh and don't worry, Paula threw in three APPLES to offset all that butter :P.

I picked this as an option because I wanted something caramel.  Apples are caramel just go together and this recipe is no different.  The flavor was much like the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie but way less time intensive in the event presentation is not so important.  With its classic, rich flavors, it's no wonder that Emily voted this her favorite recipe of the bunch.  But, Emily being Emily and not able to practice self control gave THE ENTIRE PAN to me and my husband to take home.  Thank a lot Em.  Way to make Chris and me fat ;).

Tomorrow I'm wrapping up the Apple Extravaganza posts.  I'm saving the boys' favorite recipe for last.  Hint: They're bite sized which makes them extra deadly!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Photo Credit: My beautiful friend Emily

Ingredients

For the Bars

•  2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

For the Streusel Topping

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caramel topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. To make the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except the caramel.
3. To make the bars: In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust. 
5. In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping. 

Source: Originally from Paula Deen as seen on Delicious Meliscious

Shrimp with Green Apple Chipotle Salsa

All of the recipes that Emily and I made during our apple extravaganza were sweet with the exception of this one.  I have had this particular recipe bookmarked in my Google Reader forever and had suggested this as a savory option for our collection.  To be honest, I'd take savory over sweet any day, anyway!  When it came time to pick the final recipes I actually didn't end up picking this one but it was Emily's husband Scott that chose it to be made.  Yep, we gave the boys a say.  They were going to be eating everything, after all, so it only seemed fair.

I really liked the bold slightly spicy flavor of the shrimp in this recipe and overall it was quite a delicious dish.  It certainly gave our sweet tastebuds a break.  What we all agreed was disappointing was the fact that the apple was completely overwhelmed by the red onion and cilantro.  It really isn't all that surprising given how strong those particular flavors are and if it weren't for the whole "apple" theme it wouldn't matter at all.  Eh...who am I kidding...to me, it still didn't matter at all.  I happily gobbled up this savory treat and was so glad that Scott added it back into the mix :).

Only two more recipes left to share!  Tomorrow I'll be sharing Emily's favorite recipe from the batch.  Hint: It's a Paula Deen so get ready to get your butter on.

Shrimp with Green Apple Chipotle Salsa

Photo Credit: My friend Emily

Ingredients

For the salsa

• 1/2 c. diced Granny Smith apple
• 1/4 c. diced red onion
• 1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chile powder
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
• salt and black pepper, to taste 

For the shrimp

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. light brown sugar

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients for salsa in a medium bowl and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
2. To cook the shrimp, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Meanwhile, combine shrimp and all spices in a large bowl.  Toss to coat.  Place shrimp in the saute pan and cook one to two minutes per side, depending on size of shrimp.
3. Serve shrimp over a bed of salsa. Serves four.

Source: Scoot Uehlein, Canyon Ranch Cooks as adapted by and seen on Apple a Day

Apple Cider Butter

So continues apple extravaganza week here at Christine's Kitchen Chronicles.  This particular recipe was considered a "bonus".  Emily had the bright idea to make something that we could enjoy later once everything else was long gone into our bellies.  I didn't even know we were making apple butter until I showed up at her house and saw a bunch of canning supplies out on her kitchen table.  What a pleasant surprise :).

Since we haven't opened these precious jars yet I can't speak to the taste but the smell while it was cooking?  Wow.  Delicious.  Just like apple cider!  Honestly, I've never tried apple butter before and am curious as to why it's called "butter".  Also, I need inspiration!  What's your favorite way to enjoy apple butter?

Coming up tomorrow, something savory to mix things up a bit!  And remember, if the anticipation of waiting to see what might show up is killing you, you can always become a fan of my facebook page for sneak peeks of posts!

Apple Cider Butter

Yields: 4 pints

Photo Credit: My friend Emily

Ingredients

• 10 cups peeled, chopped, cored Granny Smith (or other tart) apples
• 6 cups apple cider
• 4 cups sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1.5 teaspoons allspice
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1.5 teaspoons nutmeg

Directions

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids per manufacture directions.
2. In a stainless steel saucepan, combine apple pieces and cider. Cook until apples are tender – about 20 minutes.  Puree apples using an immersion blender or transfer cooked apples into a blender.  Put the pureed mixture back into the pan and add your sugar and spices. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until thick.
3. Pour into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rim, center lid on jar, and add screw band to fingertip tight.
4. Process in a canner bath for 20 minutes at sea level, more depending on altitude or larger size of jar. Remove canner lid and let jars rest for 5 minutes before removing from the water. Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them.
5. Cool jars overnight. Once the jars have cooled, ensure they are sealed. Press down gently in the center of the lid. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. Put the jar in the refrigerator and enjoy it for the next 3 – 4 weeks. If the lid remains taut, you've got a good seal.

