Caramel Apple Tarts...........................

I feel like I am a broken record when it comes to me saying how much I love fall but I just can't help it, it is one of my most favorite seasons.  And this past Saturday just so happened to be the first day of fall, so Thad and I went to the cutest little store down the road from us that sells baked goods, Amish jams and jellies, local fruits, veggies, grows mums and sells pumpkins and honestly it is like a fall wonderland and all it did was get me excited for fall.   We then returned home and I made Thad crawl into the attic and get out the Halloween decor.

But the first day of fall was not going to be complete without making an awesome fall recipe and I did not have to look far for inspiration.  I love getting my fall magazines, full of amazing fall pictures and fall recipes.  I got my Southern Living last month and it was jammed packed with recipes all featuring apples and what could be more fall than apples.

There were so many recipes to choose from but I decided to settle in on the Caramel Apple Ice-cream Tarts.  I used that recipe as inspiration and tweaked it according to my liking. I chose this recipe because there were cute little individual tarts topped off with sauteed apples, ice-cream , toasted pecans and homemade caramel.  Now if that does not sound good then  "you need to get on out of here" (a Thad phrase).  I made them and then presented a decked out plate to the master taster.....Thad and he loved it.  He even put this dessert in his top 5 which is big if you know Thad Forester.  This is the perfect fall dessert for a dinner party or just a chilly evening at home.  The smells that will fill your kitchen will give you fall fever and this recipe itself will get your taste buds ready for fall........

Caramel Apple Tarts
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter, cubed
2/3 cup powdered sugar 
1/3 cup cornstarch 
4 tablespoons butter 
4 cups peeled and diced Gala apples (4-5 apples)
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream  
1/2 cup roasted pecans 

Start off by preheating oven to 350 degrees. Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor 10 to 12 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Then spray the individual tart pans and then using the mixture, firmly press on bottom and up sides of 8 (3 3/4-inch) or 4 (6 inch) round tart pans with removable bottoms. Place in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. While tarts are Baking, begin on the caramel sauce since it needs time to cool slightly (see recipe below).

Once tarts are browned, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack just until you are able to handle the tart pans.  Once cooled slightly, I turn each tart over and tap the bottom until the tart pan sounds hallow to make sure the tart comes out in pretty form.

Then melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add apples and brown sugar. I also added 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.  Once all ingredients are all combined, make sure to stir constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until the apples are tender and caramelized.

Caramel Sauce
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream 
1/4 cup honey

Bring brown sugar, butter, whipping cream, and honey to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool 15 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. To reheat, microwave at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.

To assemble, take the tart shell, fill with sauteed apples, then place three hardy scoops of ice cream on top, then add the caramel sauce and top it all off with some roasted pecans.  This recipe will send your taste buds reeling, just the apples, with the creamy ice cream and homemade caramel topped with roasted pecan.....you can't go wrong.  Such a perfect fall dessert that will wow any guest!  Definitely a keeper!

 Happy Fall!

Martha's Apple-Pecan Cake..........

What do you think of when you hear nutmeg, apples and roasted pecans? What comes to my mind are the holidays and the word "yummy"and that is exactly what this Apple-Pecan Cake is. This recipe is so moist and full of flavor and honestly is a perfect after school snack or a light, but, packed full of flavor dessert.

Like my last post this was the featured recipe on Martha Stewart's show. I trust Martha and find most of her recipes to be pleasing and very delish and in some ways I hold Martha and my mom on the same pedestal, both are classy ladies, both are very good cooks and every recipe I use of theirs are keepers and crowd pleasers.

So if you love fall like I do, and love when the leaves are changing and there is a briskness in the air, pumpkins and mums are being sold at the grocery stores and you go looking for your favorite recipe for pumpkin cookies then this recipe is for you. The nutmeg, pecans, apples and orange zest gives this recipe a fall flavor that is both comforting and warm.


Apple-Pecan Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 medium apple, such as Gala or Fuji, peeled and diced small
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon packed finely grated orange zest
3 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Start off by preheating oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or I used a 8-inch pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides, so that it is easier to remove. Butter the parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the apple (cut up in small but not too small chunk, large enough that they don't dissolve ) and pecans with 2 tablespoons flour to coat, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. In addition, using another small bowl, combine applesauce and yogurt and set aside also.

In a large mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aide), beat butter, granulated sugar, and orange zest on high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Then turn mixer to low and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions applesauce mixture, and beat until combined. Fold in apple mixture gently until completely mixed in. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Using parchment, lift cake from pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar or top with some whip cream before serving.

This recipe is moist, flavorful and the perfect fall treat for any occasion.

Happy Fall Baking!

