Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie

Ingredients

7 cups sliced peeled tart apples

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons sugar

4-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

TOPPING:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cold butter

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

Directions

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and vanilla. Combine the pecans, sugars, cinnamon and cornstarch; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. Pour into pastry shell.

In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned. Immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts: 1 piece equals 334 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 159 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Quick & Easy Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients

1 package (14 ounces) Werther's® Original Chewy Caramels

20 large marshmallows

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Apple slices

Directions

Place caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute. Add marshmallows; microwave for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted, stirring occasionally. Whisk in butter and cream until combined. Serve with apple slices. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2-1/2 cups.

Celebrate National Breakfast Month with Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Pie French Toast, & Savory Breakfast Muffins

Most of us really love breakfast, but since our lives are so fast paced,  we seldom get to sit down and enjoy it like we would like too.  In honor of National Breakfast Month, (September), we think it would be a great idea to pick a morning that you have plenty of time to savor the flavors of breakfast and enjoy the meal with your family. Start your day off with a great full blown breakfast and celebrate National Breakfast Month. Scroll down for  some fun facts & a few breakfast recipes to inspire you. Enjoy!

Fact: People who eat breakfast are less likely to over eat at Lunch time. Why? Because their body is not going through those stomach quivers that we get when we are hungry. Those quivers make us over eat.

Fact: Breakfast tells your body to stop the fast and get your motor running. Breakfast gives you energy and gets your brain to functioning.

Fact: Cereal was invented when colonial housewives started serving up popcorn with sugar and cream for breakfast.

Fact: Instant coffee has been in existence since the middle of the eighteenth century.

Fact: Breakfast helps people meet their daily dietary requirements for vitamins and minerals while keeping the amount of fat and cholesterol down. This can help with maintaining a healthy weight, as well as lowering the risk for high cholesterol and heart disease, according to MayoClinic.com. It also improves concentration, productivity, problem-solving, creativity and hand-eye coordination.

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls 

Ingredients:

2 cups milk (I actually used almond milk)

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)

4 cups flour + ½ cup later

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon salt

Filling:

4 Tablespoons melted butter (or more!)

1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

½ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

½ cup brown sugar, packed

Cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon)

Directions:

For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside and cool until about 115 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer, make sure it’s pretty warm, but not scalding. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk until frothy.

Add 4 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining ½ cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine.

To assemble the rolls, on a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, brush the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar on, then cinnamon (I used about 1 full teaspoon), then the hazelnuts and chocolate. Add more or less of each filling ingredient, the proportions are all up to you!

Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. Alternatively, used thread or dental floss to cut the slices. You should end up with around 20-25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into round cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, make an icing. I made a simple chocolate icing by whisking together 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla.

I think a drizzle of nutella would also make a lovely and simple topping.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Enjoy these all to yourself, or better yet, share a pan with some loved ones!

Apple Pie French Toast

serves 3

For Filling:

1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons cream cheese

For Toast:

8-10 large slices day old bread

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Apple butter  and cream cheese to spread

Directions:

In a small saucepan, cook apples, lemon juice and water over medium heat for 5 minutes, until apples are tender. While they're cooking, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and stir out any lumps. Add into the sauce pan along with the cream cheese, turn off heat. Stir well to combine, sauce will thicken as it mixes.

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on half the bread slices, do the same with apple butter on the other slices. Add a few tablespoons of filling mixture onto the cream cheese side of the bread, top with the apple butter slice, making a sandwich.

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and butter in a shallow dish and whisk well. Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture and cook on a lightly greased griddle over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Savory Breakfast Muffins

Makes 15 muffins

Ingredients:

12-14 oz. raw breakfast sausage

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 cups Bisquick

1 cup cornmeal

3 eggs

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line one medium-sized-cup muffin tin with paper liners, spray each liner with a little cooking spray, and set aside. Saute sausage with chili powder, salt, and pepper, crumbling the sausage with a metal spoon as it cooks. Drain excess grease with a wad of paper towels or into an empty aluminium can.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together bisquick, cornmeal, eggs, garlic powder and milk. Add sausage, peppers, onions and cheese. Stir well. Add thyme. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Ladle the filling into the prepared muffin tins, filling almost to the top.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

TIPS:

- Two cups of Bisquick can be substituted by a mix of 2 cups flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, and 2 tbsp. oil or melted butter.

- Store in the freezer in a large, airtight container or a large Ziploc bag.

- To reheat from frozen, microwave on high for approximately 90 seconds.

 

Apple Pie a la Mode (On a Stick)

  Next up on our list for Independence Day recipes: Apple pie a la mode - on a stick, courtesy of Heat Oven to 350. A delicious, refreshing, all-American dessert. Layers of apple pie filling and vanilla ice cream in a convenient popsicle form.  Making the apple pie filling on the stove-top means you get great apple pie flavor without turning on your oven. The popsicles are easy and fast to make, meaning you can spend more time lighting sparklers, swimming in the lake, making s'mores, watching fireworks or enjoying any other holiday traditions you have for the Fourth. Whatever you enjoy doing, these are a delicious way to cool off, relax, and enjoy summer.

Ingredients:

Apple pie filling

4 cups Granny Smith apples, chopped medium (if you use a sweeter apple decrease the sugar)

2 tsp lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of nutmeg

2/3 cup water

1 quart vanilla ice cream

24 popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Pour water into a large saucepan over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 2-5 minutes. (Or until apples soften and taste "cooked" rather than raw.) Remove from heat, let cool and chill in the refrigerator until cold.

2. Let ice cream sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes, or until it has softened. You might want to stir it up to make sure it is evenly softened throughout.

3. In a popsicle mold or small paper cup, add a spoonful of chilled apple pie filling. Top with a spoonful of softened ice cream. Repeat until the mold or cup is full. Add a popsicle stick and freeze until firm. (I let mine freeze overnight) Un-mold the popsicles to serve by running the mold briefly under warm water. Serve.

Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake

Allrecipes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup orange juice

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups apple - peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup HERSHEY®'S Cinnamon Chips

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice and vanilla. Beat on high speed of an electric mixer until blended. Beat in flour mixture. Fold in chopped walnuts. Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Mix together chopped apples and cinnamon chips, and sprinkle 1/2 of mixture over batter in pan. Repeat layers, ending with batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.