Mulled Cranberry Apple Compote

Mulled Cranberry Apple Compote

 The awakening of the holiday season lists cranberries on the menu.  For most people, a little dab will do you.  I enjoy the tartness to mellow the sweetness of the turkey meat plus all of the nutritional value.

Ingredients:
Mulling Spices
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
6 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
Peel of ½ orange
Peel of ½ lemon
Compote
12 ounces of cranberries
3 tart apples peeled, cored and diced (Granny Smith or Empire)
2 ½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup water
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Put all mulling spices in cheesecloth and make a sachet.                                                                                   

Add the sachet and all ingredients into a heavy bottomed nonreactive pot and bring to a boil and bring to a simmer over low heat until most of the cranberries have burst and apples have cooked through, about ½ hour. 

Remove the pot from heat and keep mulling spices in compote until cool. Take the sachet of mulling spices out before serving.  Yield:  One Quart

Apple Bundt Cake

Apple Bundt Cake

Apple Bundt Cake is a made-from-scratch cake filled with tart apples and topped with a buttery caramel glaze.
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar

1½ cups (327 g) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced

Caramel Glaze
½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons heavy cream, room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Cake
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch bundt pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until just combined.

Gently fold in the diced apples by hand until just combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.

Bake for 55-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes in the pan and then invert it onto a wire rack. While the cake is cooling, prepare the caramel glaze.

Caramel Glaze

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove the pan from heat, and add vanilla. Stir to combine.

Allow the caramel glaze to sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Drizzle over the warm cake and serve.

Apple Pie Filling ~ A Great Do-Ahead!

  

Apple Pie Filling

10 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, quartered, 

   cored, and sliced (about 3 cups)    

6 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sliced apples and water. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

After the butter has melted, add the sugar mixture to the saucepan (over the apples). Stir constantly for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Remove from heat and let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.

After the sauce has cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for up to 3 months. (Be sure to label and date the container.)

Caramel-Apple Pound Cake

Ingredients:

For Pound Cake
Cooking spray
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teasoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 medium apples, such as Granny Smith, 

   peeled and chopped

For the Glaze:
4 oz..cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons caramel
Pinch kosher salt

For the Topping:
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

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Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9”-x-5” loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. 

Make pound cake: In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add vanilla. 

In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined, then fold in apples. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth top. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make glaze: 

In a medium bowl using a hand mixer or whisk, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, caramel, and salt until smooth. Pour over cooled cake, then drizzle with more caramel and garnish with a sprinkle of pecans.

Fried Apples

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Fried Apples

One thing is for certain: your house will be smelling fresh and full of apple-cinnamon goodness when you prepare these.

Ingredients:

8 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tbsp freshly juiced lemon juice
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Toss apples with lemon juice to coat. This will help prevent browning.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Stir and cook until bubbling.

Reduce heat, cover and cook until apples are tender.

Serve and enjoy!

Easy Apple Strudel

Easy Apple Strudel

Made popular in the 1700s by the Hapsburg Empire, today apple strudel is considered the national dish of Austria. The oldest strudel recipe on record was handwritten in 1696 and can be found at the Viennese City Library.

Ingredients:

1 sheet (1/2 box) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C walnuts, finely chopped
5 T raisins
1/2 tsp lemon peel, freshly grated
1 tsp cinnamon
2 or 3 Pippin or Granny Smith apples (approx 3 C chopped)
1 T toasted plain dry bread crumbs
2 T butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). On a very lightly floured, plain-weave kitchen towel, lay out puff pastry dough. 

Lightly flour top and gently roll out to a thin rectangle about 14" x 17", sealing any tears in the dough. Dough will be quite thin; do not overhandle. Set aside, keeping dough on towel.

Peel, core and chop apples into small chunks. Toss with sugar, walnuts, raisins, lemon peel and cinnamon.

Lightly brush dough with 1/4 of the melted butter. Sprinkle with dry bread crumbs. Add apple mixture in the center of dough, leaving a 1-inch margin around the filling. Fold in 1-inch along three sides of the dough, leaving 1 long side unfolded. 

Moisten all folded edges and remaining flat dough edge lightly with water. Using the towel to assist you, roll the dough toward the unfolded edge, enclosing the filling. Press gently but firmly on bottom seam and sides to seal.

Using the towel as a sling, transfer strudel seam side down to a cookie sheet; gently remove towel. Brush lightly with the remaining melted butter, and prick sparingly along the top with a fork. 

Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut crosswise into 12 pieces and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a vanilla custard sauce.   Makes 12 servings.

Cranberry Apple Pecan Salad With Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

Cranberry Apple Pecan Salad 

with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

SERVES: 6-8

An amazing fall salad with the best creamy poppyseed dressing that you will ever have!

INGREDIENTS:

6 ounces baby spinach
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 Granny Smith Apples, chopped
½ cup crumbled Feta Cheese
¾ cup dried cranberries
Creamy Poppyseed Dressing:
⅓ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup 2% milk
3 Tablespoons Sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons poppyseeds

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss baby spinach, pecans, apples, feta cheese, and cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, sugar, cider vinegar, and poppyseeds. Pour over the salad and toss to coat.

Serve salad immediately and garnish with more feta cheese if desired.

Roasted Squash And Fennel Bake .

Roasted Squash And Fennel Bake

I always assemble the recipes early in the month for my Thanksgiving dinner. With the cooler weather, appetites are set for a hearty meal. This is a dish that I will serve.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded, and chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 fennel bulbs, halved lengthwise, cored, and chopped,

plus 2 Tablespoons chopped fennel fronds (optional)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

***

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together the vegetables and seasonings and toss until well coated. Place in a rectangular baking sheet and roast until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 1 hour.