Southern Apple Crumble

October 5th was a weird day around here. I was running around the house like an idiot trying to clean up because we had friends coming over to watch the Phillies game. It was also the day after Apple announced the new iPhone 4S, so while everyone I knew was complaining about the lack of features and general coolness the new phone had and lacked,  I was in the kitchen slicing up real apples. 

That morning I found a sweet recipe for a slightly different version of apple crisp and I was going to make it because we had people coming over. It was actually just a lame excuse to bake because school had been draining the life out out me and leaving me with no time to bake anything. Every time I walked in there I remembered when I covered the whole room with corn starch. I antiqued it. The memories. 

The recipe - Southern Apple Crumble - is from Betty Crocker. Before I used it on my test audience it had already gotten rave reviews online so it was clearly a no brainer. 

So while there were rampant squirrels running across the Phillies' chances of getting into the World Series, I was telling my friend Ben that Apple Crumble only went to the people who appreciated it. It was a tense moment. I'm not proud of it.

The weird part of the story is that as we were all cramped in our tiny living room, watching the squirrel and eating Apple Crumble when we found out that Steve Jobs died. This is why the word apropos was invented. So while I may be 13 days late in saluting a legend, this Apple Crumble Yeah, I'd Bake That post goes out to Steve!

I mean, face it. This is apple season, and this is the recipe you want to use to impress your friends who also love apples. Here's the recipe:

Southern Apple Crumble

Link: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/southern-apple-crumble/d3c36ab1-55f3-4221-a114-b32c49b489e5

Filling:

3 large apples, peeled and chopped (I'd use 4 next time, but 3 is good too)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces

Topping:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie Mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 8-inch square glass baking dish (which I clearly failed at) with cooking spray. In large bowl, toss filling ingredients together. Spread mixture in baking dish.

2. In the same large bowl, stir cookie mix and belted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.

3. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with pecans. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown. 

Serve warm and probably with ice cream! Try it out my friends!

Source: Betty Crocker

Link: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/southern-apple-crumble/d3c36ab1-55f3-4221-a114-b32c49b489e5

Amish Caramel Corn

Wow. I can not watch Dancing with the Stars and concentrate on writing this blog. It's too difficult! The shiny costumes...the mediocre dancing...it's all too much.

It took me awhile to figure out what to post this week, but I decided on a sweet recipe for caramel popcorn. I made it and gave it away for Christmas last year, but made it again last week because I had some extra time on my hands (and I was trying to get rid of the ridiculous amount of plain popcorn I had in the cupboards) Seriously, who bought that much plain popcorn?

Anyway, I give out cookies every year for Christmas because I'm cheap thrifty and before it was time to start all the baking my mom told me about this recipe. In my memory she kept going on and on about her Amish friend and her great recipe for caramel popcorn. Which made me ask her repeatedly who she knew that was Amish, and if she ever stayed with them or if they were the ones who made our fireplace. In reality, I'm sure she was rationally telling me about the recipe and how her friend (who was not Amish) gave her this recipe which was called "My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn".

This recipe is a few things. A. It's time consuming. B. It's awesome. C. It's sticky. 4. It'll go fast.

I'm posting the recipe below, but I encourage you to take a look at the link so you can read the comments. I don't think I've ever seen so many 5 star reviews. But maybe it's the Amish girl's friend just trying to make her feel better about her popcorn recipe.

My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn (I just wanted to say Amish once more)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/my-amish-friends-caramel-corn/detail.aspx

Ingredients:
7 Quarts plain popped corn (I used 3 bags worth)
2 cups dry roasted peanuts (If you enjoy peanuts. I used them and would recommend them for sure)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place the popped corn into 2 greased, baking pans. If you're adding peanuts, add them now. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 250. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, stirring to blend. Once the mix starts to boil, boil for 5 more minutes stirring constantly.

3. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. It's going to look foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn and stir to coat all of the popcorn.

4. Bake for one hour total. Every 15 minutes remove the pans and stir up the popcorn to cover all of it. Line a flat surface (in my case, the entire dining room table) with waxed paper. Dump the corn out and separate into smaller pieces. Let it cool, or eat it all when it's warm because it's awesome that way.

I'm not kidding when I say it took up the majority of my dining room table. 

So friends, take this recipe and put it in your Christmas bank. I have yet to hear anything negative about this popcorn. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell my mom's Amish friend. She's sensitive.

Source: Allrecipes.com

URL: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/my-amish-friends-caramel-corn/detail.aspx

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie: Part II The Two Towers

My last post was all about what I had deemed the second coming of pie. I hadn't had the chance to make it when I wrote about it, but I was pretty positive that it would be amazing. Now, two weeks or so later, I can officially say it's a pie you HAVE to make. Have to! Like, go now and make this pie! I will wait.

I included the directions in my last post, but I'm reposting here for easiness. That's how much you need to go to the grocery store to get the FOUR ingredients you need for this pie.

Ingredients:

1 (15 or 18 oz) package of chocolate chip cookies

1 cup milk

1 (9 oz) commercial graham cracker crust

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Dip 8 cookies in milk, and place in a single layer in crust. Top with one third of whipped topping. Dip 8 more cookies in milk, place on top; spread with one third of whipped topping. Repeat layers with 8 more cookies, milk and remaining whipped cream.

