Apple Puffed Pancake

Who has ever tried Hootenanny?  Another common name is German or Dutch pancake?  Well, this delicious recipe is a twist on the original Hootenanny baked pancake. It's buttery and lightly sweet - enough that it can stand alone without any syrup.  I love the apples and brown sugar... oh my, my mouth is watering and it's just after midnight!  My friend Aubrey served this at a brunch and I had to beg the recipe off her.  I love how the thin apples wedges  rise to the top. If you lay them out carefully before pouring the batter in, they can make a pretty design.  Somtimes I just chop them all up (like the picture below). It's not as appealing to the eye but it's faster and easier for little ones to eat (or at least then I don't have to cut it up so much... yes, I can be that lazy!)  :) Either way it tastes fantastic and is super easy to throw together for a special breakfast.  *the picture above is a half recipe baked in a 10x10 inch casserole dish*

Apple Puffed Pancake
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sister's Cafe

6 eggs
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour
3 Tb sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter (can decrease to 6 Tb if desired)
2-3 apples, peeled and sliced thinly 
3-4 Tb brown sugar

Place 9x13 inch pan in oven while it preheats to 425 degrees F.  Whisk together first 7 ingredients. Place butter in pan and put in oven to melt. Add apples to pan and return to oven until butter sizzles. (Be careful not to let the butter burn!) Remove from oven and pour batter over the apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry puffs over edge of pan. Slice into squares and serve.  Serves 6.

Apple and Spinach Salad

This is an easy, flavorful salad that has been a favorite of mine for years.  I got the recipe from my mom, who got it from Melanie. I wanted to make it the other day, and so I jumped on the old Sisters Cafe thinking it would be here.  (For some reason it seems to much easier to look it up on The Sisters Cafe than to look in my cupboard.)  It wasn't here... so I thought I'd better remedy that!  I was always amazed that a salad dressing made from just two ingredients could be so good!  Oh but it is. I add blackberries when they are on sale, but most often I leave them out.  Oh and this salad keeps pretty well, too.  I usually eat any leftovers the next day, and it isn't all wilty yet.  (PS Melanie says that she likes to put on more dressing than I have pictured.  Just toss it to your own preference!)

Tip: I don't really like stinking up my whole house for days just to make a little bacon.  Especially if I have company coming over.  So when I need to make bacon, I usually make a lot.  Then I crumble it and freeze it in bags for salads or soups like this one (or this one or this one).  One less step at the busy dinner hour is always a good thing, right?

Apple and Spinach Salad
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1-2 packages of spinach
2 tart apples, diced (I like Granny Smith, but some type of red apple looks pretty and tastes good too)
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
6 ounces blackberries (optional)

Dressing:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate

Combine mayonnaise and orange juice concentrate and mix well.  Toss into salad just before serving.

Fresh Apple Cake

 

This cake is perfectly wonderful. Melanie gave the recipe to me ages ago, and I've made it many times. It is always a big hit. I even served it on Christmas Eve a few years ago, which should tell you how delicious it is. Being served on Christmas Eve is like receiving the Gold Medal. This cake is so proud. :)

With all the snow we've been getting lately, it seemed perfect to serve this warm caramelly cake the other night when we had guests over. I hope you enjoy it too!

**Note from Melanie: I got this recipe from my sweet friend Karen Pflueger and she liked to "take it up a notch" with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top! Seriously YUM! Thanks Karen:) for sharing this recipe!

Fresh Apple Cake

Submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

4 cups peeled, diced apples

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

¾ cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, stir together apples and sugar. Add dry ingredients and stir well. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into apple mixture, blending until thoroughly moistened. Stir in pecans. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Serve with warm Cream Sauce.

-

Cream Sauce

1 cup sugar

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

Place all ingredients in saucepan; stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes. Serve warm, and drizzle over piece of apple cake.

