Betty Crocker Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix

1/2 cup firm butter or margarine

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

Place cookie mix in large bowl. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly and coarse. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture; press remaining crumbs in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked crust. In medium bowl, mix pie filling and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool about 30 minutes. Refrigerate to chill, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 24 bars

Apple Slice Sugar Cookies - Pillsbury

2 tablespoons red decorator sugar

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies

2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Black string licorice, cut into 1-inch pieces

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut 17x12-inch piece of plastic wrap; place on work surface. Sprinkle red sugar evenly over plastic wrap. Roll cookie dough in sugar to coat. Wrap in plastic wrap; freeze 30 minutes.

Remove half of dough from wrapper; freeze remaining dough until needed. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices. On ungreased cookie sheets, place slices 2 inches apart. Place 3 chocolate chips in center of each slice to resemble seeds. To form slice shape, make 2 indentations on 2 opposite sides with fingers. Repeat with remaining half of dough.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until unsugared edges are light golden brown. Insert 1 licorice piece on top of each cookie to resemble stem. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Individual Pie's In Jars - Cute gift idea

These gals are absolutly too creative. I had to share their individual pies in little jars. What awesome gifts!

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/single-serving-pie-in-a-jar/

Paula Deen's Fruit Pizza

Yumm....fresh fruit pizza on a hot day!!

Fruit Pizza on the Food Network

 

 

Flaky Buttery Pie Crust

Makes one double-crust 9 inch or 10 inch pie:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (a stick and a half) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup of all-vegetable shortening (8 Tbsp)
6-8 Tablespoons ice water

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a chilled bowl. Add the butter and using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives (cut with a criss cross motion through the butter and dry ingredients). Add shortening in tablespoon sized chunks, and continue to cut through the mixture. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no bigger than peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over flour mixture. Cutting again through the mixture. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, keep adding water, a tablespoon at a time, cutting through after each addition, until the mixture just begins to clump together.

Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4 inch wide disks. Do not over-knead the dough! Dust the disks lightly with flour, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 2 days before rolling out.

After the dough has chilled in the refrigerator for an hour, you can take it out to roll. If it is too stiff, you can let it sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before rolling. Sprinkle a little flour on a flat, clean work surface and on top of the disk of dough you intend to roll out. (A pre marked pastry rolling sheet that has the pie circles already marked is handy.) Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough. Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough (a pastry scraper works great for this) to make sure it is not sticking. You have a big enough piece of dough when you place the pie tin or pie dish upside down on the dough and the dough extends by at least 2 inches all around.

When the dough has reached the right size, gently fold it in half. Lift up the dough and place it so that the folded edge is along the center line of the pie dish. Gently unfold. Do not stretch the dough.

If you are only making a single crust pie, use kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the lip of the dish. Tuck the overhang underneath itself along the edge of the pie dish. Use your fingers in a pinching motion, or the tines of a fork to crimple the edge of the pie crust.

If you are making a double crust pie, roll out the second disk of dough. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Use a kitchen scissors to trim the overhang to an inch over. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Finish the double crust by pressing against the edges of the pie with your finger tips or with a fork.

Use a sharp knife to cut vents into the top of the pie crust, so the steam has a place to escape while the pie is cooking. Optional Before scoring, you may want to paint the top of your crust with an egg wash (this will make a nice glossy sugary finish).


Egg Wash

A glossy sugary coating for your pie can be achieved with a simple egg wash.
1 Tbsp heavy cream, half and half, or milk
1 large egg yolk

Beat egg yolk with cream and brush on the surface of the pie with a pastry brush. Sprinkle a dusting of granulated sugar over the top. Bake as directed.

Fall Recipes - Hot Spiced Cider

Serves about 10

2 quarts apple cider
2/3 cup corn syrup
3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 lemon, sliced
10 cinnamon sticks, for garnish
10 lemon slices, for garnish

In a medium saucepan stir cider, corn syrup, 3 cinnamon sticks, cloves and slices of 1 lemon. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes. Remove spices and lemon slices. Garnish each serving of cider with a cinnamon stick and a slice of lemon.

Apple Pancakes with Cinnamon Nonfat Yogurt

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons nonfat egg substitute
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 t baking powder
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons maple syrup
4 granny smith apples or other tart apples peeled/cored/sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
mint leaves

Combine the flour, egg substitute, 1 cup yogurt, baking powder, orange juice, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup into a batter. If you like thinner pancakes, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water at this point. Let rest for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, saute the sliced apples with 1 tablespoon water until the slices are tender and caramelized. Combine the remaining yogurt and maple syrup with the cinnamon.

Using a nonstick omelette pan, make thin crepes by pouring 3 tablespoons of the batter into the preheated pan and rolling it around to uniformly cover the surface of the pan. Cook over medium heat about 1 minute, flip with a spatula and cook the other side for about 10 seconds. Continue until all the batter has been used.

For each serving, roll each of two crepes around 2 tablespoons of the apples. Garnish with a dollop of flavored yogurt and a mint leaf. 278 calories, 1.2 grams fat per 3 (4-
to 5-inch) pancakes with filling.

Apple Cranberry Cider

1 quart apple cider or apple juice

2 cups cranberry juice

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)

In a large saucepan, combine the cider, cranberry juice and brown sugar. Place cloves and cinnamon sticks on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Discard spice bag before serving.

RAISIN APPLE CRISP

3 Apples
1/4 cup Raisins
1/4 cup Chopped nuts
1/8 cup Water
3/8 cup Brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon Lemon juice
2 tablespoon Flour
2 tablespoon margarine
1/8 teaspoon
Salt

Wash, pare, core and slice apples thinly. Mix with raisins. Place in a greased casserole Add cinnamon, salt, lemon juice and water. Work sugar, flour and margarine together to form crumb like consistency Spread over apple and raisin mixture Bake in 380 degree oven for at least 30 minutes.

Apple Sausage Pancakes With Cider Syrup

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pancake mix
1/2 cup fresh apple -- shredded
2/3 cup milk
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage -- browned
2 tablespoons oil

Heat griddle to 375. In small bowl, beat egg on high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Lightly spoon pancake mix into measuring cup; level off. Stir in pancake mix, milk, oil and cinnamon.

Fold in apples and sausage. Grease griddle lightly before making each pancake. Pour batter from 1/4 cup measuring cup onto hot griddle. Bake until bubbles appear, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve with hot Cider Syrup.


Cider syrup

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons butter

CIDER SYRUP: In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and pumpkin pie spice; stir in apple cider and lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter.

English Wassail Spiced Hot Cider

3/4 cup sugar
2 quarts apple juice
1 pint cranberry juice
1 teaspoon aromatic bitters
1 cup rum
2 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 small orange, washed well and studded with cloves

Dissolve sugar in juices in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients, allowing orange with cloves to float while simmering. Cook on high for 1 hour. Simmer on low for 4 to 8 hours.