Tag Archives: apple

May 17, 2013 · 5:00 am

Sangria Cupcakes

Sangria Cupcakes | Pale Yellow

There is wine in the frosting.  Somehow, somewhere in my life I have reached the point where it is perfectly acceptable and seemingly normal for me to combine my two favorite things – wine and cupcakes – into one delicious dessert.  That’s what we have here, the possibility that I may have gone too far.

Sangria Cupcakes | Pale Yellow

No.  I’ve gone just far enough.  In my search for a sangria cupcake recipe I found nothing worth using.  It was time to start from scratch.  I knew I could use my favorite cupcake and frosting recipe as a base and adapt from there.  Substitute orange extra for vanilla, soak with sangria, add a little wine to the frosting, and garnish with some boozy fruit.  Done.

Sangria Cupcakes | Pale Yellow

I was surprised how well these turned out.  I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about putting wine in a cupcake, I just didn’t know if it would taste good.  Individually, a cold glass of sangria on a hot day is a delightful treat and a cupcake is lovely any day or night, but together, I was a skeptic.  The orange cake is wonderful.  Magic happens when you massage zest and sugar, everything is on the fast track to flavor town for sure!  Soaking the top with sangria adds flavor, moisture, and color; it tells you that this is a sangria cupcake.

Sangria Cupcakes | Pale Yellow

The light purple frosting has just a hint of wine flavor, it’s kind of addicting, I kept needing little “samples” to make sure it tasted alright.  The star of the show is the bejeweled, boozy fruit on top.  Boozy fruit was a college staple for my roommates and I, and it brings home the sangria flavor and concept.  Mixing your wine and dessert is a surprisingly fantastic idea, you should definitely try it out!  By the way, the leftover sangria is a delicious accompaniment!

Sangria Cupcakes | Pale Yellow

I made these cupcakes for Krystal in honor of her birthday because we enjoy sharing pitchers of sangria together in the summer.  Some of my best summer nights were with Krystal, sangria, and a fantastic outside drinking establishment.  What better way to celebrate her birthday than with sangria cupcakes!  Last year she received margarita whoopie pies,  I see the boozy theme here…

Sangria Cupcakes | Pale Yellow

One Year Ago – 50 Shades of Grey Cupcakes

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Sangria Cupcakes
Yield – 15 cupcakes

Sangria
juice of one orange (zest first and save for later)
1/4 cup triple sec
1 apple diced small
8 strawberries diced small
1/2 bottle red wine
1/2 orange cut into small slices

  1. Add all the ingredients to a jar with a lid.
  2. Refrigerate overnight.

Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
zest of one orange
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon orange extract
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup sangria from above recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F.
  2. Add the sugar and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Massage the sugar and zest together for about 30 seconds.
  3. Add the flour, powder, soda, and salt to the sugar, mix slowly with the paddle attachment.
  4. Add the butter and beat for several minutes until the mixture becomes nice and crumbly.
  5. While the mixer is mixing, whisk together the yogurt, oil, eggs, and extract.  Pour this in the mixer and combine.
  6. Slowly add the milk in and turn on high for a few seconds.
  7. Use a standard size ice cream scoop to portion the batter into lined cupcake pans.
  8. Bake 14 minutes until a toothpick in a center cupcake comes out clean.  Place on a cooling rack.
  9. Use a toothpick or skewer to poke holes in the top of each cupcake while still warm.  Use a pastry brush to apply sangria to each cupcake.  Repeat until all the sangria is used up.  Let cool completely.

Frosting
2/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup red wine
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Sangria fruit separated from the liquid and chopped in need be

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, wine, and flour.  Keep whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and thick resembling pancake batter.
  2. Remove from the heat, stir in the extract and allow to cool completely.
  3. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – beat for 8 minutes
  4. Add in the cooled flour/milk mixture and beat until the entire frosting is light and fluffy, about another 5-8 minutes.
  5. Use a piping bag with a plain tip to pipe a ring on the top of each cupcake.  Pipe less frosting on the inside so that you leave an indent in the center of the frosting.
  6. Pile about 1/2 tablespoon of the sangria fruit in the center.
  7. Garnish with a fresh orange slice.

