Roasted Dijon Carrots and Apples

Savory sweet carrots, melty apples all in a perfectly tangy maple Dijon sauce.

Ingredients:

8 large carrots (2 lbs) cut in 1/4" thick slices

4 large firm apples (1 lb) cut in 1/2" wedges (use Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)

2 onions, diced

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

5 tbsps Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsps fresh thyme leaves 

Whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon, salt, pepper and thyme together. Add the carrots, apples, onion and garlic and toss to coat. Roast in a 425°F oven covered with foil for 10 minutes, then uncover for 15 minutes. Toss then return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until carrots are cooked to your liking. Easily made ahead. Just make it and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F for 10-15 minutes. Serves 12

Adapted from: alternativedish.com

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Apple Pie Muffins

Yummy, cakey muffins that you can eat for breakfast or serve just as well for dessert. They're that good! Also, see note at the end of this post for making loaves instead of muffins.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsps vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped apples

Streusel Crumb Topping:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

6 tbsps butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar

1-2 tbsps milk

Preheat oven to 400°F

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Whisk the eggs and sugar together and add the sour cream, mayo, vegetable oil and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixing just until combined.

Scoop batter into lined muffin cups to about 2/3 full. Tap the pan on the counter once or twice. Spoon the chopped apples on top.

Combine the streusel crumb mixture and add that to top the apples.

You can brush some of the excess crumb mixture off the tray before baking.

Now reduce oven temperature to 375°F and pop the muffins in the oven for 20-22 minutes.

Cool 5-10 minutes in the pan before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, mix the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the tops of the muffins.

Makes 15 medium size cakey muffins 

And if you want to double the recipe you can make 2 loaves plus 1 mini loaf. Just preheat oven to 400°F, put them in the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F. Just 35-40 minutes for the mini and an additional 30-40 minutes longer for the regular sized loaves.

Adapted from: omgchocolatedesserts.com

Traditional Apple Dumplings

Basically just apples, brown sugar and pie dough. They are delicious in their simplicity!

Ingredients:

4 peeled and cored apples (Gala or Granny Smith)

2 tbsps sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsps butter (plus 4 dabs for filling)

1 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 lb pie dough

Core the apples then peel them. I don't have an apple corer so I used a knife and my old Gerber baby spoon ... works great!

Combine 2 tbsps sugar with 1/4 tsp cinnamon and roll each peeled apple in the mixture. Then spoon the remaining cinnamon sugar into each apple. Add a dab of butter to each as well.

Roll out the pie dough and cut 7 - 8" squares depending on the size of the apples you are using. These were medium so 7" worked.

Sit the apple in the center of the square, wet the edges of the dough and bring each corner up to the middle and press to seal.

Cut a leaf out of the remaining dough, wet it and stick it on the top of each apple if you want to be extra 😉

Place the apples in a baking dish large enough that they have space between. I could've gone a bit bigger here.

In a saucepan add 2 tbsps butter, water, brown sugar and cinnamon and heat just to boiling. Pour into the baking dish and spoon a little over each apple.

Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes - 1 hour spooning sauce on top a couple of times during baking.

You could serve them topped with whipped cream or ice cream but I really feel they don't need any special treatment.

Light and Fluffy Apple Cake

A quick little snackin' cake!

Ingredients:

5 apples, peeled and sliced
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsps baking soda
1/4 cup water

In a large bowl mix the eggs and sugars together, then add the oil. Add the apples and stir to coat. I used Cortland, but Gala or Fuji would be good too.

Mix the flour, baking soda and cinnamon together and add to the apple mixture. Add the water.

Grease 2 - 9" square or round pans (or one of each like I did)
and bake in a 350F oven for 50-55 minutes. 

One to serve and one to put in the freezer for another time.

Cranberry Crisp Baked Apples

Gingersnap cookie crumbs give these stuffed apples an extra jolt of flavour!

3 tart apples
2 tbsps butter
2 tbsps brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Crisp topping:

1/4 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs (or graham crumbs)
2 tbsps oats
2 tbsps brown sugar
2 tbsps white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsps butter
3 tbsps dried cranberries

1/2 cup apple juice

For the topping mix crumbs, oats, sugars and cinnamon together, then cut in the butter. Add the dried cranberries and set aside.

Cut the tops off the apples and cut or scoop out the core. Using a melonballer scoop out the insides of the apples, leaving a 1/4" of flesh on the skin.

Coarsely chop the flesh and mix with 2 tbsps butter, 2 tbsps brown sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until apples are tender crisp.

