Easier Apple Strudel

Strudel, in German means, "whirlpool or eddy" and it has long since, in the world of pastries seem unassuming.  Pretty much you take a piece of dough, the size of a brick, and stretch it until it measures 4-feet long x 4-feet wide.  It's said, "you should be able to read a newspaper through it."

Well, the dough is such an ordeal, few homemakers attempt it because it requires so much counter space and we end up buying it in a bakery.  However, I came across a recipe in Cook's magazine that used phyllo sheets and I was able to accomplish the most delicious strudel I've ever had.

With Fall upon us and wonderful apple varieties, I made strudel.  The recipe called for Golden Delicious, but I found a new variety called "Ginger Gold" and decided to try it.  Not only was the substitution of the phyllo making this an easy dessert, but a few other tricks I learned to prevent a gummy filling and avoid gaps.  The crust remained flakey and the apple filling stayed put!

Easier Apple Strudel

1 3/4 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 T granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. salt
3 T golden raisins (for my friend who hates raisins, you can use dried cranberries!)
1 1/2 T panko bread crumbs
7 T unsalted butter, melted
14 (14 by 9-inch) phyllo sheets, thawed
1 T confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting the strudel after it's baked

Toss the apples with the sugar, lemon zest & juice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until apples are warm to touch, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving.  Let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer apple mixture to a colander set over a bowl and let drain, reserving liquid.  Return apples to the bowl and stir in raisins and panko bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet with a vegetable oil spray.  Stir in 1/8tsp of salt into the melted butter.

Place one sheet of parchment paper, 16 1/2-inch x 12-inch on the counter (or use a bread board).  Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the parchment and lightly brush with melted butter, then lightly dust with confectioners' sugar from a fine mesh strainer.

Repeat with 6 more layers of phyllo dough, dusting with the confectioners' sugar between each one.
(Seven sheets used--this recipe makes two strudels.)

Arrange half of the apple mixture on the phyllo sheets; You should have the mixture 2-inches from the bottom and both sides.

Fold the sides in first, then, using the parchment to assist, fold bottom edge of the phyllo over the filling.  Continue to roll strudel, using the parchment paper.  Brush folded sides with a little of the reserved liquid.  Use a thin metal spatula to transfer strudel to one side of the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat the process for the second strudel.  Lightly brush the top and sides of the strudel with some of the remaining apple liquid.  Bake strudels until golden brown, about 27 to 35 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through for even browning.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes.
Sprinkle tops with additional confectioners' sugar.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Apple Butter Bars & September's Give-Away Apron

Fall is definitely around the corner and that makes me think Apples!  Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for 12 years, apples were a big export and abundant.  It was the first time I tasted a Honey Crisp variety and have been in love with that one ever since.

Of course, living in Connecticut (yes, I've lived in a number of states!!), Washington, Connecticut was where I would go to pick apples with a friend, then come home to make applesauce, apple butter, and pies. Great memories.

These bars appealed to my taste buds and I did make the applesauce from scratch, which I will give you the recipe, but certainly "store-bought" would work as well.

Apple Butter Bars
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour, toasted
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, toasted
6 T unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 cup Granny Smith Applesauce (recipe follows) or Store-bought Apple Butter

Apple Crumble Topping:
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour, toasted
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, toasted
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt

Make the Apple Crumble Topping so it can refrigerate for 30 minutes while you're mixing up the base.  In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat on the ingredients at a medium speed, just until combined, 3 to 4 minutes.

Granny Smith Applesauce:
2 lbs. (about 5 large) Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped
1 cup apple brandy
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T liquid fruit Pectin
1 tsp. vanilla paste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
6 to 7 cinnamon sticks

For the applesauce: In a large stockpot, bring all the ingredients to a simmer over medium low heat.  Simmer until the apples are tender, 20-30 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature.

Removed the cinnamon sticks and used a handheld blender to blend until smooth.  Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the apple skin.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.  Can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Preheat the oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with baking spray w/flour, line pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, oats, melted butter, sugars, salt and allspice until crumbly.

Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Spread with the Granny Smith Applesauce or Apple Butter.  Sprinkle with Almond Crumble Topping.

Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Now, believe it or not, I actually had September's apron done in August, but I've waited to post it wanted to make sure August's winner saw the previous post.  I've not heard from Shari, so Mary's name as been drawn and I hope to hear from her.

September is back to school for a lot of kids; my granddaughters just started back this week.  These fabrics grabbed my interest, not only in color, but in design.  If you would like to have this apron, simple comment on a post this month to be eligible.  Good luck!

Autumn Apple~Currant Pie

Autumn is literally around the corner--Thursday, September 22nd, and I couldn't help but think about autumn in the Pacific Northwest where we lived for 12 years.  Apples were so abundant and there were so many new varieties than what I was used to in the East.  Apple Pie was always on the menu for this season, along with Pumpkin, Apple Cranberry,  and Pear; why not start the season off.

