"Wormy" Cider Spiced Apple Pie Bars

     Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms. Do you remember that song? It came to mind as I scattered the topping over these wormy apple pie bars. Well not real worms anyway. I have an aversion to the real ones. What you see here is just a batch of squiggly cinnamon sugar covered wrigglers decking out a tender apple filling with an apple cider spiced cookie crust underneath. Throw a couple of cute little gummy worms on top and you've got a spook-tacular Halloween treat that's just gruesome enough. (But not too gruesome.)

     I spiced mine up with some instant cider mix, but plain cinnamon and sugar would work just as well. I know some people have issues with the ready made refrigerated pie crusts, but they really work here. (And I have issues with making pie crust.) Make your own crust if you wish, but the rolled dough makes it really easy to produce many worms in short order. And those wormy things on top? They bake up nice and crispy and add a cinnamon-sugar crunch to each bite. And trust me, it's the only way I'll be eating worms. :)


Wormy Cider Spiced Apple Pie Bars (Printable recipe here)
adapted from this Betty Crocker Recipe

Ingredients:
Cookie Crust
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 packet instant apple cider or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Filling
7-8 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar (or to taste, depending on the sweetness of your apples)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 packet instant apple cider (optional)
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Wormy Topping
1 box refrigerated rolled pie crusts (or your favorite homemade pie crust)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 packet instant apple cider

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. (400 for dark or nonstick pan) 
• Cream together 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Stir in 1 1/4 cups flour and packet of cider mix or cinnamon until mixed. 
• Press mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking pan. 
• Mix together all filling ingredients and pour into the crust. Bake for 10 minutes. While this bakes, prepare the wormy topping.
• Mix together 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, cinnamon and apple cider mix. Cut one cold pie crust (still rolled) lengthwise in half, and then into thin (1/4 inch or less) slices. 
• Separate the pieces and toss to coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining pie crust.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar coated "worms" over the partially baked filling and bake 18-22 minutes more until crust is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars. For a spookier effect, try using colored sugar (red for earthworms?) for the topping.

Apple-Almond Streusel Pie

     Sweet almond paste sandwiched snugly between layers of flaky crust... Tender apples spiced with warm cinnamon ... Crunchy bits of toasted almond streusel ... So many reasons to love this pie!

     The quintessential fall fruit teams up with almonds here to create a treat worthy of any occasion. It's delicious warm or cold, and I say this with authority having made it twice already in the past week. I first saw this pie in the new Pampered Chef catalog, and it sweetly called my name. Hope it calls yours too!


Apple-Almond Streusel Pie
Recipe from Pampered Chef  featured in Simply Sweet with my changes noted
You'll need:
For the crust:
two pie crusts (enough for a double crust pie) your favorite homemade or refrigerated
1  8oz. can of almond paste (or 7oz. tube)
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 egg whites, divided (One of these is just for moistening the edges of the pie crusts to keep them together, so I used the white of an extra large egg and saved back a teaspoon of it to brush on the crusts.)
For the filling:
3 to 3 1/2 lbs Granny Smith Apples, peeled (8 cups sliced)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I used 2 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used a bit less than this)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon Spice Blend (Pampered Chef has its own blend. I didn't have any so I used my own spice blend, recipe here.)
2 Tablespoons butter
For the Streusel topping:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup sliced almonds (I used more than this)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 370F or 190C.
• Place almond paste, one egg white and cornstarch in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
• Roll each of the pie crusts into a 12 inch circle. Spread almond paste onto one pie crust to within 1/2 inch of edge. Lightly beat the reserved egg white and brush over the edge of the crust not covered by the almond paste.
• Carefully place the second pie crust on top of the first. Pat together gently and press edges together with fingertips. Using a pastry cutter, trim 1/8 inch edge off of the crust to create a decorative border.
• Place crust into a deep dish pie pan, pressing dough into bottom and up sides. Prick bottom and sides. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. (I had to cover the edges to keep them from browning too quickly.) While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
• Filling: Pour lemon juice into a large bowl. Peel, core and slice apples into the lemon juice. Add brown sugar and spices; toss to coat.
• Melt butter in a skillet. Pour apple mixture into the skillet and cook, covered, over medium high heat until apples are tender. (6-8 minutes)
• Strain cooked apples over a bowl, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to to the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat until thickened and amber in color. Toss with apples and pour into crust.
• Combine flour, sugar and melted butter; stir until crumbly. Add almonds; toss to combine. Sprinkle topping over pie. Bake 20-25 minutes or until topping is light golden brown.
• Serve warm

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Nuts About Granola!

 

Do you have a favorite breakfast? Mine is granola. It's actually something I love to eat that is good for me! My favorite way to eat it is with Greek yogurt and fruit, or even with a little soy or almond milk over the top.  Unfortunately, some of my favorite granolas are pricey and sometimes overly sweet. Fortunately I've discovered that granola is really easy to make and I can customize it to suit my whims or to whatever is available in my cupboards.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Studies have shown that eating a healthful breakfast on a regular basis is an effective way to keep your weight in check, and reduce your risk for developing hypertension and type-2 diabetes. Eating oats is also a proven way of reducing bad cholesterol. Do yourself a favor and make a batch of this yummy granola. Use whatever nuts you prefer, and customize it to include your favorite add-ins. It's easy and economical!

