Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Tags

apple, cream, nutmeg, Pumpkin, sage, thyme

November is at an end… it went by so fast! I suppose I should be stopping with the pumpkin recipes, since now is the time for red and green, peppermint and eggnog. But one more pumpkin recipe before it’s too late! Besides, soup is perfect for winter! This soup is complete comfort food, warming you from the inside out.

I’ve never tried pumpkin soup before, and while it always sounded good, I never saw a recipe that really jumped out at me. Now this recipe, it looked exceptional. I think it was the apple. It sounded like such a wonderful addition, especially when added with the savory herbs where a lot of recipes stick to cinnamon. The apple lends a unique flavor… mildly sweet and mildly tart but still a mild taste of apple among the pumpkin and cream. When it starts getting cold and you feel like something comforting, grab a bowl of this delicious soup!Pumpkin-Apple Soup
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 2 cups)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups vegetable stock
⅔ cups natural applesauce
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
30 ounces pumpkin puree
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup cream

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion, apples, and salt. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, applesauce, pepper, sage, thyme and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and cook until apples are very tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin and brown sugar and cook for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth. Alternately, use a blender to blend the soup in batches. Add the cream and mix thoroughly. Warm over very low heat, and add more cream or water to thin out more, if desired. Remove from heat and serve.

Source: Slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

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Apple Pie

Tags

apple, cinnamon, pastry, pie

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I went to the store yesterday to pick up some stuff for Thanksgiving, and some stuff just because I needed it. I went to 2 different stores, and they were both out of normal whipping cream! I just wanted to be able to make whipped cream to top pies!!But if you’re fortunate to already have your whipping cream, whip some up to top this delicious apple pie! Or serve it with ice cream, or just eat it plain. This pie is the perfect treat for Thanksgiving, or any occasion. It’s sooo good! Part of what makes this pie so good is the variety of apples. The different apples provide different textures and flavors. Feel free to use any apples you like, of course.It was so fun to be able to make this using some of the apples I still have from the orchards. And I still have a lot more, so get ready for more apple recipes in the near future! It’s a good thing apples last so well in the frig, because at the rate I’m going, these apples might be around a while more! 🙂Apple Pie

Pastry for 2 pie crusts
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled Granny Smith or other tart apple (about 1 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled Pink Lady or other sweet apple (about ½ pound)
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled Rome or other firm baking apple (about 1 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled McIntosh or other tender apple (about ½ pound)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons milk

Roll half of dough into a 12-inch circle; place in pie dish and chill while filling is prepared. Roll other half of dough into an 11-inch circle; cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, combine apples and lemon juice. In a separate small bowl, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, spices, and salt. Sprinkle over apple mixture, tossing well to combine.

To assemble the pie: Remove pie crusts from the refrigerator. Spoon apple mixture into crust and top with the 11-inch crust. Trim the dough to have a 1-inch border around the rim on the dish. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 6 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Brush top and edges of pie with milk and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet; Bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake an additional 45 minutes or until golden; shield crust with aluminum foil if it gets too brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

Tags

apple, cinnamon, maple syrup, oats

So I finally got to cross another apple recipe off my list! My husband is a huge oatmeal fan, and I knew I had to make this for him. This was his first time trying steel cut oats, and I think he’s still on the fence about them. Personally, I have trouble eating old-fashioned oatmeal now. It’s just too mushy and I prefer the heartiness of the steel cut oats. But even with the different texture, he still enjoyed the recipe! The flavor is fresh and lightly spiced with delicious chunks of apples, and perfect to warm you on a cold fall or winter morning. Just make sure to use sweeter apples as a garnish, because I made the mistake of using granny smith and they were a little too tart of a contrast.

Next on the apple list… apple pie or apple dumplings!!! 🙂

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oatmeal
4 cups hot water
1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cardamom, or 2 cardamom pods
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chopped apple
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup chopped walnuts, for garnish if desired
¼ cup chopped apples (sweet apples are best), for garnish if desired

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the steel cut oats and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add hot water and stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Bring to a boil then cover and turn heat down to low; allow the oats to cook for 20 minutes.

