Applesauce Granola Bread

How could I forget to post this bread? It's so delicious and super easy, not to mention fairly healthy for a quick bread. I made this a few times in a short period and have been thinking of making it again. The first loaf was to try it out. The second was to share with some friends. And the third went to Logan's teachers at daycare as a thank you and morning surprise for them. Overall, this recipe got great reviews from everyone. What's great about this bread is how you can play with the flavor depending on the kind of granola you have on hand. So you can get a little something different each time. Which is always fun.

Caramel Apple Cake

We are loving apple season right now. Beautiful, delicious, fresh apples have been abundant lately--one of my most favorite things about New England. We've been buying tons from the farm stand and last weekend went to the orchard to get them fresh off the tree. There's just something about eating an apple right off the tree while walking in the orchard that makes it taste that much better. Of course, with the abundance of apples, we've been eating a few a day (each!) but I've had my eye on some recipes as well. I'm not a huge baked fruit fan--like pies--but there are some recipes I can get behind, one of which is the awesome Caramel Apple Cake. That just sounds like fall, right? And I got to tell you, it's delicious. The cake is tender and full of flavor, with shredded apples throughout, a nice brown sugar boost and then topped with a caramel sauce drizzle, it doesn't need anything else. Well, maybe to be served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yeah, that happened. And it was a very good thing. I'm so glad that I got to make this recipe for this month's Secret Recipe Club!

Apple Cinnamon Pork Roast

Happy New Year! If pork on New Year's Day is a tradition in your house, I'm sure you'll love this tender and flavorful pork loin cooked up with apples and cinnamon. It tastes so good and makes the whole house smell so good as it cooks away in the slow cooker. This dinner is high on flavor and seems a little fancy, but is super simple and only uses a few ingredients that you likely have on hand. Serve with egg noddles or roasted potatoes and some vegetables and you have a hearty and delicious meal that's perfect for family supper or celebrating the New Year.

Apple Pie Bread

As American as....um, apple pie, where did you think I was going with this?  Are you hosting a bunch of people at your house for Thanksgiving and wondering what you're going to feed them for breakfast while you're busy with the bird?  Me neither, but my sister is (and I'm one of the lucky people who completely intends to drive her crazy (and be helpful) that day) so I came up with a delicious quick bread that's perfect for the holiday and can be made in advance and made for sharing, perhaps as a little hostess gift.  As in, it would be really nice of me to make this and bring it to my sister's house since we're staying there for a week.  (See, that's how I talk myself into more baking.)  The bread is soft with a tender, buttery crumb lending a nice "crust" effect.  Big chunks of apple are scattered throughout and a perfect cinnamon topping make this an excellent replica of pie.  It's like pie for breakfast.  Or a snack.  Or dessert.  Or whenever you want pie but want something a little more coffee-dunking friendly.

Cranberry Apple Walnut Pie

While my friends (well, Cindy) are more concerned about my lack of "applying" myself to cupcakes, I am determined to tackle a different baking challenge: pie.  I've never made a pie, let alone a pie crust, but with the season of pie upon us, it seemed the opportune moment.  The pie filling didn't concern me so much as the making of a crust.  So after my appeal to you, dear readers, I received a few comments and emails suggesting a few options for pie crust recipes.  I narrowed it down to three from very respectable bloggers and I appreciate the depth to which each of these bloggers explained the nuances and differences between various crust methods.

The Brown Eyed Baker had a good recipe and description, including specific instructions for using a food processor or mixing by hand.  The recipe uses all butter, but there was no sugar and the rest of the ingredients seemed a little on the light side and since I know I have an issue rolling dough, I wanted something using a little more in the quantity department, just in case.

Apple Fritters

Confession: I can't remember the last time I fried something.  I mean, I don't even fry my french fries--I bake them.  Add to that, Dave and I got a cast iron skillet as a wedding gift two years ago and it desperately needed seasoned.  So of course when I saw this recipe I thought it was a great way to wrap up my apple baking bonanza and use up the last of the apples we picked at the orchard.  Considering my lack of skills in the frying department, they turned out very well.  Soft on the inside and a gentle crispness on the outside, these fritters reminded me of apple cinnamon donut holes.  Cindy and Dave also got in on the taste test.  Again and again.  They were sweet, soft and the apples were delicious wrapped in the tasty fritter batter.