Spinach, Apple and Pecan Salad

This QUICK and EASY salad is a great companion to almost any meal, especially when you don't have a lot of time to spare. So pretty much every night:) I love the toasted pecans in it. Yum! Try and eat it immediately as the dressing wilts the spinach overnight. Enjoy this tasty way to get in those veggies:)

Spinach, Apple and Pecan Salad

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: adapted from a Boskovich Farms recipe
Printable Recipe here

SALAD:
1 bag torn spinach leaves-abt. 10 oz
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 large red apples, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup toasted pecans

DRESSING:
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. prepared mustard
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper

Toast pecans*. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Just before serving, chop apples and add to a large serving bowl. Next add spinach, red onions, and toasted pecans. Toss with desired amount of dressing until well coasted and serve immediately.

*To toast pecans, measure out pecans. Pour into a skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until pecans are fragrant and turn a darker brown. Set aside.

Carmel Toffee Apple Dip

This is a quick and easy recipe that is always a crowd pleaser. I made it when we had some friends over one evening. The carmel is suppossed to be drizzled on top--but I had a little helper who didn't know how to drizzle:) I think that chopped and toasted pecans would be awesome if you didn't have toffee bits. I think I will do that next time. Hope you enjoy!

Carmel Toffee Apple Dip

submitted by Melanie

Printable recipe here

1 8oz block of cream cheese (I use light)

1/4 cup brown sugar

carmel sauce for drizzling

a sprinkle of skor toffee bits

Sliced apples for dipping.

Mix cream cheese with brown sugar. Spread on a plate, and top with a drizzle of carmel sauce and a sprinkle of toffee bits. Sliced apples for dipping. Dip the apple slices in pineapple juice after slicing to keep them from going brown.

Autumn Harvest Pork Roast

I love the autumn. Any time the seasons change it is exciting but this is my favorite because the holidays are beginning! It also means more baking and cooking especially of fall-themed foods...which I love! This is one of my hubby's favorite dinners. I got this recipe years ago in a cookbook Melanie gave me compiled from a lot of her neighbors and friends. I often get my favorite recipes from those kinds of cookbooks! This pork roast is perfect for when the cold weather starts rolling in with its squash, apples and spices. I almost love making it more for the wonderful scents that fill the house while it cooks! I have changed the original recipe slightly only to add the squash and apples at the end. Otherwise they get too soft for my taste. Hope you all enjoy and Happy Autumn!!
Autumn Harvest Pork
submitted by Brittany

1 cup cider or apple juice
1.5-2 lb pork loin roast
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 large apples, peeled and cubed (Granny Smith or other tart variety)
1 1/2 whole butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried sage

Heat cider in deep skillet on medium-high heat. Sear pork loin on all sides in cider. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper on all sides and place in crock pot, along with juices. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Combine apples and squash in large bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar and herbs, stirring to coat well. One or two hours before roast is done, arrange the squash and apples around the pork loin. Continue to cook on low for the remainder of time and until squash/apples are desired tenderness. Remove pork from crock pot, cover with foil, and let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

pork chops and apples with maple sauce

I really needed a new recipe for pork chops so I tried this one... I loved the apples, pork and maple sauce combination. Occasionally it's delicious to have a sweetness to your meal. So if you have a sweet tooth like me, this way you can satisfy it with dinner instead of dessert!! This recipe came originally from the Family Fun Magazine.

Pork Chops and Apples with Maple Sauce

submitted by Brittany

1/3 c maple syrup

1 Tb spicy brown mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 c bread crumbs

4 pork chops

2 Tb olive oil

1/2 c apple juice or cider

2 apples, sliced

Combine the syrup, mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside. Place bread crumbs in a large Ziploc, then add pork chops. Shake until pork chops are well coated. Brown the pork chops in the olive oil over medium heat; add the apple juice and cook uncovered until barely done (about 10 min, maybe less). Layer sliced apples over pork chops and drizzle maple sauce over everything. Cook another 5 minutes. *If you like the apple slices very soft, then add them to the pork earlier.