Sangria Cupcakes | Pale Yellow

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May 9, 2013 · 5:00 am

Carrot Apple Beet Ginger Juice

carrot apple beet ginger juice // pale yellow

This is the drink I was most concerned about – I didn’t think I would be able to drink beet juice.  I had tried it in the VitaMix and I don’t know, it was just too grassy.  The pureed beet juice was too much to handle, but the juiced beet juice is delightful.

beet carrot ginger juice // pale yellow

Fresh ginger is key!  It provides fantastic, sharp flavor and really covers up the grassyness of the beet the juice.  I enjoyed the lack of acidity in this juice, and my stomach definitely appreciated the break.

carrot apple ginger beet juice // pale yellow

The best part of the beet juice is the color!  I wish Essie would make a nail polish called beet juice, I would wear it all the time.  You can see all the beet juice stains on the cutting board!  Again, this is a great make-ahead situation.  Peeling beets is messy and your hands will be all pink.  Bite the bullet and peel them all at once for the week.  While you have the peeler out, you might as well handle all the carrots.  Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later when you just grab a bag of prepared veggies out of the fridge and juice away in seconds!

carrot apple ginger beet juice // pale yellow

One Year Ago – Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate and Caramel

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Carrot Apple Beet Ginger Juice
Adapted from Juice 101Yield – 1 16-ounce serving

3-4 carrots, peeled
2 beets, peeled
4 stalks celery
1 red apple
1 inch piece of ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice

  1. Peel the beets and carrots and roughly chop the beets, carrots, celery, apple, and ginger.
  2. Place everything in the juice and juice.
  3. Add the lemon juice and stir.  Drink immediately or store in the fridge.

carrot apple ginger beet juice // pale yellow

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May 7, 2013 · 5:00 am

Pineapple Apple Mint Juice {Blue Print PAM}

pineapple apple mint juice // pale yellow

This was my favorite of the juices.  It is refreshing, light, and springy.  It was also the easiest to drink, probably because it was the most traditional in terms of fruit juice.

pineapple apple mint juice // pale yellow

My one complaint – some serious heart burn.  The acidity from the pineapple and lime juice really got to me and I needed a few Tums after drinking the juice.  Sipping water between sips of the juice helped to ease the acidity level in my stomach as well.

pineapple apple mint juice // pale yellow

Best of all, this juice kept really nicely in the fridge.  Since I had one pineapple, I cut up all of the produce and sectioned it out into gallon-size Ziploc bags.  That way when I was ready to juice I could just grab a baggie and throw everything in the juicer.  That step made clean up and prep so much easier from subsequent juice making!

pineapple apple mint juice // pale yellow

One Year Ago – Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes

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Pineapple Apple Mint Juice {Blue Print PAM}
Adapted from Juices 101
Yield – 1 16-ounce juice

1/3 pineapple
2 granny smith apples
1/2 handful mint
2 tablespoons lime juice

  1. Roughly chop the pineapple, apple, and mint and place in the juicer.  Juice.
  2. Mix in the lime juice.  Enjoy!

pineapple apple mint juice // pale yellow

 

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May 6, 2013 · 5:00 am

Green Apple Juice {Blue Print Green}

green apple juice // pale yellow

A couple of weeks ago I did a 3-day juice cleanse.  There are kits you can purchase that deliver all the juice to your house and you can just grab and drink.  That’s probably an easier way to do a juice cleanse, but I’ve never done anything the easy way.

green apple juice // pale yellow

Of course I wanted to make it all myself.  I’m going to post each day this week and walk you through a homemade juice cleanse.  The first step is planning.  Look at your calendar and find a 9-10 day window without many obligations.  Even though the actual juice cleanse is only 3 days, there is an easing in and an easing out process.

green apple juice // pale yellow

The second step is grocery shopping.  Be prepared to buy and store a lot of produce!  Clear the fridge, clear the cupboards.  I spent about $100 on produce for the three days.  That does seem like a lot, but to buy directly from Blue Print, it’s going to run about $180.