Remove lid and stir in chopped apples and maple syrup. Continue cooking, uncovered for 10 minutes, or until oats reach your desired texture. Serve in a bowl and garnish with walnuts, chopped apples and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Source: My Baking Addiction

Apple Pie Muffins

Tags

apple, cinnamon, oats

Let the apple recipes begin! The first thing I was able to knock off my apple list were these muffins. Two apples used up, and a whole frig crisper to go still! I bookmarked these muffins as soon as I saw them. I was doubtful that they’d taste like apple pie, and I still don’t think they do though the spices are very similar. But I’ve had other apple muffins before, which are pretty good, but these were super good! I think it might have been the topping… or the spices… either way, it all combines to make a delicious muffin!If you keep the apple chunks large, you really get bites of apple goodness. Just don’t do like me and overfill the cups. The recipe said 12 muffins, so I was determined to have 12 muffins. I’m thinking I could have had 14 or 15, and then I wouldn’t have had overly large muffin tops. Still tasted good though, so it’s all good!Apple Pie Muffins
Note: 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice can be used to replace the spices
Yield: 12-14 muffins

Muffins:
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups packed brown sugar
2 cups peeled, coarsely chopped Granny Smith Apples

Topping:
½ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; make a well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and brown sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the butter mixture into the well in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in apples. Use a large scoop to fill each muffin well, filling the cups to the top; do not overfill.

To make the topping, stir together brown sugar, flour, rolled oats, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter, mixing until well blended. Sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins to finish cooling on a wire rack. Store at room temperature.

Source: Slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction

Apple Hill and Applesauce!

Tags

apple, vegetarian

It’s apple season! Which means it’s time to visit the local orchards and go apple picking and enjoy the bountiful harvest! It’s still a couple hours away from me, but I made a trip to Apple Hill with my mom over my birthday weekend. We went apple picking at an organic farm called Willow Pond Farm, then visited a couple different orchards and farms who sold the apples farmers market-style. We were surrounded by such a large variety of so many delicious looking apples… it was like apple heaven! At Boa Vista Orchards, we bought some amazing apple cider and about 10 different varieties of apples, some with a strictly applesauce-making purpose and some with baking intentions. They even had apple and pumpkin butter, jellies, jams, sauces, and so many more goodies! On a continuing search for more apple goodness, we stopped by Abel’s Apple Acres and tried some apple donuts and apple fritters, and bought more apples. I would just like to say that apple fritters are awesome! Large slices of apple fried up in fritter batter. Absolute deliciousness.In the end, I ended up with a box of apples of varying sizes and types. Once I got home, I even took the time to separate my apples based on what I wanted to make. If you have any questions about what apples are good for baking or sauce, I’d suggest checking out the Cook’s Thesaurus. My goals for these apples include apple dumplings, apple pie, various muffins containing apples, and apple oatmeal. Hopefully I get around to trying everything. Cross your fingers for me please! I’ll be sure to report back on what comes out well!

As for what was left after separating out my baking apples, I had one soul purpose. Applesauce! After seeing a post about applesauce by from the Bartolini kitchens, I really wanted to go pick my own apples and make some fresh, delicious applesauce. It’s so simple and so delicious! My mom made some and was thrilled with her results. My husband and I love ours, too, though I cheated and added some sugar because I tend to like things on the sweeter side. It still wasn’t much though. I only added a ½ cup of sugar to 15 cups of applesauce. Still pretty darn healthy! I also prefer chunky applesauce, so I cooked the apples then took a potato masher to break down the apples to my desired consistency. My recipe is pretty vague, especially since I have no idea how many pounds of apples I cooked, but it works for any amount of apples so it’s all good!Chunky Applesauce

Apples, peeled and cored (I used varying amounts of Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji, McIntosh, and Jonagold)
Sugar, as needed
Cinnamon, optional

Pour about an inch of filtered water into a large, heavy pot. Add the apples and cook, uncovered, on medium-high heat. When it starts to boil, turn heat down to medium-low; cook for about an hour total, or until apples are all tender. Mash the apple chunks with a potato masher to desired chunky consistency. For a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender or food processor to blend until smooth. If sauce is too watery, skim some of the juice off the top. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste. Enjoy cold or warm!

Source: Adapted from PickYourOwn.org