Baked Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon

This was a delicious recipe that I found at Cream Puffs in Venice. This was a pure comfort food kind of breakfast. This oatmeal baking filled my home with a wonderful aroma of apples and cinnamon. A great way to start the day!

Baked Oatmeal with Apples

Submitted by Melanie adapted from Cream Puffs in Venice

1 cup whole rolled oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tbsp. grated orange zest

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

1 ripe banana, mashed ( optional-this time I left it out)

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (I have never added this)

1-1/4 cups milk (use any type you like)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9-inch pie plate (you can use any baking dish you like) with butter.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Pour into the pie plate and place on a baking sheet in case of spills.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed (but don’t cook it for too long or it will dry out too much).
Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve with yogurt or milk and honey. Sprinkle on your favorite nuts.

Overnight Apple French Toast

Oh, this is SO good! If I could have taken a picture that actually did this justice, you're mouth would be watering right now, and it wouldn't be surprising if you jumped up this instant and started cutting up some apples and slicing french bread, regardless of the time of day! :) I'd like to thank my friends Jenny and Anona for making my life happier by sharing this recipe with me. Thanks, ladies. I don't know how I can ever repay you.

Overnight Apple French Toast
submitted by Erin

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 Tb white corn syrup
3 large apples, peeled, seeded, and sliced
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 loaf of French bread, sliced thick (you definitely won't need all of it)
cinnamon

To make the caramel, melt butter in saucepan and then add brown sugar and corn syrup. Heat for 5 minutes, allowing it to boil. Remove from heat and pour into a 9x13 glass pan. (The caramel will harden, but don't worry, it will turn into a syrup while baking.) Line apples over the caramel in the pan. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, milk and vanilla. Dip the bread into the mixture, coating liberally. Place bread over apples in the pan (you won't need all the bread, just enough to fill the pan). Sprinkle very generously with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight so that all the flavors can penetrate. In the morning, heat the oven to 350°, and cook uncovered for 45 minutes.

Apple Praline Bread

Summer sure is a busy, fun time! We just got back from vacation in Canada (what a blast), so I haven't been doing any cooking for awhile...I'm ready to jump back in! Here is one my favorites. Melanie gave me this recipe, along with a bunch of her favorites, when I got married 3 years ago....and boy am I thankful! This bread is so moist, delicious, and pretty too! :)

Apple Praline Bread
submitted by Brittany2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1 c sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c tart apple (shredded)
1 c chopped pecans
1/4 c butter
1/4 c brown sugar

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in one bowl and set aside. Beat together sugar, sour cream, eggs and vanilla for 2 min on low speed. Add flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Stir in apple and 1/2 c chopped pecans. Spread in greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and press lightly into batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cover with foil towards the end to keep from browning too much. In a saucepan bring butter and brown sugar to a boil. Remove bread from pan and drizzle over top. Let cool and enjoy!

Curried Apple and Chutney Chicken Breasts

I have been getting the best grilling recipes from my Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Grilling cookbook. Here is the latest and tastiest...I think I even like it better than the citrus marinade I posted earlier! They are so different, though, it's hard to compare. This recipe is full of flavor and spice (I love curry) and the apples set it off perfectly. Definitely a different, fun way to grill those chicken breasts!

Curried Apple and Chutney Chicken Breasts
submitted by Brittany

4 bone-in chicken breast halves (boneless skinless worked great for me)

1 tart apple, cored and cut crosswise into 8 thick slices

1/2 c mango or other chutney

for the curry paste:

1/4 c honey mustard

2 Tb canola oil

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp grated lime zest

1 Tb fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

To make curry paste, stir together ingredients (minus 1/2 Tb oil). Smear all but about 2 Tb of the paste over the chicken breasts. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours. Add remaining 1/2 Tb of oil to the reserved 2 Tb curry paste and brush some onto apple slices. Grill the chicken over medium to med-high heat for about 20 minutes; basting with reserved paste and turning occasionally until juices run clear. A few minutes before chicken is done, grill apple slices turning once, until softened and grill marks appear, 1-2 minutes per side. Serve chicken garnished with a dollop of chutney and apple slices. Yum!