green apple juice // pale yellow

Finally, you need some time for juicing.  All that time you used to spend eating will now go towards preparing the juices.  One tip I can offer is to make multiple batches at once.  Since you’re drinking 2 green apple juices a day, make both at once.  The green apple is the first juice of the day and you drink a second juice later on, so I made the juices the night before and stored both in mason jars for easy grabbing and consuming.

green apple juice // pale yellow

The texture of the juice is easy for drinking.  When making smoothies, the texture sometimes tickles my throat, not so with the juice.  The green apple is bright and fresh.  The strongest flavors are the cucumber and lemon juice.

green apple juice // pale yellow

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Green Apple Juice {Blue Print Green}
Adapted from Juices 101
Yield – 28-32 ounces, enough for 2 servings of juice

3 large romaine leaves
5 large celery stalks
1 large English cucumber
3 kale leaves with stalks
5 parsley ribs
2 large granny smith apples
handful of spinach
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  1. Clean all the produce and chop into chunks except the lemons.  Juice them in the juicer.
  2. Scrape the foam off the top of the juice.  Add the lemon juice to the juice and stir.
  3. Divide the juice into one glass for immediate consumption and a mason jar for storage to drink later in the day.

Note – If your produce isn’t large enough to make enough juice, add 1/2 cucumber or apple to get the required amount of juice.  Your goal is two 16-ounce servings of green juice.

green apple juice // pale yellow

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April 24, 2013 · 5:00 am

Almond Pulp Breakfast Bars

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

When you start making your own almond milk you’re left with a lot of leftover almond milk.  Almonds are kind of expensive so it seemed kind of wasteful to just throw it away.  Luckily I was able to find a recipe, and then severely doctor it, to use up the almond pulp.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

I tend to be a creature of habit, eating the same thing everyday for breakfast and lunch.  It makes my life so much simpler when I don’t have to plan or think creatively for these meals.  There was a long phase of eating a banana and fiber one bar every morning for breakfast.  When I went vegan I cut out the fiber one bars and switched to a handful of almonds.  Although almonds are delicious, they can be a little dry in the mornings.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

The idea of a breakfast bar still appealed to me so I decided to make my own.  There are a lot of recipes out there for breakfast bars, protein bars, and homemade granola bars, but none of them seemed to have what I am looking for.  These are not perfect, but they were flavorful and had much of what I was looking for in a breakfast bar.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

Next time I would pump up the coconut and chocolate chips.  I would also leave out the dried cranberries.  Although I normally enjoy dried cranberries, their chewiness was weird in these bars.  I really enjoyed eating these bars and look forward to making them again with all that almond pulp!  This is a great, chewy bar for breakfast or snack time.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

One Year Ago – Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Chai Buttercream

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Almond Pulp Breakfast Bars

Adapted from Edible Perspective

Yield – 8 (1 1/2 x 6 inch)

1 cup loosely packed almond pulp

1/2 cup mashed banana, very mashed

6 tablespoons peanut butter, natural

1/4 cup ground flax seed

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B

pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup cinnamon chips

1/4 dried cranberries

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Mash together the almond pulp, banana, peanut butter, and flax until you have a loose ball of dough.  Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt.  Again mix well.

  3. Add in the coconut, chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, and dried cranberries.  Feel free to substitute any nuts, seeds, fruits, or mix ins.  The total should be about 1 cup.  Mix together

  4. Press each dough on a baking sheet as thin as you can into a 12×6 inch rectangle.

  5. Bake for 20 minutes and then cut into 8 pieces.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the bars are browned and crispy.

  6. Wrap in parchment paper and enjoy for breakfast!

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

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April 1, 2013 · 5:00 am

Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie // Pale YellowLast week was a little unhealthy, and by a little, I mean a lot.  However decadent, everything was incredibly delicious; Red Velvet Ice Cream, Brownie Roll Ups, and Double Chocolate Cookies.  Last week was kind of fantastic!

Green Smoothie // Pale Yellow

Here is real talk, I might eat chocolate everyday, but I also eat my fair share of fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains.  One way to obtain a large quantity of healthy foods early in the morning is through a green smoothie.  How else are you going to stomach a cup of kale early in the morning?

