Cheddar Apple Crostata

Okay, fine. This is the last apple recipe you'll get from me for the season. Probably. It's just that I love apples and they are the perfect blend of sweetness and fruit and crunch and freshness! Apples are the embodiment of Fall.

Cheddar Apple Crostata   [click to print]
For the Crust: Use your favorite pie crust recipe, or buy some, but just for the record, I think I'm in love with Smitten Kitchen's All Butter Pie Crust. It's really fast and easy to make and make a really good flaky crust. You'll need one disc of dough for this recipe.

Roll dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap to form a 13-14" circle, about 1/8" thick. Gently press 1/2 to 3/4c. shredded cheddar cheese around outer 1-1/2 to 2" of dough. Return to refrigerator to chill while you prepare filling.

For the Filling: 
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
2 sweet apples, such as Honeycrisp
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. flour
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. coarse cinnamon sugar (4 T. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon)
1/4 c. apricot preserves, warmed

Peel and slice apples to 1/4-1/2" thick wedges. Combine apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon in bowl. Stir until apples are evenly coated. Spread apple mixture over dough (and try to keep the juicy party of the filling about 1/4" from cheese to make the next step easier). Fold cheesy edges in to form a crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Allow to cool about 20 minutes; lightly brush apples with apricot preserves.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Sixteen Sweets: Caramel

Row 1: Apple Cider Caramels [Dolce by Dana], Apple Pie Caramel Apples [A Bit of Bees Knees], Banana Chocolate Chip Cake [The Baker Chick], Caramel Apple Cupcakes [Hot Polka Dot]

Row 2: Caramel Apple Cupcakes [Indulge], Caramel Apple Rolls [Fantastical Sharing of Recipes], Caramel and Chocolate Oatmeal Bars [The Black Peppercorn], Caramel Corn [Dabbling in the Delicious]

Row 3: Caramel Maple Pumpkin Pie Smoothie [Love Veggies & Yoga], Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Spice Cookies [Love Big, Bake Often], Inside Out Caramel Apples [Domestic Fits], Monkey Bread [A Sage Amalgam]

Row 4: Chocolate and Salted Caramel Mug Cake [Babble], Caramel Apple Bundt Cake [Week of Menus], Caramel Apple Cake [From My Sweet Heart], Cinnamon Caramel Apples [Mind Over Batter]

Grape and Apple Pie for Two

Wait! Don't get wierded out by the grapes! I thought it was kind of strange, too, when I heard of grape pie, but this is actually good! Black grapes tint the pie filling a beautiful shade of purple and give tart apples a unique and subtle sweetness. Plus, there's more than a full serving of fruit per pie! It's pretty much healthy.

These mini pies are baked in two small ramekins and are just the perfect size to cuddle up with on a chilly fall morning! If there are a lot of cuddlers in your home, you may want to double or triple the filling recipe below to make more to share.

Grape and Apple Pie for Two   [click to print]
For the pie crust, I'm in love with Smitten Kitchen's All Butter Pie Crust. I thought that was the worst part of making a pie until I tried this recipe. Turns out homemade pie crust really is easy! But anyway, if you do use that recipe, you'll have a lot of extra dough. My recommendation is to scrunch up those scraps and turn them into Caramel Apple Pie Bites. Or if you're wishing for something a little different, try a Cranberry Pear Crostata or a bunch of Pie Crust Fries (recipes coming later this week, so get excited!)

For the Filling:
2-1/4 c. tart apples (such as Pink Lady or Gala), peeled and thinly sliced
2/3 c. seedless black grapes, halved
1/3 c. sugar

Combine ingredients in saucepan and heat over med-low heat until fruit is translucent, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep sugars from burning. Divide mixture into ramekins and set aside.

For the Crust:
Roll dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut circles about 1/2 inch wider than ramekins (so if your ramekins are 3" wide, cut dough 3-1/2" wide). Pierce the top of each dough circle a few times with a knife; these holes will allow steam to escape while they bake. Place dough circle on top of filled ramekin and gently press dough down over edges of ramekins to seal. Sprinkle with coarse sugar crystals if desired and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit

Sweet Sixteen: Apples

These mouthwatering apple desserts make me wish Fall would hang around forever! Just take a look at these pictures and try not to run to the store for some ingredients!

Celebration Cake
[Better Homes and Gardens]

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
[The Girl Who Ate Everything]

Individual Apple Charlottes
[Fine Cooking]

Apple Pie Pancakes
[Desserts for Breakfast]

Baked Apples with Granola
[Eat Better America]

Amish Apple Dumplings
[Midwest Living]

Cheddar Apple Hand Pies
[Desserts for Breakfast]

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
[Pinch of Yum]

Sticky Apple Cinnamon Rolls
[Midwest Living]

Best Ever Individual Apple Crisp
[The Kitchen Prescription]

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
[Our Best Bites]

Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie Cake
[Brown Eyed Baker]

Apple Coconut Family Cake
[Project Domestication]

Apple Fritters
[The Baking Pixie]

Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Marshmallow Frosting
[Eating Well]

Apple Crisp
[Completely Delicious]

Caramel Apple Pie Bites

These little bites look so fancy but they're really easy to make. Trust me. Just don't leave them on your kitchen table if you plan to take them anywhere besides your stomach. Each bite fits nicely in your mouth and it's quick to grab and go!

[Hint: Don't start the caramel sauce until the mini pies are out of the oven and on the cooling rack, otherwise, it won't be soft enough to dip the pies without damaging those flaky crusts!]

Caramel Apple Pie Bites   [click to print]

For the pie crust: 

2-1/2 c. flour

1 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 sticks (8 oz.) butter, cold

1/2 c. water, ice cold

Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and add to flour mixture. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until butter pieces are about the size of peas. It doesn't have to be perfectly even at this point. Drizzle water over mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gather the dough together until the mixture starts clumping together. Gently knead dough together with your fingertips; when it forms a lumpy ball, it's done. Be careful not to overwork, the heat from your hands can make the butter melt and that's what makes the crust so flaky and good! 

Divide dough and flatten to 1/2" disk; seal in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The colder the dough, the better, though, so leave it for 2 or more hours if you can. 

Source: Recipe files of Smitten Kitchen

For the filling: 

1 c. apple butter (check out this recipe!)

2 medium apples

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 T. brown sugar

2 T. whole milk

Chop apples into 1/4 inch pieces and add to large saucepan. Add apple butter, cinnamon, sugar and milk. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 25 min. or until apple pieces become soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Source: Recipe files of Sugar Rush!

For the caramel dip and walnut coating: 

8 oz. caramels (about 30 pieces)

2 tsp. apple cider

2 c. walnuts, chopped and toasted. 

Heat caramels and cider in small saucepan on med-low heat until melted. Pour into deep bowl and set aside.   Chop walnuts into small pieces and spread on wax paper. 

To assemble: 

Roll out the pie crust dough between two pieces of plastic wrap until it's no more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut 2-1/2 inch circles of dough using a floured cookie cutter, or, one of my personal favorites, the end of a plastic cup. Lightly coat mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set dough circles over muffin openings and gently press into muffin cup using the end of a floured spice jar.

Fill each crust with  T. apple butter. Gently scrunch overhanging dough to edges of cup. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until crust is light golden in color. Allow mini pies to cool to room temperature.

Dip half of pie in warm caramel dip, tap off any excess caramel. Roll edges in chopped, toasted walnuts on wax paper. Place on cooling rack over piece of wax paper and allow caramel to harden. If your caramel hardens too much to easily dip pies, just microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring well between each nuke, until soft and pourable.