A Wintery Winter Crisp

Winter is a time for baking, especially anything with warm apples and cinnamon.....apple pies, apple tarts and even appple crisps. The smell that travels through the house as these yummy desserts are being baked is so comforting and that scent alone can conjure up good holiday memories and get you all warm and fuzzy inside (cheesy but true). Martha Stewart has an apple crisp like recipe but with a holiday twist that will knock your Christmas reindeer socks right off. What is this holiday twist or secret ingredient you ask? Well cranberries of course and tis the season for fresh cranberries and I love me some fresh cranberries.

Martha's Winter Crisps is an age old favorite in our family, that my mom has made for years and that I can recall making when I was a junior in high school for the first time. The tart of the apples and cranberries mix well with the sweetness of the pears and crumb topping. And the cinnamon and nutmeg give it a holiday taste that is unmatched. And when served warm with some vanilla ice cream, there is nothing better.


Martha's Winter Crisp
2 cups cranberries (fresh), can be found in the produce section
4 cups pears, peeled and sliced
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar

Crumb Topping
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup unsalted butter
Nuts optional

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch glass dish. Set aside.

Using a medium size bowl, peel cut and measure out the apples and pears, adding the cranberries last after rinsing the cranberries gentle. The in a small separate bowl mix together the cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. Once mixed add the dry spice mixture to the fruit, tossing with your fingers until everything is coated evenly. Once fully coated place the fruit-spice mixture into the buttered glass dish. Set aside.

In another small bowl combine the flour, brown sugar and oatmeal. Mix well. Then cut the butter into the dry mixture with a pastry knife or a fork. Mix until the butter is in small pea sized balls and is incorporated in with the dry mixture. Pour the crumb topping mixture onto the fruit in the butter dish making sure it is blanketing the fruit.

Bake the winter crisp for 35-45 minutes, baking unto the crumb topping is a golden brown and the juices from the fruit mixture are bubbling and the fruit is soft. Once done baking, place on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm, with a yummy vanilla ice cream.

So if you are needing a little Christmas kick in the pants and like a good crisp, bake you a Winter Crisp and finish it off with a scoop of ice cream. In the end you will be oozing with christmas cheer and will keep going back for more.

Merry Christmas!

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Pie

I am sorry for being away for so long. Seven weeks ago today my brother-in-law Mark Forester died in Afghanistan, in combat trying to save a fellow teammate. Mark died a hero and he died for our freedoms. I have not felt much like blogging but after a gentle push from both my sister and my mom I am back and ready to bake my little heart out, and as my mom posted on my blog "Roz get back to cooking! It is good for the soul".

So with that said, it is fall once again and whenever I feel fall creeping up on me, I get so so so excited. I love colorful fall leaves, I love cool nights where I have to get my blanket out and curl up in it and I love what fall means.....it is the pre-party to Christmas. Along with fall comes this urge or need to bake an apple pie. It feels like it is not yet officially fall until I have baked a warm, gooey, cinnamony apple pie. Plus the smell that it sends through out our home is pretty much divine.

My parents live in a little town called Millville, in northern Utah, they have a gorgeous spread and on that beautiful spread they have over 80 apple trees. When fall rolls around each year the apples get ready to harvest which means apple picking, apple cider and lots and lots and lots of apple pies. Apples and fall go hand and hand. So the other night I was at the store and decided that I was going to make an apple pie. Thad didn't complain either and of course, true to form he was my little sampler. William Sonoma has a great Collection of cookbooks and I have their "William Sonoma Collection: Pie & Tart". In this cookbook I found an amazing recipe for a Cinnamon Apple Crumb Pie and I liked it because it was just a little different than your normal apple pie. The flavor of the pie, with the tart apples, cinnamon and crumb topping was a perfect combination and honestly it was the perfect taste of fall. So give this perfect apple pie a try....that rhymes.

To begin preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Get out a pie pan and grease it lightly, set aside.

For the crust, use your favorite pie crust recipe. I use my mother's secret family recipe (she is an amazing pie maker).

Pie Filling

7 large, tart apples

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of salt

For the pie filling slice the 7 large apples as thin as possible. Place apples in a medium size bowl. Then sprinkle the apples with the fresh lemon juice, set aside. Then in a small bowl combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, mix well. Once combined, pour sugar mixture onto the apples. Toss gently, making sure the sugar mixture is evenly distributed on the apples. When apples and sugar mixture are combined, pour apple filling into a prepared a dough-lined pie pan. Set aside.

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

For the yummy crumb topping, in a medium size bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Then with a pastry blender cut the butter into the dry mixture until the butter is in little bead shaped balls. If this is made before had, place in refrigerator until needed.

Once pie filling is complete and in dough-lined pie pan, sprinkle the crumb topping on to pie, making sure it is distributed evenly. Then place in oven on middle rack for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is a nice light golden brown and pie mixture is bubbling.

When done, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack until it is completely cooled or at room temperature. I serve mine with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream or you can also do whip cream. Either way you can't go wrong, this is a classic recipe, that is for sure a comfort food that will get you ready for fall and winter.

Happy Fall!