Green Smoothie // Pale Yellow

In an effort to be healthier I stopped my morning 7-11 coffee routine.  Needless to say, energy has been lacking.  Enter green smoothies.  These drinks provide much needed energy naturally.  I’ve been surprised by how much energy I’ve had this week from all the fruits and vegetables.

Green Smoothie // Pale Yellow

Is a green smoothie the best thing you’ll put in your mouth?  Not exactly, but this is about health and nutrients.  You definitely taste the kale, but it is balanced by the grapes and mint.  Remember, you’re drinking for your health!

Green Smoothie // Pale Yellow

One Year Ago – Don’t get your panties in a bunch {decorated sugar cookies}

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Green Smoothie

Adapted from Shutterbean

Yield – 2 16-ounce smoothies

1 cup cold water

1 cup red grapes

1 apple cut into chunks

1 cup baby carrots

2 cups kale

5-6 mint leaves

4 ice cubes

  1. Add the ingredients in the order listed to a Vitamix.  Blend on High for 45-60 seconds.

  2. Enjoy immediately!Green Smoothie // Pale Yellow

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January 14, 2013 · 5:00 am

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple Caramel Cupcakes // Pale Yellow

Best. Cupcake. Ever.  Some bold statements were made about these cupcakes.  Paula didn’t think so, she prefers a boozy cupcake, luckily I have plenty of those to go around.  I agree with Paula, this is not the best cupcake I’ve ever made (at least in my opinion), but that’s one of highlights of baking, everyone has different tastes.  My favorite brownie is not everyone’s favorite brownie, hence the 12-million chocolate chip cookie recipes out there in the world.  And this, my friends, is the biggest challenge of baking for others – what do you make someone that is their favorite kind of flavor?  It’s a lot of fun to try!

Apple Caramel Cupcakes // Pale Yellow

Irene said “best cupcake ever first” and I’m glad she thinks so because these were her birthday cupcakes.  Last year I made her Heath Toffee Cupcakes.  I talk about Irene a lot because she is my #1 fan, really, truly.  She is my literal number 1 commenter besides myself, that obviously makes her my #1 fan.  If I ever get a cookbook deal I’ll probably dedicate it to Irene because she has supported me more through this process than anyone else.  I don’t mean to get sappy, but I just reread Bossy Pants and if Tina Fey can write love letters to Amy Poehler, I can write love letters to Irene.  Boom.

Apple Caramel Cupcakes // Pale Yellow

Anyway, I’ve been meaning to make these cupcakes for a looooooong time, since mid-fall.  I had leftover salted caramel sauce and leftover apple butter in the fridge and this seemed like a perfect fall cupcake.  Then, a hurricane kept me out of work for a week and altered my life view a bit, these cupcakes were pushed to the back burner.

Apple Caramel Cupcakes // Pale Yellow

So here’s the truth – Irene, I made you these cupcakes because I love you, and I had all the leftover ingredients in my fridge, luckily they don’t spoil.  Sorry.  No worries, these are some outstanding cupcakes and no one got sick.  PS – NO one has EVER gotten sick from something I have made (as far as I know…)

Apple Caramel Cupcakes // Pale Yellow

What we have here is a cupcake moistened with apple cider and spiced with cinnamon.  The inside is injected with rich apple butter and the cupcake is frosted with a creamy caramel and cream cheese frosting.  To finish there is a delightful drizzle of homemade salted caramel sauce.  I think you should make these cupcakes and decide for yourself if they are truly the best. cupcake. ever.

Apple Caramel Cupcakes // Pale Yellow

One Year Ago: Roasted Chestnuts

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Apple Caramel Cupcakes
Adapted from Lehigh Valley Live
Yield – 12 cupcakes

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup apple butter

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line your cupcake pan with liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale yellow.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Scrape the bowl as needed.
  3. Sift together the flour, powder, cinnamon, and salt onto wax paper.
  4. Add the dry ingredients in three additions with the apple cider in two additions in between.  Mix on low speed until just incorporated.
  5. Use a standard ice cream scoop to divide the batter between cupcake liners.
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. Fit a small piping bag with an injection tip and fill with the apple butter.  Push the tip into each cupcake and then pull out slightly, squeeze the apple butter and slowly remove the tip from the cupcake.  Wipe off any extra apple butter.