Source: Canning with Kids

Apple Cider Beignets with Butter-Rum Caramel Sauce

I can't believe it's already been over a week since Emily and I had our apple baking extravaganza.  As promised, I'll be continuing to share the recipes EVERY DAY this week.  That's two bonus posts for the week...not to mention more of Emily's drool worthy pictures.  You should be excited!

It has always been an inside joke...and probably desire...of the folks in my Dinner Club to do a fried theme.  So, Emily and I figured we should bust out her Fry Daddy and make sure we had a fried recipe in our repertoire to make in their honor.  Since we tagged teamed the recipe list and I was *still* working on those oh-so-time-consuming Apple Pie Cookies, this recipe was all Emily.

On the outside, these look like simple donuts but on the inside, there's actually an entire apple slice to offset the unhealthiness ;).  This recipe also uses sparkling apple cider instead of sugar to give them just a touch of sweetness.  Personally, I was craving more sweetness so I'd either dust it with more powdered sugar, douse it in more of that yummy butter-rum caramel sauce, or go ahead and add some regular sugar to the batter...or maybe all of the above.  Haha!

Next up tomorrow?  Something that will keep long after everything else was gobbled up.  Any guesses?  

Apple Cider Beignets with Butter-Rum Caramel Sauce

Photo Credit: My friend Emily

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cups water
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

For the Beignets

• About 8 cups vegetable oil, divided
• 2 Golden Delicious apples
• 1 3/4 cups self-rising cake flour*, divided
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup sparkling apple cider
• Confectioner's sugar for dusting

*If you can’t find self-rising cake flour, you can substitute self-rising all-purpose. Use 1 cup in the batter and 1/2 cup for dredging. Increase cider to 1 cup and follow recipe as directed.

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Directions

1. Make the Sauce: Heat sugar in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. Stir in butter, water, rum, vinegar, and a pinch of salt (caramel will harden and steam vigorously) and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel has dissolved. Add cream and bring to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat. Cool to warm. 
2. Make the Beignets: If you have a deep-fryer, use that and heat the oil to 375F.  Otherwise, preheat oven to 250°F with rack in middle. Set a cooling rack in a large shallow baking pan. Heat 2 inches oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat to 375°F.
3. Meanwhile, peel apples and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut out core with cutter, then pat apple rings dry. 
4. Put 1 1/4 cups flour in a large shallow bowl and make a well in center. Beat egg in a small bowl with a fork, then stir in cider and 1 tablespoon oil and pour into well. Stir with fork until a lumpy batter forms.
5. Working in batches of 3 or 4, dredge apple rings in remaining 1/2 cup flour, shaking off excess, then dip in batter to coat, letting excess drip off, and fry, gently turning over once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes total per batch. Transfer to rack and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 375°F between batches.  
6. Just before serving, dust warm beignets with confectioners sugar. Stir sauce, then serve on the side.

Make-ahead Notes: 

• Sauce can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Warm before serving.
• Beignets are best freshly made but can be fried 2 hours ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature. Reheat beignets (they should not touch) on a rack set in a large shallow baking pan, uncovered, in a 325°F oven until hot, 15 to 20 minutes.

Source: Gourmet

Apple Pie Cookies

My friend Emily and I love to cook and bake.  Emily, in particular, almost always makes sure to snag the dessert category for our Dinner Club.  She's also our resident photographer with her fancy d-SLR camera and eye for composition.  I'm always so envious of her pictures!

When she had the idea to do a marathon baking session we were both giddy with excitement.  We decided it would be fun to go to an apple orchard and pick apples then make tons of recipes with them that same day.  Unfortunately for us the apple crop in our area was damaged from bad weather earlier in the year and the one orchard that did have u-pick apples was about 45 minutes away and pretty picked over by the time we were ready to get together this past weekend.  So, the apples came from our local grocer but that didn't stop us from baking up a storm.

We donned our cute aprons (which Emily specially bought an apple print one for the occasion!) and went to work while our husbands plopped down on the couch and watched massive amounts of TV.  The only time they paused was when a new dish was ready for them to try.  So, with the recipe list was set, the ingredients purchased, and taste-testers lined up, we were ready to go!

To kick us off, Emily pre-made the crust for this recipe the evening before our event.  She also helped prep my apples and spice mixture and then off I went to roll, cut, and assemble these gorgeous cookies.  Somehow as time went on my cookies got fatter...I guess because I didn't have the best gauge of how much filling to put in.  Honestly, they were a royal pain in the butt to assemble but the end result was a cookie sized apple pie...essentially a small apple pie or hand pie :).  As our friend Jackie pointed out, these were certainly the cutest of all the treats that were created that day.  They were fantastic when warm out of the oven or re-heated in the toaster oven.  In fact, it made a perfectly good breakfast this morning when I realized my husband had used all of the milk ;).