I'm pretty sure that the cookies dipped in milk is what makes this
recipe so amazing. 

Keep layering!

2. Crumble 2 cookies and sprinkle over pie.

 

3. Cover and chill for 8 hours before serving.

Pie glamour shot

We enjoyed our pie at the Wallover residence for Labor Day Fondue! It was an excellent accompaniment to fondue and the famous blue t-shirts:

This is where lucky readers get to see pie enthusiasts! 

And the cutest child in America! 

(obviously, bottom right. not the cute one in the bottom left)

So go forth my people, make this pie. Today! Or tomorrow! Or never, your loss.

By the way, I have a ton of sweet recipes coming up. Including but not limited to:
-The easiest creme puffs on earth*
-Icing that looks like you got the cookies from the bakery*
-Black and white cookies like you buy in NY*
-Turtle brownies
-Caramel Popcorn

*Names have been changed to provide emphasis





Source:
Food.com/Southern Living
http://www.food.com/recipe/no-bake-chocolate-chip-cookie-pie-253048
Posted by: Knitaholic

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I've been trying to think of a nice way to say this, but...I've been ignoring you all. It's not you, it's me.

Okay, it's a little you.

But mostly me.

For the past couple months we've been working like crazy people trying to finish our documentary and readying the hundreds of dollars in DVDs and CDs we bought for people to purchase. At the same time, I've been preparing everything (financial aid) to start the next semester, and it's been storming a lot.

That last part doesn't really affect much, but it's rained like 100 inches in the past couple weeks.

Anyway, I've been super busy and wasn't sure what to post until Kevin and I practically bought every book in a Border's going out of business sale this past weekend. Between the two of us we easily bought over $100 in books. I literally walked away with an armload of cookbooks. In particular, this one book is amazing and has a super delicious recipe on just about every page - particularly this one for No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie.

That's right.

I flipped open the book (Simply Chocolate), and that was the page it opened to. One of the few recipes that actually came with a picture, if I didn't walk out of the store with this book I was an idiot. For god sakes, there's only 4 ingredients!

So in honor of my recent absence, and to try and win back your hearts -- I'm posting this amazing recipe which I have yet to try myself but can see absolutely no fault in.

You can see the recipe from that link, or below:

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Ingredients:
1 (15 or 18 oz) package of chocolate chip cookies
1 cup milk
1 (9 oz) commercial graham cracker crust
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Dip 8 cookies in milk, and place in a single layer in crust. Top with one third of whipped topping. Dip 8 more cookies in milk, place on top; spread with one third of whipped topping. Repeat layers with 8 more cookies, milk and remaining whipped cream.

2. Crumble 2 cookies and sprinkle over pie.

3. Cover and chill for 8 hours before serving.


I haven't made it yet, so I have no photos to post and the link I gave you is photoless too. But I imagine if you make it, people will look like this:

I do not know this man, but I think he would like this pie just as much.

I will be making this pie soon, so check back for an updated blog with pics! In the mean time, check out our FINISHED documentary (that has pictures!) at www.christymathewsondayfilm.com
^How's that for some cross promotion?

The Greatest Sugar Cookie Recipe

I have a soft spot for baking sugar cookies because it reminds me of Christmas time, so in the summer months I always decide to bake them. But while I'm busy being all nostalgic, I completely forget that making sugar cookies starts off fun, becomes a pain in the ass, and then ends with me yelling at my sister for wandering off and quitting on me. The memories.

So I had lapsed into my sugar cookie feelings last week, and found myself home alone for a while with an acceptable excuse to bake some goods. I decided to make some sugar cookies, and remembered that I was given one of the greatest recipes for this kind of cookie. The Wilton Roll Out Cookies recipe is one of the best I've ever found because it's easy, you don't have to chill the dough, and they taste like you just picked them up from the bakery.

Now, normally I'm not the biggest fan of Wilton recipes - I've been burned by their icing a few times (literally, of course) - but this one is a keeper.

The best part of this blog post is my clear disregard for the holidays. As you can see above, I have three sugar cookies shaped like pumpkins, decorated for the fourth of July sitting in the most patriotic dish I think I've ever seen. When I brought them out at a tailgating event, I told everyone they were shaped like summer squashes. I don't know anyone who knows what a summer squash looks like.

Here's the link to the official recipe: http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Roll-Out-Cookie-Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (which I've never used, so you can do without it if you'd like)
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In mixing bowl cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla and almond extract.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.

Do not chill dough (you don't have to, that's the best!)

On a floured surface, roll dough out. Dip cookie cutter into flour before each cut.

Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes or until light brown.
*This dough/cookie comes out very white, so keep an eye on them to make sure they're not burning around 5 minutes



You really can't go wrong with this sugar cookie recipe, specifically because they don't have many ingredients and they don't take long to make. Give 'em a shot!

And by the way,

I was dead on about the summer squash. Dead on.

Source: Wilton Roll Out Cookie Recipe

http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Roll-Out-Cookie-Recipe