Caramel Buttercream
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
4 + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
salted caramel sauce for drizzling

  1. Melt the brown sugar and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan, heat until the sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.
  2. Whisk in the cream and then pour into a small bowl to cool to room temperature.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat 6 tablespoons of butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Beat in the butter and salt.  Scrape the bowl as needed.
  4. Turn the mixer to low and drizzle in the caramel mixture.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar to make a stiff frosting.
  5. Place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe a swirl on each a cupcake.
  6. Heat the salted caramel sauce in a small saucepan filled halfway with water.  When the sauce is loose, drizzle over each cupcake.

Apple Caramel Cupcakes // Pale Yellow

(PS – Irene is contemplating starting her own blog, she needs to totally do it, then we can be IRL friends AND blogging friends!)

 

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November 5, 2012 · 5:00 am

Apple Pie Cheesecakes

Yummy, yummy!  I saw this recipe the day before I went apple picking and I knew I was going to make it with my freshly picked apples.  Since I had so many apples, I wanted to make my own apple butter.  Making apple butter is super easy!  Just dice some apples, cook them until they are really soft, and then puree.  I had always assumed apple butter was difficult to make and fancy, but I was wrong.

This post was supposed to go out on Friday, but somehow it just didn’t seem right.  This whole blogging thing seems trivial and I could be doing so many more useful things with my time then typing up recipes, taking pictures, and writing about them.  It’s a shame because this amazingly delicious recipe is being overshadowed by the dark cloud over my heart.

People don’t have heat, electricity, warm food, or clean water, and I’m writing about apple cheesecakes.  It all seems inappropriate.  Hurricane (Post-Tropical Storm) Sandy has left us, yet the devastation left in her wake is still being uncovered.  Saturday I made the decision to push forward and find some degree of normalcy.  Time has not stopped, life is pushing forward and I need to move with it.

I’ve been out of work for a week and I have used that time to volunteer, gather what supplies I can for those who need it, and reach out to those I care about.  Eventually I will find the balance I need to help those in need and do the things that bring me joy.  If you want to know what you can do to help, please email me – palyellowbakes@gmail.com.  Thank you!

These mini apple cheesecakes really are wonderful!  They have a crunchy, cinnamon-filled crust and a simple, sweet, no-bake cheesecake filling.  The apple-walnut compote on top adds the extra burst of appleness this recipe needs.  This dessert was well received by the roommates and co-workers.  I believe this would make an excellent addition to any Thanksgiving dinner!

And this seems so silly, but I’m in love with the pictures I took!  I struggle with my photography so much!  Nothing is straight, almost all the pictures are blurry, and I just don’t have great natural light spots.  These pictures were taken in the early evening out on the back porch.  Everything just works.  It’s a rare moment I’m impressed by my own photography, this is one of those occasions!

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Apple Pie Cheesecakes
Adapted from Shutterbean
Yield – 12 individual cheesecakes

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces 1/3-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup apple butter, see recipe below
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium apple
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and make the apple butter if you’re making it from scratch.  If you have store bought, use it!
  2. Pulverize the graham crackers and then measure 1 1/4 cups into a small bowl.  Pulverize the walnuts as well and add to the graham crackers.
  3. Melt the butter and add it along with the salt and cinnamon to the walnut/graham cracker mix.  Stir until everything is moistened.
  4. Spray silicone cupcake molds with cooking spray and press 2 tablespoons of the crust mixture into each cupcake mold.  Use your fingers to press the crust into the bottom and up the sides.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crusts are brown.  Let cool completely befroe filling.
  6. Beat the cream cheese for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and apple butter.
  7. In another bowl beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peak form.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese.
  8. Use a standard size ice scoop to portion the cream cheese mixture into each crust.  Smooth the tops with a spatula.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
  9. To make the apple-walnut topping melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan.  Chop up one apple into small pieces and add it to the butter.
  10. Add in the walnuts that are coarsely chopped and the cinnamon.  Sprinkle in a pinch of salt.  Stir and heat until the apples are soft and a nice sauce has formed.  Set aside to cool.
  11. Place about 1 tablespoon of the mixture on top of each cheesecake.

