Apple Crisp (2 recipes)

 Bryn told me we didn't have apple crisp on the yummy yoo-hoo yet.  So here are the two recipes that are my go-to recipes.  One from Mary Hunter is the one in the AF 1st Ward cookbook.  The other is from a very old pampered chef cookbook.  I love the oats from Sister Hunter, but love the amount of cinnamon in the Pampered Chef recipe.  Some day, I'll write down my experiments to combine these two recipes into one new favorite.  :)

Mary Hunter's recipe:

Put in 9x13" pan:
    8 cups apples, sliced
    2 Tbsp. flour
    1/2 cup sugar

Mix and combine for topping:

    1 1/2 cups brown sugar

    2/3 cup margarine
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1 1/2 cups flour
    1 cup quick oats
    1 teaspoon salt (which I never put in)
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Sprinkle topping over apples.  Bake at 350 degrees until apples are tender, about 45 minutes.

Pampered Chef's Quick Apple Crisp 

(My notes are in parenthesis because I never purchase 9 ounce cake mixes. 😊  I also haven't made it in a while, so my measurements are estimates of what I think I would be using.)

5 Granny Smith apples (More apples, enough apples to fill a 13x9" pan nicely.  I rarely use Granny Smith but use whatever I've got in the fridge.)

1 package (9 oz) yellow cake mix (I purchase the regular size cake mixes=13.25 oz. Betty Crocker or 15.25 Pillsbury)

2 Tbsp sugar (3 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp cinnamon (5 tsp)

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (7 Tbsp)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (1 cup)

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Peel, core and slice apples.  Place apples in "Deep Dish Baker" (which is an 11" round pan).  (I use a 13x9" pan and make more topping using the cake mixes mentioned above.)  Combine remaining ingredients.  Mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping, if desired.

Iced Pumpkin Cookes

I was looking through some old recipes and found this one that Mom sent to us at Christmas years and years ago.  She said she got it from the Albertson's website.  I decided to post the recipe here so I don't have to rely on keeping a piece of paper from getting lost.  I've been cleaning out my freezer to make room for wedding refreshment treats, so I made this with my frozen sweetmeat squash puree.  It is tasty and a pumpkin cookie recipe that doesn't take a lot of eggs.  :)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper or silicone mat.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup butter and white sugar.  Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy.  Mix in dry ingredients.  drop on bookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.  (Mom flattened with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.  I used cinnamon sugar.)

Bake for 12 minutes.  Let sit on cookie sheet 2 minutes.  Remove to cooling racks.  Cool cookies, and drizzle glaze with a fork.

To make glaze:  combine confectioners' sugar, melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Add milk as needed to achieve drizzle consistency.  (Mom says you may need more than 3 tablespoons.)

When Mom made these, she used the frozen pumpkin and butternut squash that she had in the freezer.  She let the squash drain in a strainer with 3 thicknesses of cheesecloth and used this instead of canned pumpkin puree.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

 Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

12 tablespoons (168 g) butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

2 large fresh eggs (100 g)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups (270 g) cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

3-4 medium-sized super ripe bananas (450 g)

6 tablespoons (90 g) sour cream 

Cream together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.  Combine the eggs and the vanilla extract together and slowly add to the creaming mixture, stopping to scrape mixer and sides of bowl to ensure proper mixing.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add half of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.  In another bowl, mix together mashed bananas and sour cream. Mix well and scrape sides before adding half of the mashed banana and sour cream.  Add remaining dry mixture and mix until just combined.  Then add remaining banana/sour cream mixture.  Prepare pans--line with greased parchment paper or spray with Baker's Joy.  Portion into desired pans or muffin liners and bake immediately at 350 degrees F until it's done.  Time will depend on pan size used.  About 17 minutes for muffins, 25 minutes for cake pans, or 40 minutes for Bundt cake.  

Yield: 2 x 8-inch round cake layers, 24 cupcakes, one 13x9-inch cake, or one thin half-sheet layer

Frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting if desired:  Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut Pineapple Cake with Pineapple Curd

I recently discovered the blog "Baking with Blondie."  Usually I am more interested in making cakes from scratch, but her recipes intrigued me!  Search for site for her sheet cakes--I love the style she uses to decorate a simple sheet cake!  This is another cake recipe I brought to Dad's birthday party.  Instead of making the cake a layer cake, I baked it in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and imitated her style of sheet cake decorating.  I found a pineapple curd recipe from a different site that I used to garnish the cake--and I thought it enhanced the flavor, so I am including that link as well.  

The pictures for the lemon bar sheet cake recipe and the Biscoff sheet cake recipe inspired my sheet cake version of the coconut pineapple cake.

Click here for cake recipe:  Coconut Pineapple Cake

Click here for pineapple curd recipe: Pineapple Curd

German Chocolate Sheet Cake

This is one of the cakes I brought to Dad's birthday party this past year.  I love this version of German chocolate cake.  It is very simple to make and tastes delicious!

Click here for the recipe:  German chocolate sheet cake

Key Lime Coconut White Chocolate Chip Cookies

The flavors in this cookie are delicious -- coconut, lime, white chocolate.  And the coconut gives the cookies a chewy texture.

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp lime extract OR 2 tablespoons key lime juice (the extract will have stronger lime flavor)

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons freshly grated key lime zest

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 10 oz package sweetened flaked coconut

To make cookie dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, lime extract (or lime juice) and vanilla.  Cream for 2 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the lime zest.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients.  Stop and scrape the bowl as needed.  Beat until the dry ingredients are fully moistened.

Mix in the white chocolate chips and coconut by hand.  Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

To bake:  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or a silpat.  Divide the dough using a 2 oz cookie scoop, leaving 3-inches apart to allow for spreading.  Bake for 11 - 14 minutes until lightly browned on the edges.

Fresh Tortellini Au Gratin

 This recipe keeps being requested and so I thought I'd better post it here so, as my children spread their wings, they will always be able to find it.  :)

1/4 pound mild Italian sausage
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 (9-ounce) package fresh cheese-filled tortellini
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup canned diluted chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained
l/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs
11/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Sliced cherry tomatoes (optional)
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)

            Remove and discard casing from sausage. (I usually use the mild Italian sausage that is not in a "casing.")  Cook sausage and onion in a small skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble meat.  Drain well; set aside.

            Cook tortellini according to package directions, adding unpeeled cloves of garlic to water.  Drain well, reserving garlic.  Set tortellini aside; peel and crush garlic.  Combine garlic and whipping cream in a medium bowl; beat with a wire whisk until blended.  Add reserved sausage mixture, tortellini, chicken broth, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup minced parsley, basil, pimiento, and pepper; stir gently to combine.

            Place tortellini mixture in a 1-quart baking dish.  Combine breadcrumbs and remaining 2 tablespoons minced parsley; stir well.  Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over tortellini; dot with butter.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over breadcrumbs; bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned.  If desired, garnish with cherry tomato slices and fresh basil sprigs. Yield: 4 servings.