Apples are not indigenous to North America, but rather were brought to our country by colonists (aren't we happy for immigrants!). Originally they were cultivated in central Asia and brought to Europe by explorers.  Of course, as children we all heard the story of Johnny Appleseed (aka John Chapman) who introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana from September 26, 1774 to March 18, 1845.  There are more than 7,500 cultivars of apples, but today, Granny Smith was my choice.

Autumn Apple~Currant Pie
1 cup currants (or raisins)
1/4 cup bourbon, whiskey, or apple cider

Slightly warm the "booze" or apple cider in the microwave and pour over the dried fruit in a small bowl.  Cover and let stand 30 minutes or even overnight.

Prepare your favorite 10-inch pie crust, or a 9-inch deep dish crust.  I did the deep dish. Place in the refrigerator while you peel the apples.

6-7 Granny Smith apples (depending on how small/large they are), peeled, cored, and sliced

In a large bowl, mix:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees. Add the apples to this mixture, then using a slotted spoon, add the currants.  Mix well and spoon filling into the unbaked pie pastry.  Drizzle evenly with reserved Whiskey/Bourbon/or Cider.

Streusel Topping:

1 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Mix the flour and brown sugar together in a medium bowl, then use a pastry blender to cut in the butter.  You can also rub with your fingers until small lumps develop.

Sprinkle topping over filling.

Very Important--set pie on a baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil if the pie crust browns too quickly.  Pie is done when apples are tender and juices bubble on top.

When I bake pies, I use this ingenious pie baking round that I purchased at Sur La Table, but you can also find it at Williams~Sonoma.  As you can see, the juices bubble over and it's much easier to clean up a baking sheet rather than your oven! I love that the bottom of your pie plate still gets the direct heat it needs to brown your crust.

 Harvest time has begun and I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of apples at the farm stands and grocery stores.  My mother always said, "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away."  I don't know about that, but I do know this is one great pie! Enjoy!

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Bread pudding was something my mother made quite often.  It was her way of using up stale bread, especially homemade bread with no preservatives.  I saw this recipe on FB and it intrigued me, but of course, I did change it up a bit to make it.  I think my Mother would call this dessert "Poor Man's Apple Pie!"

Bread pudding is popular in many countries; in the Philippines it's made with bananas and in Mexico, it is served at Lent and called Capirotada.  Mostly it is a dessert, but I have been known to make a savory one as well.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

6 slices of white bread, cut in cubes
3 large eggs
1/2 cup Half & Half
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 tsp. Apple Pie Spices (or you can use 1 T ground cinnamon)

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, half & half, vanilla and spices together.  Add the bread cubes and use a rubber spatula to make sure they are completely coated.

All the bread to sit while you fix the apple filling, soaking up all the liquid.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F-degrees (175c).  I used a 10-inch iron skillet to bake mine pudding in, but you can use a round baking pan as well.  Place 4T of unsalted butter in the skillet and place it in the oven to melt. Remove from oven and spoon the bread into the pan, pressing down slightly.

Apple Filling:

3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 T cornstarch

In the same bowl, place chopped apples, brown sugar and cornstarch in it.  Stir until the apples start to release their juices and the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Spoon on top of the bread cubes and pressing down lightly.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the apples are soft and golden brown.

To serve, slice in wedges.  You can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream (I didn't have any) and drizzle with caramel sauce, which is what I did.  It was wonderful and brought back memories of my mom's bread puddings. Enjoy!

Apple Snickerdoodles...now, it's Home & July's Give-Away Apron Winner...finally!

I've been so discombobulated these last few weeks with packing, traveling across country, and now unpacking to even think about doing anything like blogging, but receiving my copy of The Baking Sheet from King Arthur Flour and seeing a recipe for Apple Snickerdoodles made me smile.  Snickerdoodles are probably my favorite cookie from childhood; looking forward to my mother baking a batch when I got home from school is a fond memory.  These have a definite twist with apple, but the aroma coming from my kitchen made me feel like home again.

The difference in taste is the addition of Boiled Cider and Apple Pie Spice, but the cinnamon-sugared, crunchy cookie tells you it's a Snickerdoodle.

Apple Snickerdoodles
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup (4 T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup Boil Cider
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice*
1 large egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 3/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice*
2 tsp. Cinnamon

*The original recipe calls for 2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice with the sugar to roll the cookies in before baking.  I used 1 tsp. in the dough and 1 tsp. in the sugar mixture, plus I added 2 tsp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees (I bake using the Convection setting and lowered the temperature to 380F-degrees)  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the shortening, butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the egg, boiled cider, and apple pie spice and mix on medium to incorporate.  Scrape the sides of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined--don't over mix.  I actually used the rubber spatula to stir in the dry ingredients.  Prepare the sugar/spice mixture and scoop up some dough, roll into a ball, then, roll in this mixture.

Place balls onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or as I used, my "meat tenderizer."

Bake 9 to 11 minutes--with convection, it took exactly 9 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring the cookies to a rack to cool completely.  

The crispness is delightful and the slight tartness of the apple is a nice touch, especially with Fall around the corner.  I'm missing Washington a little, but the more exploring we do, the more I'm liking beginning a new chapter in my life.  I promise photos of these beautiful area soon. Enjoy!