Apple Butter
Adapted from Chef in You
Yield ~ 3 cups

2 pounds chopped apples
2 tablespoons apple cider
splash of water

  1. Add the chopped apples to a medium sized sauce pan with the apple cider.  Stir and cover with a lid.
  2. Cook until the apple are easily mashed with a wooden spoon.  If the mixture becomes too dry, add in a splash of water.
  3. Use an immersion blender to puree into a smooth mixture.
  4. Store the mixture in the fridge in an airtight container.

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October 29, 2012 · 5:00 am

Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Sometimes you see a recipe and you know you’re going to making that one soon!  That’s what happened when I saw this recipe for caramel apple crumb bars! Talk about fall in every bite!!  Our Fall Fest party was the perfect opportunity to create a rich bar.  Easy for grabbing and eating.

PS – there is kind of a hurricane going on right now.  Whatever.  The fridge is stocked, I’m making some cinnamon rolls (pumpkin cinnamon rolls, no less!), I don’t have to go to work tomorrow, I’m ready.  Bring on Sandy.  As long as no one gets hurt and there isn’t too much damage, I’m looking forward to this storm.  I’m sure I’ll have more goodies to share as a result of this extra baking time.

These are some good bars.  The crust is crispy and crunchy and the apple filling is flavorful.  The caramel is a great companion to the apples and the crumb topping.  The bars received great reviews at the party.  I cut them small so everyone could grab a bar and snack away.  I highly suggest making some of these caramel apple crumb bars with the last of your fall apples!

Print the Recipe!

Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Yield – 30-40 squares, small squares (9 x 13 pan)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 small macoun apples
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
10 ounces caramel candies
2 tablespoons heavy cream

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a 9 x 13 pan with foil.  Spray with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
  3. Cut the butter into small pieces and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture.
  4. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla and stir to combine.  At this point I used my hands to knead the dough together.
  5. Press two-thirds of the dough into the bottom of your prepared pan.  Set aside the remaining third for the topping.
  6. Bake for about 12 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
  1. Peel, core, and slice the apples.
  2. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add in the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Stir to combine and let the mixture cook for about 10 minutes.
  1. Unwrap the caramel candies and place them in another small saucepan with the cream.  Stir and heat until the caramels are all melted.
  2. Carefully spread the caramel over the baked crust.  Spread the apple mixture evenly over the caramel.
  3. Sprinkle the remaining crumb crust over the top.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
  5. Cool completely before cutting and serving.

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October 26, 2012 · 5:00 am

Apple Cider Sangria

You know I love sangria right?  I mean who doesn’t?  Fruit, wine, extra booze, a little bit of sparkling something – it’s heaven in a glass!  I’ve always considered white sangria a marvelous drink for summer get-togethers and red sangria fantastic for winter parties.  Now I have something fabulous for fall festivities – apple cider sangria!

It’s the weekend!  Grab your favorite pitcher, put on a cozy sweatshirt, and make yourself some apple cider sangria, you’ll be happy you did!  Apparently Hurricane Sandy is coming to New York.  I should go stock up on the wine now,  there would be nothing worse than being trapped in the house during a hurricane without any wine!!!

This is goooooood sangria.  Sweet from the apple cider, crisp from the Pinot Grigio, and spiced from the cinnamon and ginger.  The sangria is easy to make and delightful to drink!

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Apple Cider Sangria
Adapted from How Sweet it is
Yield 4-6 (12-16 servings)
Note – I made 3 pitchers, so the amounts in parentheses are totals to make 3 pitchers worth

1 (3) bottles pinot grigio
1 1/2 (4 ½) cups apple cider
1/2 (1 1/2) cups brandy
1 (3) pears, cored and cut into slices
2 (6) apples, cored and cut into slices
3 (9) inches ginger, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch slices
3 (9) cinnamon sticks
1 (3) cups seltzer
apple slices and cinnamon sticks

  1. The night before or early in the day combine the first seven ingredients into your pitcher.  If you have small pitchers like me, make a larger batch but divide among several pitchers.
  2. Stir gently to combine and place in the fridge.
  3. Before serving add the seltzer.
  4. Serve over ice with apple slices and cinnamon sticks as garnish.

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