Don't forget to come back next week when I'll post a recipe EVERY (WEEK) DAY!  If you're a fan on facebook, I'll even give you a sneak peek photo for the next post ;).

Apple Pie Cookies

Photo Credit: My friend and baking partner in crime, Emily

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surfaces, dipping fork
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (doubled from my standard pie dough to make this more cookie-like)
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 sticks (8 ounces, 16 tablespoons or 1 cup) unsalted butter, very cold
• 1/2 cup water, very cold (I pour 1 cup and add ice while I work, then measure 1/2 cup from it when I need it)

For the Filling

• 3 medium baking apples (such as granny smith, gala, or golden delicious)
• Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Few gratings fresh nutmeg
• A pinch of any other spices you like in your apple pie

For Finishing

• 1 large egg
• Coarse or granulated sugar for garnish

Directions

1. Make your pie dough: Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large, wide-ish bowl. Using a pastry blender, two forks or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of small peas. Gently stir in the ice water with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a craggy mass forms. Get your hands in the bowl and knead it just two or three times to form a ball. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten a bit, like a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days. 
2.  Meanwhile, get everything else together: Line up six small dishes. In the first one, pour some water. Leave the second one empty; you’ll use it for your apples in a bit. In the third one, mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and any other spices you like in your pie, such as a pinch of cloves. In the fourth one, place a little bit of flour to dust your surface and dip your fork for crimping. In the fifth one, whisk an egg with one teaspoon of water until smooth. In the last one, or in whatever container you keep it in, add some coarse or regular sugar for decorating the tops of the pies. 
3. On a well-floured counter, roll out your pie dough a little shy of 1/8-inch thick. Lift and rotate your dough as you roll it, to ensure that it rolls out evenly and so you can be sure it’s not sticking in any place. Use a round cookie cutter (I used 2 1/2") to cut as many rounds as you can from the dough. Transfer them to parchment- or silcone mat lined baking sheets and keep them in the fridge until you need them. Once you’ve finished the first packet, repeat the process with the second packet of dough
4. Prepare your apples: Peel your apples. Cut into thin (1/8-inch thick) slices. Place them in your second bowl, covering them with a few drops of lemon juice if you find that they’re browning quickly.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
6. Assemble your cookies: Grab your first disc of chilled dough and lightly dampen it on one side with the water to help it seal. Add some apple slices to the center of the disk, leaving about 1/2" to 3/4" around the edges. Place a second disc of dough on top and press the tops and bottoms around the apple with your fingers. Cut decorative slits in your “pies”. Dip your fork in the flour and use it to create a decorative crimp on the sealed edges. Brush your cookie with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Replace on baking sheet and chill while you prepare the others. 
7. Bake your apple pie cookies for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and bronzed and very pie-like. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool before eating.  

Do ahead: These will keep for a few days at room temperature. You could also make a larger batch of these, doing everything but brushing them with egg and sprinkling them with sugar, and keep them frozen until needed. Bake them directly from the freezer, just adding a couple minutes to the baking time.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Asian Lettuce Wraps

There are some people that L.O.V.E. the restaurant P. F. Changs.  I, however, am not one of those people.  Personally I find the restaurant to be an overpriced version of any run-of-the-mill Americanized Chinese food and usually, it's way too salty.  But, I do love Asian lettuce wraps...and that's something they serve that's a bit more authentic.  People go gaga over these wraps there...and for good reason!

There's something about the contrasting flavors and textures of this meal: crisp, cool lettuce versus the hot (and if desired, spicy) meat filling.  Essentially, it's Asia's version of the taco.  It's also great for low-carb dieters because there's no tortilla, just a lettuce cup holding all the meaty goodness inside.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 1½ tsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• ½ tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

For the filling:

• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
• 2 cups mixed vegetables 
• ½ green apple, finely chopped

To assemble:

• Butter lettuce leaves, washed and separated
• Shredded carrots for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and mix to blend.
2. To make the filling, heat a skillet on high heat with cooking oil.  Once the pan is hot, add the garlic, ginger and green onions to the pan, and stir fry for a few seconds, just until fragrant.  Add the ground turkey or chicken, breaking into small pieces, and cook until almost cooked through.  Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the sauce and cook for about 1 minute until thickened slightly.  Add the apples to the pan and toss to coat.  Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
3. Serve the filling in lettuce “cups” and top with shredded carrots, if desired.

Source: Originally from Steamy Kitchen as adapted by and seen on Annie's Eats

Handheld Breakfast Two Ways

And the award for Worst Blogger Award goes to...me.

