fluffy apple cobbler

Two recipes in one week?!?  How lucky are you?!

I had a hankering the other night for cobbler, and I had a TON of apples in my kitchen that Tricia had given me, so I decided to put them to good use!

The recipe called for eggs, which made the crust a little fluffier than a normal cobbler, but I liked it anyway!

Here's what you'll need:

7 to 8 large (9 cups) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4-inch

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2    eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup    butter, melted

 Ice cream, if desired

Directions:

Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices.

Heat oven to 350°F. Place sliced apples in ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.

 

Stir together 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over apples.

 

Combine remaining cinnamon, flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. 

Pour melted butter over topping. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until lightly browned and apples are tender.

Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.   (I didn't have any.  The only kink in my plan.)

I love fall baking!

cinnamon roll cake

This recipe originally came from Pinterest, but I made it for Lauren's surprise bridal shower on Friday, and it was a huge hit!  It would be great for breakfast, brunch, or just regular old after-dinner cake!

Here's the recipe:


Cake:

3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. 

Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9×13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife.  (If you're cheesy like me, you can swirl it with the couple's name.  You'll never see it after it's baked.) 

Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

TA-DA!  You probably already have all those ingredients in your cabinet already, so get bakin'!

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grilled portobello mushroom steaks

I used a recipe in Mad Hungry to make these last Thursday night, and they were so delicious and easy, I had to share!  I adapted it a little bit because I like my herbs cooked rather than just sprinkled on top, but either way works well!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
as many portobello mushrooms as you care to eat
6 to 8 sprigs of fresh herbs, such as sage, oregano, and rosemary (ground herbs work, too!)
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. In a baking dish large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Lay in the mushrooms, top down, and pour a small amount of EVOO on top of the mushroooms.  Sprinkle the fresh herbs on top as well.

2. Prepare an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan.  Remove the mushrooms from the marinade.  Grill the mushrooms for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once or twice.  Remove from the grill to a platter.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the mushrooms.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

I served the mushrooms with a side of asparagus with feta cheese.  Asparagus is one of my top five personal addictions.

Happy cooking!

vinegar glossed chicken

It's no secret these days that Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn is my mom's new favorite cookbook, because she's given it to pretty much everyone she knows!  I was flipping through it Tuesday night before I went to the grocery store, and Molly and I made attempt #1 at one of Lucinda's recipes last night.  It was delicious!  And it's really no surprise, because she is Martha Stewart's food editor, so that makes her infallible.

We took our first crack at Lucinda with the Vinegar Glossed Chicken!

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients (makes 6-8 servings):

1 cup best-quality red wine vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
5.5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (or boneless skinless chicken breasts)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed (and it will be needed!)

Directions:

1.  At least 15 minutes but up to 2 hours before cooking, combine the vinegar, garlic, and rosemary to marinate.

2.  Thoroughly season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Heat a 14-inch skillet (or two smaller skillets) over high heat and swirl in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet.  Place the chicken in the skillet.  Don't crowd the chicken, leave space around each piece.  Work in batches if necessary.  You should hear an immediate sizzle when the chicken pieces hit the pan.  Don't move them, it takes a couple minutes to sear the chicken so it doesn't stick.  Brown all sides, this will take 10 minutes per batch.  Regulate the heat so it stays high but does not burn the chicken.  Place all the browned chicken back in the skillet.

3.  Add the chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Lower the heat, simmer, and reduce for 15 to 20 minutes.  Increase the heat to high and pour in the vinegar mixture.  Swirl the pan and stir around as the vinegar evaporates to form a simmering glaze, 8 to 10 minutes.  Serve immediately or reheat with some extra broth.

We paired it with Lucinda's sweet potato wedges (with cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt), which were delicious!  But she also recommends polenta or mixed veggies.

YUM YUM!

fruit pizza

Last week was a hard week in our house (lots of work and bad weather and traveling), so on Wednesday, we decided to do something happy, and I taught Molly how to make a fruit pizza!  This is one of my family's all-time-favorite recipes, and sometimes we make it in place of birthday cakes!  I think my mom first made it back in the early '90s, and it's just stuck with us ever since.  And apart from being delicious, it is absolutely beautiful!  So, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines Sugar Cookie Mix
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
4 ounces whipped cream (Cool Whip works best.)
Fresh, canned, or frozen fruit. Fresh is best. We like bananas, kiwis, strawberries, and blueberries, but use whatever you want!

For the glaze:
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
dash of salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Prepare cookie mix according to package directions.  Pat in a 12-inch pizza pan. Bake until light brown.  Cool.

Blend cream cheese and whipped cream and spread on cookie.

Arrange fruit in a pretty pattern on cheese/whipped cream mixture.

Put glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook one minute, stirring constantly.

Spoon glaze over whole pie.

Refrigerate. Will keep several days.

And that's it!  It is seriously the easiest and most delicious dessert you could make.  And it makes jaws drop every. time.  Let me know if you try it!

homemade heath bars

So, this recipe comes from Molly's family treasure trove of cooking magic, and I couldn't believe how much the homemade version tasted like the real thing!  She made them as soon as I got back from Christmas in Raleigh, and they made my sad heart happy!

Here's what you'll need:

1 small package saltine crackers
2 sticks butter (I know, I know...)
12 oz. milk chocolate chips
1 cup sugar

Directions:

Spread foil over baking sheet and spray with Pam.  Cover with whole crackers until they fill the pan.  Melt butter in sauce pan, add sugar, and boil for 3 minutes.  Pour over crackers and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Once out of the oven, pour chocolate chips over and spread to melt.

Cool in refrigerator or freezer.  Break into pieces once cool.

Voila!  Enjoy!

apple cinnamon grilled cheese

A couple months ago, Real Simple did an article on new recipes for apples, which are especially in season in the fall.  So, I got inspired to try putting them on one of my favorite foods... grilled cheese sandwiches!  And it was DELICIOUS.  Here's what you'll need to make one:

2 slices of your favorite bread

Ground cinnamon

1 sweet apple (Galas or Fujis work great)

1 block sharp cheddar cheese

1 pat butter or margarine

First, set a small skillet or griddle to medium heat.  If you're using a griddle, butter one side of each slice of bread beforehand.  If you're using a skillet, you can just melt a pat of butter or an equal amount of margarine directly in the pan.

Sprinkle the other side of each slice with ground cinnamon.

Then, slice the block of cheddar cheese so that one slice of bread is covered with one layer of cheese.  Next, cut two or three thin slices of apple and lay them across the cheese slices.  Sprinkle with more cinnamon if desired.  You will have more than half of your apple left over, so stick it in a plastic bag and refrigerate it for later.

Add one more layer of cheese and cinnamon and place the other slice of bread on top.

Cook each side in the skillet until golden brown, adding more butter before flipping the sandwich if necessary.

Voila!  Apple Cinnamon Grilled Cheese!  Enjoy!