apples

A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

Posted by on Mar 1, 2017 in apples, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, cake, cookies | Comments Off on A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

I have shared many takes on snickerdoodles and many versions of apple cake and pie. This time, I combine apple cake and snickerdoodles to make something especially awesome.

A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

These Apple Snickerdoodle Bars are incredibly straightforward to make. The most time-consuming thing is peeling and dicing the apples. The batter comes together fast, the apples mix right in, and you top the whole thing with a cinnamon-sugar layer.

A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

In under thirty minutes of baking, BOOM. You have created a masterpiece.

A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

Seriously, if you love apples and snickerdoodles, a piece of this will be like heaven. It is dense and tender, not crumbly at all. The topping crisps up in an amazing way.

A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

I store these cut-up between wax paper layers in the fridge. They also freeze well.

If you’re bonkers for these bars, freezing them might help with the matter of restraint.

A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

If you love apples and snickerdoodles, one of these bars will be like heaven! This produces a full 13x9 pan of dense, tender, blissful bars. Store them in a sealed container in the fridge; bars can also be frozen.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: apple, bars, snickerdoodle
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Bars

  • 2 cups baking apples 2 medium apples, peeled & diced
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, melted
  • 2 cups brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Line a 13x9 pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Apply nonstick spray or butter. Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
  • Peel and dice the apples; stir in some flour to lightly coat to prevent browning as you prepare the batter.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients. Once that is just combined (it will be very thick), add the diced apples.
  • Dollop the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. In another small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon. Use a spoon to cover the top of the batter with the cinnamon-sugar.
  • Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the top is set and the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool at room temperature and then chill in the fridge. Use the parchment or foil to lift the bars out for easy cutting on a board. Store bars in a sealed container in the fridge.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

A Bready or Not Original: Apple Snickerdoodle Bars

Read More

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

Posted by on Aug 17, 2016 in apples, Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, maple, pie | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

This pie is my own original creation. I hacked together three existing recipes and amped up the maple to make something totally new. When I told my husband about how I melded everything, he said, “Oh, so it’s a Voltron pie.” That’s now our nickname for this Maple Apple Pie.

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

Maple sugar is the key ingredient in every step, but it’s just enough to embody the flavor without it going overkill. I highly recommend buying a big ol’ container of maple sugar–trust me, if you want to follow along with my recipes, you’ll go through it eventually. This is the brand I use:

The most amazing thing about this? The filling sauce. I borrowed and modified it from a pear galette recipe (which I’ll feature this fall) from the cookbook Maple. It’s really more like a paste in texture, grainy and strong with a lovely combo of maple and lemon. You’ll want to lick the bowl.

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

This pie smells glorious. It’s like autumn, Thanksgiving, Christmas. And the taste… well. My husband adores my Caramel Apple Pie and considers it his all-time favorite.

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

Or it was, until he had Voltron Pie.

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

That’s right. This maple-filled pie is the new champion in the Cato household.

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

 

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

A Bready or Not original. This Maple Apple Pie is infused with maple sugar through every layer. If you love apple pie and love maple, this pie is your destiny.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: apple, lemon, maple, pie
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon maple sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cube, cold
  • 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or canola oil
  • 3 - 5 Tablespoons ice water

Filling:

  • 4 - 5 Granny Smith apples
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a vanilla bean, scraped
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar

Crumb topping:

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick , cold

Instructions

  • Combine crust ingredients. Work in butter until it is just pea-sized, and use only as much water as needed to make the dough cohesive. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or a few days.
  • Roll out dough to equal thickness and place in pie dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze while preparing the filling, or freeze for several days.
  • Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Peel and core apples and slice to 1/8s or smaller. Toss them in a light dusting of flour to prevent sticking. Place apples in pie crust on a cookie sheet.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla extract, lemon juice, flour, and maple sugar; it'll form a thick maple paste. Set aside.
  • In another small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Use a fork and knife to reduce the butter to pea-sized chunks.
  • Return to the maple sauce. Give it a good stir, and drizzle thick syrup all over apples. Cover evenly with crumb topping.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are tender when stabbed with a fork.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Bready or Not: Maple Apple Pie

Save

Save

Read More

Bready or Not: Apple Cinnamon Cake

Posted by on Feb 17, 2016 in apples, Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, cake | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Apple Cinnamon Cake

I mention every so often that apple pie is probably the favorite thing of both my dad and my husband. This apple cake now rates right up there, too.

Apple Cinnamon Cake

This cake is easy to put together. The most time-consuming thing is peeling and chopping the apples. The cake bakes up dense, soft, and full of cinnamon and apple flavor.