Has it really been a month since I updated?  Shoot.  There goes my New Year's Resolution to try to update more frequently.  Somehow anytime I get a break in life (in this case going to New York City for a week long business trip) and/or begin intensely planning a vacation (c'mon, I'm going to Europe next month...don't tell me blogging would be at the top of your mind!) my blogging just goes by the wayside.  Don't get me wrong, I've still been cooking when I'm around...just not sharing the results with the world.  I've noticed that my web traffic and viewership have suffered as a result.  Drat!  How do the hard core bloggers do this so consistently?  Please share your tips!

So, as an apology, I am giving you a recipe two-for-one!  Honestly, it kind of works out in my favor because these two recipes were photographed together :D.  Remember that Quiche Lorraine that I made as part of my 23 Things in 2011 List?  These little handheld treats were also part of that same New Years Family Brunch.

The French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples was definitely generally preferred over the Savory Muffins.  I mean what's not to love about sweet and salty combined into a single hand-held treat?  And for the cook, it's easy to increase the number of servings because the incremental work is minimal.  If I were to make that one again, though, I think I'd reduce the amount of butter in the apple and sausage mixture.  And, I found it made wayyyy more filling than was needed to fill my French toast cups so maybe reduce that by about half.  These changes are reflected below by simply doubling the french toast amounts and keeping the filling the same.  I also envision this as being a great concept for French Toast stuffed with more traditional cream cheese and fruit filling.  Yummo!

Our beagle Toby I think preferred the Muffins, though.  Of course, he kind of didn't have a choice.  One just kind of fell off of the cupcake tree (look, another purpose for those things!  Oh and thanks Mandy for buying this from my Secret Santa list!) when Mom was getting her serving.  Toby grabbed it in his mouth as soon as it hit the floor.  Thankfully he's good about giving up food when I tell him to so no damage done.

Do you like handheld breakfast treats?  These Bacon Egg and Toast Cups are sure to rock your world!

One Year Ago: Grasshopper Cookie Bars (perfectly green for St. Patty's Day!) and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (a trifecta of cookie classic goodness!)

French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples
Yields: 12 Servings


Ingredients
For the French Toast Cups:

• 12 slices of whole wheat bread
• 6 eggs
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg

For the Apple and Sausage Filling:

• 1 cup diced apples
• 1 cup (8 oz) breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a muffin pan. 
2. Using a cookie cutter or wide rimmed glass, cut circles out of bread slices about 3 inches in diameter.  Whisk eggs and spices together.  Dredge bread circles in egg mixture and remove any excess egg
3. Press bread circles into the muffin pan, bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until brown
4. While bread is in the oven prepare breakfast sausage.  In another hot skillet melt butter, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  Add apples to brown sugar mixture and cook until apples begin to soften and sugar mixture caramelizes.   Combine sausage and dripping with apples, stir.
5. When french toast cups are done, allow to cool for a few mintues, remove from pan using a knife to separate from the pan.  Fill french toast cups with apple and sausage mixture, drizzle with maple syrup and serve.

Source: The Noshery 

Savory Breakfast Muffins
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Yields: 12 Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions, (about 1 bunch)
• 3/4 cup diced Canadian bacon, (3 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil and butter in a medium bowl. Fold in scallions, bacon, cheese and bell pepper. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just moistened. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan (the cups will be very full).
4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Make Ahead Tip:  Individually wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

Nutritional Information: (per muffin) 217 calories; 9 g fat ( 3 g sat , 4 g mono ); 50 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 3 g fiber; 339 mg sodium; 113 mg potassium; Vitamin C (25% daily value), Fiber (13% dv).
  
Source: Eating Well, April/May 2005

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

Yes, it's as delicious as the title makes it sound...it is an apple pie, it is cheesecake, it is awesome!

Be sure to put aside a good chunk of time to make this. Quite possibly the most complex dessert I've ever made as every component was made from scratch.  Sure, you can use store bought crust, store bought apple pie filling, store bought cheesecake mix, store bought whipped cream, and store bought caramel...but that defeats the purpose!  It was oh so worth the effort and the calories!!!  And I can't believe how pretty it ended up looking (yup, that's my actual pie in that pic down there) :).

This was complimented deliciously at dinner club with Emily's homemade Caramel Apple Ice Cream (which, the pairing was not at all coordinated...great minds just think alike!).

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
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Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (About 21 graham crackers, crushed)
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• ½-¾ cup caramel (store bought or recipe below)
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For the caramel:

• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

For the apple filling:

• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

For the cheesecake:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping:

• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 3-4 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
• ¼-½ cup caramel (store bought or recipe below)
• Chopped pecans

Directions:

1. To make the caramel sauce, combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium and continue to boil until the mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
3. To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.
4. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F. To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
5. To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.) Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.

Source: Annie's Eats