Now, the important thing...the Winner of July's apron is Happy Cottage Quilter.  Please email me your mailing information and the apron will be winging it's way to you, XOXO

I'd like to promise that there will be an apron up in the next few days for August, but with just a week left in this month, I'm shooting for September!


 

Morning Muffins

A muffin for breakfast or an afternoon treat with a cup of tea is always a welcome site and these have a healthy dose of a grated apple, dates, and fresh orange juice to keep the flu bugs away.  This moist, tender-crumb muffin is easy to "throw" together and gives a busy family something warm from the oven before they have to go out into the cold.

Muffins are one of those quick breads that you have to be careful not to over beat.  This was a lesson I was taught by my mother and later when I was at the CIA, the Chef made a point to show what happens when you do over mix and the strands of protein in the flour break down--you pretty much get soup!  I find if I beat the wet ingredients, then remove the bowl from the mixer's stand and stir in the dry ingredients, I can't go wrong.

Recipes for muffins showed up as early as the 19th century here in America.  It's definitely a popular treat for the morning with Blueberry, Banana, and Pumpkin topping the charts at most bakeries.  I know when I'm busy, a muffin is a quick way to get a start to my day.

Morning Muffins
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 up vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 T honey
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled and grated (you should have about 1 cup grated apple)
1 cup chopped dried dates
3/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 Cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with papers or spray with a non-stick baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment.  Cream the butter, oil, sugar and honey together until light.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and mix once more.  Remove bowl from the stand--the mixture should be light and fluffy.

 Add the dry ingredients, grated apple, dates and orange juice and fold in, using a spatula.

Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan, if desired, add a dehydrated apple slice to the top of the muffin.

 
 Bake for 5 minutes in the 400-degree oven, then lower the heat to 350F-degrees and bake an additional 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and a skewer in the center comes out cleanly.

Peel back the paper and enjoy a luscious muffin with your favorite morning beverage.

Moist and flavorful--these muffins were a hit this morning. Enjoy!
 

Cranberry~Cardamon Crumb Cake with Apple Rosettes

Oh Fall!  It's finally arriving this weekend, along with the rain and the fresh cranberries were in the store--not the ones from the Pacific Northwest, but nonetheless, fresh!

 I was inspired by an email from a dear friend who sent me a link to a photo of apple roses on top of a cake.  Her message to me was, "I thought of you and your passions--baking and flowers."  Since I love the combination of apple and cranberry...why not:-D

Ari, barely over 2 years old and making his first apple pie from a day in the orchard

My grandson and his Dad were going apple picking today; a memory I have shared with them of Kelly's love this time of year.  Ari told me he remembered picking pears when I went with them in Kentucky and he fell back on his butt.  That brought out a good laugh from both of us--I love to hear his giggle.

I will say, when you scroll through the photos, you'll notice how beautiful the fresh apple roses looked on the unbaked batter.  However, when it came out of the oven, I immediately had to laugh and think, "damn, the frost got my roses!"  So, I dusted the top with confectioners' sugar and moved on to winter, LOL!

Cranberry~Cardamon Crumb Cake with Apple Rosettes
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cardamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 cups King Arthur Flour all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups fresh cranberries, cut in half

Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark or light firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1 3/4 cup unbleached King Arthur Cake Flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (I use my hands) then pour the melted butter over and use a fork to create the crumbs.

Apple Roses:
4 Granny Smith apples


Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan with melted butter.  I also used a 9" round of parchment to place on the bottom and buttered it too. (I wanted to be able to remove the cake to a serving platter and not have to leave it on the springform bottom.)

In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the cardamon and vanilla and mix again.

Mix the dry ingredients together and add them alternatively with the buttermilk.  Once they are all added, turn the mixer to medium and beat 1 minute more.
Stir in the cranberries and spoon into the prepared springform pan.

Add two-thirds of the crumb topping (if you're not doing the apple rosettes, use all of the crumbs)
I peeled the apples, then, using a vegetable peeler, I make long ribbons of apple and rolled them into roses.

I filled in around the roses with the remaining crumb topping and place the pan on my new pie shield pan to catch any drippings or butter oozing from the springform pan.
Total baking time will be about 90 minutes; after about 20 minutes, I place a loose sheet of aluminum foil over the top to prevent the apples from browning two much.

Poor roses got hit by Jack Frost!

 After removing it from the oven, I allowed it to cool (about 10 minutes) in the pan, then used a spatula to run around the edges to make sure nothing stuck before removing the sides of the pan.  
I used a wide spatula to life the cake (with the parchment under) to a serving dish.

Once cooled, I dusted the top with confectioners' sugar and sliced into it.  It smelled so good I couldn't wait for dinner tonight.

 Cranberries, cardamon and apples made a lovely combination and I didn't mind the rain at all...

...or the leaves falling all over the yard.

Enjoy!

The winner of the Hand-made soap and Vera Bradley Change Purse is--Deb.

Please email me with your mailing information so I can send this gift out to you.  I will be posting another Give-Away in a few days, XOXO