Apple Cinnamon Cake

One of the great things about this recipe is that it’s easy to parcel out leftovers–if you have any. Cut the cake into pieces, freeze each separately, wrap in waxed paper, and place in freezer bags or plastic containers. Thaw pieces in fridge, and eat them cold or warm up in the microwave or oven (the latter being the family preference).

Apple Cinnamon Cake

This apple cake is great whenever. Serve it for breakfast, snack, or dessert. It’ll make your belly happy any time of day.

Apple Cinnamon Cake

Modified from Apple Squares at Julia’s Album.

 

Bready or Not: Apple Cinnamon Cake

These dense, luscious apple cake squares are perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert! Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith. Leftovers can be frozen in pieces, and once thawed, can be eaten straight from the fridge or heated in the microwave or oven.
Course: Dessert, Snack
Keyword: apple, cake, sour cream
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 3 medium apples peeled, cored, & chopped into small chunks
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs room temperature

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 9×9 square pan with foil and apply butter or nonstick spray.
  • In a medium bowl, toss peeled and chopped apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together the white sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream/yogurt, and vanilla extract until it's smooth. Add the eggs.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything is just mixed.
  • Pour half the batter into the ready pan. Sprinkle half the apples evenly over the top. Pour the remaining batter, smooth it out, then add the remaining apples.
  • Bake for about an hour. It will pass the toothpick test when done. Cool completely and store covered in the fridge.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Apple Cinnamon Cake

Read More

Bready or Not: Appeltaart

Posted by on Dec 16, 2015 in apples, Blog, Bready or Not, pie | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Appeltaart

I love my traditional Caramel Apple Pie recipe, but this deep-dish apple pie is something extraordinary! It uses a springform pan.

Appeltaart

Brace yourself for a lot of pictures. This is one of those rare times when my end result looked exactly like the photo in the magazine.

Appeltaart

It’s a photogenic pie, isn’t it?

Appeltaart

This Appeltaart is as delicious as it looks, too. My husband and my dad are hardcore apple pie lovers. It’s probably one of their all-time favorite foods. This pie rated VERY highly for both of them.

Appeltaart

The directions look long, but really, it’s not an intimidating pie. I know a lot of folks hate rolling out pie crusts–well, this is the recipe for you! You press most of the dough into the pan and then slice strips for the lattice on top.

Appeltaart

The original recipe had raisins in it–which was blasphemous to my family. I omitted the raisins and added more cinnamon.

It would be easy to modify the recipe more. Add a drizzle of caramel or dulce de leche. Try adding some nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom. Or if the making the lattice top worries you, tuck that dough away for other purposes, and throw together a crumb topping. Or instead of cutting strips for the lattice, roll out the dough and use small cookie cutters shaped like leaves or other things.

Appeltaart

Whatever you do, I bet you’ll be amazed at the Appeltaart. This will be the showcase for your holiday dessert table… and something special to make all year round.

Appeltaart

Modified from a recipe in Martha Stewart Living magazine; also online.

Bready or Not: Appeltaart

This gorgeous deep-dish apple pie is made in a springform pan. If you're intimidated by pie crusts, you'll love the press-in crust for this recipe! Modified from an Appeltaart recipe originally featured in Martha Stewart Living.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: apple, cake, lemon, pie
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling

  • 2 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and cut into chunks (6 cups)
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more as needed
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten

Instructions

Dough:

  • In a bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. Add the butter and work it in until only pea-size pieces are visible.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, water, and vanilla, then pour into the dry mix. Mix until the dough makes a ball. Form about two-thirds of the dough into one disk and remaining third of dough into another disk. Separately wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate them until firm, about 1 hour.

Filling:

  • Toss together the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Set aside but stir every so often as you make other preparations.
  • Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Prepare a 9-inch round springform pan by cutting parchment paper to fit the circle inside. Use butter or Pam to adhere the parchment in the pan, then fully grease the top of the parchment and the sides of the pan.
  • Lightly flour a surface. Take out your large dough disk and roll it out. It's okay if it's fragmented. Take the pieces and press them into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle some flour over the dough.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the apple filling into the crust; you'll discard any leftover juice. Roll out the other dough disk to be about 1/4-inch thick. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough into thick strips. Lay half of the strips over the filling, then do the other half crossing the other way. Press the edges of the strips into the crust at the sides.
  • Lightly beat the egg and brush the lattice with the egg wash.
  • Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and apples are tender when stabbed with a fork, about 1 hour 10-20 minutes. Check it at the 40 minute point and cover it with foil if it starts to look too dark.
  • Let it cool on a wire rack until sides of tart pull away from pan, about 30 minutes. Unsnap the springform pan and remove the side circle; keep the appeltaart on the base for convenient serving. Let it cool for an least an hour before cutting in.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Appeltaart

 

Read More

Bready or Not: Quick Apple Pie

Posted by on Nov 25, 2015 in apples, Blog, Bready or Not, pie | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Quick Apple Pie

I’m all about making goodies from scratch, but sometimes speedy shortcuts are the way to go. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, after all.

