Apple Crisp a la mode

One of my favorite fall dessert. Well, actually all year round. This is not your regular crisp recipe, i experimented on some ingredients which i think will add more flavor to the crisp. Well....I'm happy to tell you that this was a success! If you like caramel and apple jam....then you should give this a try!

Ingredients:

4 medium apple, sliced (I used apples that we picked from our Apple picking adventure)***
1/4 C caramel (I melted 1/2 a bag of 14 oz Kraft Caramel) i had some left overs.
1/2 C homemade apple jam or store bought
3/4 C packed light brown sugar
1/2 C self rising flour or All purpose flour
1/2 C Old fashioned oats
8 T butter (one stick)
3/4 t cinnamon

Heat oven to 365 degrees F.

Grease bottom and sides of a baking pan with butter.

Arrange sliced apples in baking pan.

To melt the caramel, follow the caramel package instructions.

Mix together melted caramel and apple jam.

Pour the caramel/jam mixture into the baking pan making sure to spread it all over the arranged apple slices
.
In a bowl, using your hands, mix and stir brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and softened butter until it forms pea size lump.

Sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve warm with ice cream or whip cream.

 

 

Used different varieties from our apple picking.





 

 

 

 

 



CRISPY GREEN MANGO, APPLE AND JICAMA SALAD

My version of a Thai green mango salad. This salad goes perfect with anything fried like fried chicken, fried fish and even fried pork chop. Best and famous with Thai crispy fish. Thai crispy fish with green mango salad is one of the best dish i had during my visit to Thailand. That dish will be for another blog. In the meantime let's continue with the salad ;)

This salad is easy to make and you can substitute other ingredients to make it your own. The addition of the jicama is my version. So, you can probably add pears to the salad or any crispy/crunchy fruit...hhmmm now i need to try that. ;)

The secret to a fresh and crispy salad, is to make sure you buy fresh fruits and no blemish as much as possible

Ingredients: 

For 4 serving

1 green mango (choose a big size and make sure it's not ripe)

1 jicama (medium size)
1 apple (green and tart- granny smith is perfect)

1 lime or more if you want it sour

cilantro (washed, this will all depend on how much cilantro you want. Omit, if you don't like cilantro)

2 pieces of Thai bird chili 

1 small shallot or small sweet onion

2 T pounded roasted peanuts

1 T chopped roasted dried shrimps ( available at any Asian stores)

Dressing: ****

5 T fish sauce

4 T fresh lime juice

2 T sugar

 **** Taste and adjust the dressing to suit your taste.

Peel and grate or julienne the mango and jicama. Slice the apple and onion the same way.
Roast and chop peanuts.

Roast and chop dried shrimps (optional)

Mix all the dressing ingredients (Remember, taste it first and adjust if needed)

Toss the salad and garnish more cilantro or dried shrimp if you want.

Oh...so...delicious!!! Crunchy, crispy, sweet, sour and tangy!!!!!

Some of the ingredients.... green apple, jicama, green mango and lime

An important ingredient. Fish sauce. I love this brand but you can use any brand of course.

I  know this might not be available in your area, or you are allergic to shrimp,you can omit this ingredient. But if you ask me...really, i think this does add flavor to the salad.

I served this salad with my version of the Thai Crispy Fish. Recipe to follow;)
Now, i want to make this salad again!!!! lol!

APPLESAUCE CUPCAKE WITH BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Made these cupcakes for a co-workers' birthday. I know some of  my foodie friends will not like the idea of using a cake mix. I don't really mind making cakes out of the box, end products are actually good. Now for the frosting, i want mine from scratch,  taste a whole lot better. Hey...that's my opinion ;)

This recipe is a combination of my previous cupcake recipe with some substitutions. In lieu of oil i used applesauce, which is not a secret, applesauce can be used to substitute the liquid for your cake batter. For the frosting i used the same recipe w/ the addition of the butterscotch ganache.. Viola a successful cupcake....and. is another keeper for sure!!! love the combination!

