Recipes — thanksgiving desserts

It's pie time! What's your favorite? Mine, apple. My dad was an apple pie junkie! He had four daughters who all tried to master the apple pie for his birthdays and the holidays. One of the many sweet things about him, was that he always ate whatever we baked.  And there were some real flops!  He would say they were perfect and asked for seconds. I remember a time when my sister forgot to peel the apples. He ate it happily, laughed, and asked for seconds. As I think of it now, I'm convinced that he was always generous in his compliments so we'd keep trying! We all four finally mastered the many versions of apple pie and he loved every last one of them. He knew what he was doing, creating a legacy of daughters who would continue making him his apple pies:).

 

Ingredients

FOR THE APPLE FILLING:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 8 cups thinly sliced and peeled apples, about 7-8 medium apples
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp VanillaPura Mexican/rum vanilla extract

 

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into little cubes and softened a little

FOR THE CRUST:

Use your favorite pie crust recipe

 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl combine white sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

1. In a large bowl combine sliced apples and lemon juice,  and vanilla, then add the mixed dried ingredients and using a spatula stir everything together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
3. Place pie crust in pie dish and tuck it in with your fingers. Trim excess dough if needed and flute the edges.
4. Spoon the apple filling into the crust but leave most of the liquid in the bowl.
5. To make the crumble topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter cubes in a bowl and use a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands to combine until thick and crumbly. Sprinkle topping over apple filling.
6. Place pie dish on a large enough baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 30 more minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up. If the edges brown to quickly cover them with a pie shield after 20 minutes.
7. Let the pie cool completely before cutting into it to allow the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
8. Top with Whipped cream. Add a splash of vanilla and it will make all the difference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My friend Brandi introduced this recipe to me and it’s a keeper!

Kuchen is the German word for cake.  Apple Kuchen is generally associated with coffee cake. This recipe is a little different in that it’s a cross between a tart and pie. Top this off with vanilla bean caramel sauce and you will be completely satisfied. It’s the perfect dessert for you holiday get togethers.

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon VanillaPura Mexican/rum vanilla extract

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

For the filling:

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, at room temperature

For the topping:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, if desired, cored, and thinly sliced

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
2. To make the crust: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or food processor fitted with a steel blade and mix to combine. Add the vanilla and butter, a little at a time, and mix until it resembles cornmeal. Press into the prepared baking pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until slightly golden but not brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
4. To make the filling: Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle and beat until creamy. Add the egg, mix to combine, an pour over the cooled crust.
5. Place the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to combine.
6. Place the apples on top of the filling in two or three columns. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and transfer to the oven. Bake until firm and a rich brown, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 to 24 pieces.
7. Drizzle with vanilla bean caramel sauce and serve!

 

Thanks to Brandi via the food network for sharing:)