Fill the apples with the cooked apple filling and spoon on the crisp topping.

Place the apples in a baking dish that is filled with 1/2 cup apple juice.

Bake uncovered in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes.

And they're ready to serve warm topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Scrap Apple Jelly

After making my Sugar Free Pear and Apple Sauce or if you have a lot of peels and cores left from a favourite recipe of your own, use them to make this pretty jelly.

20 apple peels, approximately 2 - 2  1/2 cups
6 cups water
1-2 cups unsweetened apple juice
6 tbsps pectin
9 cups sugar

Bring the scraps and water to a boil in a large pot, then simmer uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes.

Once simmered lay a large piece of cheesecloth over a colander in a pot. Pour the liquid and scraps in and leave to drain for about 30 minutes.

Gather the cheesecloth up, do not squeeze, and save the peels in a container. That's right I'm not done with them yet!

Measure the liquid and add apple juice (or more water) to measure 7 cups in total.

Add 6 tbsps pectin and bring to a boil. When you've got a good boil going add the sugar and return to a boil for 1-2 minutes or until the jelly coats the back of a spoon. It should reach a temperature of 220 F/ 104 C

Remove from heat and carefully pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars.

Again here's the link to sterilizing and processing jars.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/09/sterilize-and-process-jars.html

For jelly you need only process for 5 minutes. Check seals after 24 hours. Makes 12 - 1/2 cup jars and 4 - 1/2 pints.

Here's the link to that Sugar Free Pear and Apple Sauce I mentioned.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/11/sugar-free-pear-and-apple-sauce.html
Oh ya, and the scrap peels (not cores) you kept.  Top off your furr friend's kibble with some chopped peel scraps for a real treat!

And if you need to fix a jam or jelly (it happens) I found this great link to help
http://www.pickyourown.org/how_to_fix_runny_jam.htm
Recipe adapted from http://www.firefliesandmudpies.com/2012/10/10/apple-fest-2012-apple-scrap-jelly

Sausage Apples

Here's a variation on the Baked Sausage Stuffed Apples I made last fall. You can find that recipe at the end of this post.

4 pork and beef breakfast sausages
1/2 small onion, minced
3 large baking apples
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the sausage casings and break the meat up in a skillet.

Cut the tops off the apples and scoop out the middles using a small ice cream scoop or melon baller. Discard the core and chop up the apple. Add it to the meat along with the minced onion.

Add the seasonings and cook just until the meat is no longer pink. Stuff the hollowed out apples, place the tops back on and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

I served them over cheddar mashed potatoes, drizzled with the pan juices from the apples.

You might also like:

Baked Sausage Stuffed Apples
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/10/baked-sausage-stuffed-apples.html

Slow Cooker Pork with Whole Apples

This small pork loin went right from the freezer to the slow cooker. It was a last minute decision to make so I didn't have time to defrost it. Worked out fine, but if you use a fresh or defrosted pork loin you might have to adjust the cooking time down a little.

1  1/4 lb boneless pork loin
2 small onions, sliced
a pinch of coriander seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 bay leaf
1 cup apple juice
whole apples
some brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2-3 tbsps cold water

Mix together the coriander, marjoram, sage, smoked (or regular) paprika, nutmeg and celery seed. Reserve 1/4 tsp per apple for later.

Coat the pork loin with the seasonings and sit it in the crock pot on a bed of sliced onions.

Core your apples. I was using my small slow cooker so only had room for two. Sprinkle the inside of the apples with the reserved spice mix then fill the cavity with brown sugar. Sit the apples in the pot and add the bay leaf too.

Pour apple juice in beside the meat not over it. Cover and slow cook on high for 4  1/2 hours.

Remove the pork and apples to a plate and keep warm.

Pour the juices into a saucepan. You can keep the onions in there too or add them back later.
Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small cup, then add a little of the warm juices. Pour it all back into the saucepan, mixing well and heating until your sauce has thickened.

You could add the meat back to the pan à la pulled pork, but I felt a spoonful of the sauce underneath the meat worked for me today.

Family Favourite Apple Cake

Another recipe I've been making for years. Chock full of apples with a crusty top. Perfect with ice cream and caramel topping!

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
8 apples, sliced

Cut apples and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar and oil together until smooth. Add flour and baking powder.

Oil a 13 X 9" baking dish and pour half the batter in. Lay all the apples on top then pour the balance of the batter on top. Don't worry if the apples aren't all covered.

Bake at 350 F for 70-80 minutes.

Now, you could just eat it plain...it's loaded with apples and very good!

But why would you when you can have it a la mode?