Double Apple Pie With Cornmeal Crust

Double Apple Pie With Cornmeal CrustPhoto: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 1/4 pounds Braeburn apples
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons apple jelly
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup sugar
Cornmeal Crust Dough
Wax paper
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
Brandy-Caramel Sauce

Apple Squares

Apples, nuts, and cinnamon make these bars a delicious dessert or treat.


Ingredients:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the apples and walnuts. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over the top of the bars.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven; finished bars should spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan, and cut into squares.

Apple Tarts with Vanilla Ice Cream

Easily made with puff pastry, these light, thin apple tarts provide just the right amount of dessert. The skins get added to the syrupy glaze, enhancing the tarts with a bit of sweetness and the faintest blush of pink.


Ingredients:

6 Gala apples (preferably red; 2 3/4 pounds)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 (17 1/4-oz) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Special equipment: parchment paper
Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream


Directions:

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Peel apples, reserving skins. Stir together water and 6 tablespoons sugar in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add pod. Add reserved apple skins and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Pour through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids.

Roll out 1 pastry sheet into a 10-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then cut in half and transfer to 1 of baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, transferring to second baking sheet.

Halve apples lengthwise, then core with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon and cut crosswise into very thin slices (1/8 inch thick or less), keeping apple halves intact. Fan apple slices slightly, keeping apple shape, then arrange 3 halves in a row on each piece of pastry, leaving a 2/3-inch border on all sides.

Brush border lightly with syrup and fold over about 1/3 inch to touch edges of apples. Crimp edges with a fork, then brush apples and edges of pastry with syrup (reserve remaining syrup). Brush apples completely with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake tarts in upper and lower thirds of oven 20 minutes, then switch position of sheets and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake tarts until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. (If pastry edges aren't browning evenly, rotate tarts 180 degrees on sheets halfway through baking.)

While tarts bake, boil remaining syrup over moderate heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Let tarts stand 5 minutes, then brush warm apples with remaining syrup.

Cooks' Notes:

•Tarts can be assembled (but not sprinkled with sugar or baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Sprinkle apples with sugar just before baking.

•Tarts can be baked 4 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.

Apple Gingerbread Cake

Delicious and easy. Add apples and a crumb topping to a packaged gingerbread cake mix for a speedy treat.


Ingredients:

1 (14.5 ounce) package gingerbread cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 egg
1 cup chopped, peeled apple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar


Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, water and egg until combined. Add apple; stir to combine. Pour into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Combine the pecans and brown sugar; sprinkle over the top.

2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Apple Spice Snack Cake

Simple, moist, and delicious.


Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil


Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 13-in.x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Apple Turnovers

Delicious, yet so easy to make. Anyone can do these classic apple turnovers!


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups water
4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

1. Combine the lemon and 4 cups water in a large bowl. Place the sliced apples in the water to keep them from browning.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain water from apples, and place them into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4. Unfold puff pastry sheets, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Trim each sheet into a square. Then cut each larger square into 4 smaller squares. Spoon apples onto the center of each squares. Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.

5. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned. Cool completely before glazing.

6. To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or milk if necessary. Drizzle glaze over the cooled turnovers.


Note:

If you do not wish to make the glaze, you can brush beaten egg over the top of each turnover, and sprinkle with white sugar before baking.

Apple Strudel Muffins

These muffins are moist and simple to make and enjoy. With a delicious cinnamon crumb topping, they'll be devoured by friends and family.


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped apples

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.

5. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Apple and Pear Crisp

Ina Garten's recipe for Apple and Pear crisp is easy to make and the orange and lemon zest add great flavor to this traditional dessert.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

For the topping:

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.