Nutty Granola

adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe, Andy's Fairfield Granola

Ingredients:

5 cups rolled oats (not the quick kind)

3 cups raw nuts (whatever kind you prefer- I used pecans, walnuts and almonds) roughly chopped

Add ins- (up to about 1-2 cups total) Use what you like- I used:

    Coconut (I used dry unsweetened)

    Sesame seeds

    Sunflower seeds (unsalted, without hulls)

    Pumpkin seeds or pepitas (unsalted, without hulls)

    Flax seeds or flax seed meal

    Chia seeds (Who knew they were good for more than pets?)

3/4 cup date sugar (or light brown sugar)

1 Tablespoon Baking Spice Mix (recipe here) or cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup applesauce

1/3 cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup (can substitute honey)

1/4 cup honey

2 Tablespoons Canola or light flavored olive oil

Optional (to be added after granola completely cools)

Raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried blueberries or other dried fruit to taste.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Set oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. You'll need both of them.
• In a small bowl, mix together the applesauce, agave nectar, honey and oil. (You can substitute honey for the agave nectar if you don't have any. It's still delicious!) Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, add-ins, sugar, spices and salt.
• Pour the applesauce/honey mixture over the oat/nut mixture and stir together until all of the oat mixture is coated with the applesauce mixture.
• Divide the mixture between two large baking sheets. (jelly roll pans) Spread the mixture evenly.
• Put the pans on the oven racks and bake for about 30-35 minutes. Rotate the pans (top rack to bottom rack, etc.) every 10 minutes or so and stir the granola each time to keep it from clumping together. Stir again when you remove it from the oven. The granola should be golden brown- please don't overbake!
• Cool completely. Mix in dried fruit if desired, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Feather Pancakes with Spiced Maple Cream Syrup

     Pancakes. We had them all the time when we were growing up. My dad, a regular pancake artist, used to make them in different shapes for us. We could ask for any shape we wanted, but I remember that our favorites were snakes, cats and cows (complete with udders). I always ate the appendages first, with homemade butter and King Syrup. 

     Unfortunately, I did not inherit my dad's ability to make pancakes. When I make pancakes, I usually have enough trouble with just the round ones. I can hardly ever get them to cook just right, so most of the time I don't even try. But this morning was cold. Maybe it was because I'd been spoiled by the ninety degree weather on Friday, but I really needed something hot for breakfast. And that something hot just had to be pancakes.

     I found this recipe in a Virginia Hospitality cookbook that I've had for years. Feather Pancakes?  How could they not be fantastic? They did live up to their name, and even I had no trouble making these up light and fluffy. I sprinkled some chopped pecans on the last few I cooked, and with the Spiced Maple Cream Syrup they tasted like Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls-Yum!

Feather Pancakes
Recipe from Virginia Hospitality: A Book of Recipes From 200 Years of Gracious Entertaining
Ingredients:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons light flavored olive oil (or other light tasting oil)
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tablespoons baking powder (Yep, 2 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons sugar
Directions:

• Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Set aside.
• Whisk together the egg, milk and oil. Gradually add dry ingredients until combined. A few lumps are fine, (actually preferred.) Bake on hot griddle. (My griddle was non-stick, but I found that the pancakes were easier to turn if I brushed the surface before cooking with a thin layer of oil.) Makes about 8 five-inch pancakes.

Variation: Add a few chopped pecans to the mixture or sprinkle some on top of the finished pancakes. With the Spiced Maple Cream Syrup, they taste like Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls!


Spiced Maple Cream Syrup
Inspired by a recipe found in Virginia Hospitality

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
4Tablespoons water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon or baking spice (recipe here)
1/4 cup evaporated milk or half and half
Directions:

• In a small saucepan heat sugar, syrup, water and spice. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, heat to boiling.  Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Take off of heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. 
• Stir in evaporated milk or half and half. Serve warm on pancakes or waffles. Keep left over syrup in the refrigerator up to one week. Reheat before serving.

   

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

     There are two oatmeal cookie factions in my household. There is the "An oatmeal cookie is not an oatmeal cookie without raisins in it" faction, and then there's the "I hate to bite into a perfectly good oatmeal cookie and discover that those dark things aren't chocolate" faction. This being the case, when I made oatmeal cookies this weekend there was only one thing to do...well two actually. I made part of the cookies with raisins, and the rest were studded with peanut M&Ms.

     This recipe for Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies on the Quaker Oats website  is a little bit different than the recipe (by the same name) on the Quaker Oats oatmeal box...it has a little bit less of both butter and sugar, which made it an easy choice since we're trying to cut down on both around here. Regardless of the mix-ins used, both kinds of cookies turned out perfectly chewy inside with a little "crisp" on the edges. Additionally, using the Baking Spice Blend in place of the cinnamon I usually use really gave them a good flavor. No one missed the extra butter and sugar at all!

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies
recipe from the Quaker Oats website

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs from happy hens
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon or Baking Spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker Oats- old fashioned or quick  (uncooked)
1 cup of mix-ins: raisins, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, candy covered chocolate pieces, dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries (optional)
Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees 
• Cream together butter and sugars. 
• Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
• Whisk or sift together flour, baking soda, spice and salt. Add to mixture.
• Stir in oatmeal and mix-ins.
• Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment covered (or ungreased) baking sheets. I also added a few extra raisins (or M&Ms) on top of each dough ball.
• Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for a minute on the cookie sheet and then cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 4 dozen.

Bar cookie variation: Press dough into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.