Glazed Chicken with Apple-Watercress Salad

My friend Stephanie brought this delicious dish to our recipe exchange. The theme was "super foods". According to the watercress.co.uk website, watercress is an original super food, dating back to 400 B.C. Gram for gram it has more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more folate than bananas, and more vitamin C than oranges, and very few calories. Wow--watercress is pretty impressive, huh? Makes me want to have a plate full! This dish is perfect for a supper dinner. It is really tastey and very easy to put together! I loved it and so did my boys! (By the way, I actually used spinach and watercress the night I took this picture. )

Glazed Chicken with Apple-Watercress Salad

submitted by Melanie

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. apple je lly
1/3 cup reduced –fat mayonnaise
Mix ingredients together (I used a hand blender) and set aside.

Salad:
1 granny smith apple, julienned
1 red delicious apple, julienned
1 bunch watercress, rinsed and stems cut

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( Iused chicken tenders)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. coarsely ground pepper
Flatten breasts with mallet for even thickness. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat pan to medium heat.(I used a grill pan) Cook chicken 4-6 minutes on one side than turn over and cook another 4-6 minutes until center is no longer pink.

Glaze:
2 Tbsp. apple jelly
1 tsp. prepared stone-ground mustard (I used Dijon)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Combine ingredients while chicken is cooking. Brush on chicken during last minute of cooking.

To serve, arrange watercress on plates. Top with julienned apples. Pour dressing over salad. Then place chicken on top for a pretty presentation.

Nutrition info: (assuming one chicken breast/person) Calories 280, total fat 7g, saturated fat 1.5g, cholesterol 65mg, carbohydrate 28mg, protein 26g, sodium 560mg, fiber 1g.

Cape Cod Apple Nut Carrot Muffins

Oh, these are so delicious. I got this recipe a few years ago from my friend, Josie. These are packed with yummy and healthy ingredients, and they are so moist. Mmmmmm, this is one of my favorite muffin recipes. Hope you enjoy them as much as me!

Cape Cod Apple Nut Carrot Muffins
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 c. oil
2 c. shredded carrots
1 lg. apple shredded
½ c. chopped walnuts
2 tsp. vanilla
½ c. raisins
3 eggs

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add remaining and mix. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

This was fabulous! Brittany gave me this recipe recently and I made it for company the other day. It was very moist, and the nuts and apples complimented each other very well. The rich, smooth caramel glaze topped it off perfectly. You must try this!

I recommend serving this soon after you put the caramel glaze on it. After a few hours the glaze will crystallize and then, although the cake is still moist and delicious, the glaze will just be a sugary frosting instead of a rich caramel topping.

 

Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

Submitted by Erin, but it's Brittany's recipe. :)

 

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. oil

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 med, apples, peeled and finely chopped (a little more than 2 cups)

1 c. chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

 

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 12 c. bundt cake pan. (I use a plastic bag around my hand and apply shortening to the inside of the bundt pan, then dust it with flour. That way the cake will fall out easily.)

Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda until smooth. Stir in apples and nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

(The cake was done slightly earlier than the 1 hour mark for me. Be sure to take it out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Of course, insert the toothpick in the moist crack in the top of the cake and not through the firm crust. And try a few different toothpicks, because there is a chance one of them might deceive you by coming out with bits of apple on it if you happened to poke it into an apple.)

Cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan; place on wire rack. Glaze prior to serving.

 

CARAMEL GLAZE

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. light cream

 

Heat all ingredients to boiling in 2 qt. saucepan, stirring occasionally.

Boil 2 min., stirring constantly; remove from heat. Spoon over cooled cake.