CUPCAKE BATTER
Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
16 ounces applesauce
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mix, beat eggs, mix in cake mix, stir in apple sauce. Mix the batter well.
Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each liners about 2/3 full.
Bake cupcakes for 25 to 30 minutes or insert a toothpick through the center of the cupcake. If toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
Let them cool on cookie racks.

BUTTERSCOTCH GANACHE
Ingredients:
1 package (11 oz) butterscotch chips
1 pint heavy cream

In a small pan, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Mix in butterscotch chips, whisk until smooth.
Let it cool or until thickened.

BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Ingredients:
1/4 C butterscotch ganache (you can add more if needed)
1 stick butter (softened)
1 package (8 oz ) cream cheese (softened)
3 cups powdered sugar (add one more cup if needed)

Beat butter, ganache, cream cheese in a mixer until well blended.
Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition until mixed and incorporated.
**add more powdered sugar if frosting is a bit runny.
**add a teaspoon of milk if frosting is to stiff.

ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKE:
1. Spread a little of the ganache on top of the cupcake, just enough that it'll not drip on the sides.
2. Put frosting in a star tipped decorators bag.
3. Start piping from the outer edge working inward.

PAM'S CARAMEL APPLE

Pam went apple picking w/ her friends before she left for a "long long vacay" in Chicago. She made 2 apple dishes- Caramel Apple and Apple Pie.

There are still apples left so i'm making apple butter as i'm posting this blog. The house smells so good..Autumn is here!!!


Ingredients:

Six apples, 1 (14 oz) package individually wrapped caramels, 2 T milk.

Process:
Remove stem from each apple, Push a craft stick into the top. Place unwrapped caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl and zap in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring once. Let caramel cool briefly.

****To make them more authentically Autumnal, use sturdy sticks, and use these as the handles for these sweet treats.

APPLE CHIPS and APPLE ALMOND SALAD.

After all the apple butter, apple pies, apple muffins i have made. I have two other simple yet healthy ways to serve apples, apple chips and apple almond salad.

Chips, one of our favorite snack esp. autumn season.
Salads are always my go to lunch or dinner.

I don't have a food dehydrator so i make my chips using the oven at a low temp. No specific variety of apple is needed. No peeling is necessary, i like mine unpeeled for a rustic look and to achieve that curly effect and maintain the starlike shape in the middle.

All you need are the following:

Mandoline to slice your apples , but using your knife skills in slicing very thin and uniformed sliced apples is good as well=;)
Confectioners sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg (optional)

Mandoline is the best tool to make apple chips.

Preheat oven and set at 300 degrees F.
Lay and spread out sliced apples on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Take out seeds as you spread the slices.
Sprinkle w/ cinnamon, nutmeg then confectioners sugar and then flip and repeat process.
Bake for at least an hour, no more than that, it'll burn!
Flip apples half way through the baking.
I usually let the chips sit for few minutes to cool down and become crunchy.
Keep and store in airtight container.

APPLE ALMOND AND CHICKEN SALAD

SLICED APPLES, ROASTED ALMONDS, ROTISSERIE CHICKEN (STORE BOUGHT), BABY ARUGULA SALAD BLEND, OLIVE OIL AND WHITE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

ENJOY!!!!

APPLE BUTTER

This is my first time making apple butter. I first saw and learned about apple butter at the farmers market and was determined to make them during apple season. Well, this will not be my last, i'm definitely making more of this.
Great as holiday gift!

I got this recipe from Dinner and Drinks with some tweaking ofcourse=;)

Ingredients:

10 big apples or 12 medium apples, peeled cored and diced
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 C apple cider
2 1/2 pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 T lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients in a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Puree the cooked apples ( I used my immersion blender), you can also mash the apples if you want some texture.
Cook uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes just to thicken the mixture.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

*Shelf life 3 weeks inside the fridge.

I've been enjoying the apple butter on my toast every morning.