Quick Apple Pie

This apple pie comes together in about ten minutes. The big shortcut element is a can of pie filling. Mind you, I haven’t used pie filling in about a decade, and I was amazed at how much faster the process went. Peeling, coring, and slicing apples takes up time.

Quick Apple Pie

I used a Comstock apple caramel can. I did miss the firmer texture of fresh-cut apples, but the overall pie was just fine.

My husband described it as being “like a big oatmeal-apple cookie.”

Quick Apple Pie

I used my homemade crust recipe–shown below–but use a store-bought type if you need to. It’s holiday time. Time is precious.

Pie is precious, too.

Modified from Caramel Apple Crumble Pie at Averie Cooks.

Bready or Not: Basic Pie Crust

A basic, reliable pie shell recipe. Great for sweet pies! Reduce the sugar, and use for savory pies, too!
Course: Dessert, Main Course
Keyword: pie
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, cold, cut into cubes
  • 3/4 cup ice water

Instructions

  • Make dough hours in advance or the night before. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the cold butter cubes, and either use a pastry blender or pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the butter is pea-sized.
  • Pour in the cold water and pulse/mix together until the dough forms a loose ball. I like to use my hands at this point. The dough may be sticky, but it will firm up well.
  • Pour dough onto a floured surface. Divide into two balls and fallen them into discs. Wrap each disc in parchment paper, then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour before placing in pie dish, or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Roll out the refrigerated dough into a 12-inch round. Press it into a 9-inch dish, trimming the excess and pinching the edges. Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and freeze at least two hours before using, or keep frozen up to three months.

 

Bready or Not: Quick Apple Pie

This shortcut recipe uses canned apple pie filling and your own mix of spices to create a dish that's like an oatmeal-apple pie hybrid. Perfect for when you don't have fresh apples handy or you need a pie ready, pronto!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: apple, pie
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter half stick, melted
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt optional and to taste
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 21 ounce canned apple pie filling
  • 9 inch frozen pie crust homemade or store-bought

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Set out the pie shell on a cookie sheet.
  • In a large microwavable bowl, melt the butter. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes, then stir in the sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and salt. Whisk in the egg until batter is smooth.
  • Add the flour and oats until just combined, then gently fold in the apple pie filling. Pour everything into the pie shell; it will come up to the brim.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until top has set. Allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
  • Pie keeps for days, covered by foil in the fridge.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Quick Apple Pie

Read More

Bready or Not: Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies

Posted by on Jan 28, 2015 in apples, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies

Dessert. Breakfast. Brunch. Hunger. These are all good times to whip up these Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies.

apple blondies

This is kinda like a cross between an apple crisp and a pie. The apples are mixed into batter and then topped with layers of caramel and sweetened crumbs.

apple blondies

I confess, I didn’t measure the amount of dulce de leche I used here. The measurement below is a total guess. Really, get a squeeze bottle or an open jar and drizzle. Don’t worry about covering the whole surface.

apple blondies

The edges here bake up solid and chewy. The middle passed the toothpick test for doneness, but once it was cut into, it was still a little gooey. That was fine. I knew it was baked through. It’s just a pie-like consistency in the middle.

apple blondies

Serve this cold straight out of the fridge. Maybe add a scoop of ice cream. Or warm it up a touch in the microwave. These blondies are versatile. They can take many paths to end up in your happy belly.

Modified from Foodie Crush

apple blondies

Bready or Not: Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies

Course: Dessert
Keyword: apple, bars
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

For the blondies

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 2/3 cups light brown sugar packed
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 medium apples peeled and diced (1 1/2-2 cups)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup dulce de leche or caramel topping

For the strudel

  • 5 Tablespoons cold butter chopped
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8 X 8 inch pan (or 9 X 9 inch) pan with aluminum foil so that it hangs over the sides. Apply non-stick spray.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cream of tartar and salt in a medium size bowl and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients. Add the apple pieces. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
  • Whip out a squeeze bottle or jar of dulce de leche or caramel. Drizzle over the batter.
  • Combine the strudel ingredients in another bowl and chop together until the butter is mostly down to pea-size chunks. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. Lift the bars out by the overhanging foil and cut into bars. The edges will be crisper and more solid, while the center may be messier and sticky with caramel. It's all good.

OM NOM NOM.

     

    apple blondies

    Read More