This recipe came from Pioneer Woman who I positively adore.  When I saw the recipe on Tasty Kitchen, I knew it would be the perfect foray into frying and a good excuse to season my cast iron skillet that has been neglected.  Ree's recipe is great and she's always so wonderful with her detailed descriptions and beautiful photos.  Dave didn't think they had enough cinnamon, so Cindy suggested adding cinnamon to the powder sugar topping.  But when I did that, Dave commented it was too much like a donut hole. (Never satisfied, that boy.)   Ideally, being a the New Englander he is, more cinnamon in the batter would be ideal, maybe increased to a Tablespoon.  I also think I made my fritters a bit too big since I had some with gooey centers.  Guess I'll have to try this frying thing out again.  You know, to improve my skills.

Caramel Apple Cookies

I love finding different desserts and treats transformed into cookies.  Maybe one day I'll be as creative as the people who come up with these ideas, but until then, I'll just follow their lead.  These are very yummy.  An excellent alternative to the difficult to eat and always too big caramel apple, you get a little bit of caramel and apple in each bite.  It's a sweet cookie with a soft texture (from the apple) and I love the fine oatmeal addition to the dough.  The caramel, though messy, in conjunction with the ground oatmeal create an interesting flavor combo in the cookie as well.  They spread a lot on the pan when baking, so be careful not to put them too close together.

Now, before I fall off my soapbox, I'd like to remind you that there many more varieties of apples than just Granny Smith and McIntosh.  Granny Smith are great, but they aren't the only baking apple out there.  One of the great things about going to an orchard is learning about all the different kinds of apples available, how they are best used and the subtle differences in their taste and texture.  The recipe came from Katie Goodman via craftzine and she suggested using Granny Smith apples, which are a lovely option and yes are the traditional apple for a caramel apple on a stick.  However, when I was at the orchard, I came across some beautiful Empire apples which are also a hearty baking apple, a little less tart and full of flavor.  So I opted to use those in this recipe and I'm very pleased with the results.  Don't be afraid to supplement with something different--just make sure you have a sturdy baking apple, not something that will turn to mush when baked.

Apple Blondies with Pecan Pie Topping

Yummy!  And an original recipe, although based in part on the standard Blondies recipe. This is what happens when frugality meets innovation and they run into necessity.  I had a good bit of the pecan pie topping leftover from the Pecan Pie Cookies and I didn't want to see it go to waste.  I thought it would make a good topping for something with apples, maybe a bread.  Then Cindy texted me that she and her brood were coming over (they were invited) and I knew I needed to make a dessert for the occasion (since I was in the middle of making holiday cookies so I knew they'd be disappointed seeing all the tasty goodies on the racks but not allowed to eat them).  So I quickly put together these Apple Blondies and used the remaining pecan topping to create this delicious treat.

The apples keep the bars moist without them being gooey and the pecan topping is a very subtle nuttiness.  The cinnamon and spice in the blondie compliment the crunchy brown sugar top.  And they are delicious with or without a bit of vanilla ice cream.  A clever fall combination of flavors if you want to do some more apple baking before the orchards are empty.

Apple Crisp

It's my first guest post!  Well, it technically might not count because my guest isn't a blogger.  But he did make the recipe and it came from his personal recipe stash, so I didn't feel right passing it off as my own.  Please welcome my Chief Tasting Officer and First Lieutenant in Charge of Sprinkles, Dave!  (Yeah, he's my husband, too, but for this blog, that's not nearly as important a job.)  Dave took complete control of this tasty treat, although we did work together to determine how to adapt it from a microwave version to an oven version.  He didn't even let me take all the photos (but I did highjack the camera at one point because I wanted particular shots).  This makes a sweet and crunchy version of a classic New England treat, featuring local apples and yummy cinnamon.  By baking in the oven rather than microwave, you get a crunchy topping that pairs nicely with the softened apples.

Apple Spice Bars

A few weeks ago Dave and I went to the King Arthur Flour store in Norwich, Vermont and yes it was everything I imagined and more.  They are undergoing a huge expansion/renovation which instilled an even more compelling urge to visit again for a class.  I had a short list of specialty ingredients I wanted to buy (and a long list of "things I want but shouldn't buy because that would be frivolous").  One of those things was cinnamon oil.  I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it--maybe a cinnamon frosting, perhaps in cookies or blondies--but I knew it was apple season and I needed it.  So the next day, after several failed attempts at baking (as in I wanted to make something only to find I was missing a key ingredient, like zucchini for zucchini bars or oats for oatmeal bars), I scampered to the internet and found this delicious treat for a soft, gently sweet bar that combines the right amount of spice to highlight these perfect fresh from the orchard apples (seriously, we picked them off the tree that morning!).

This recipe comes from Beantown Baker (I know I use her a lot, but she really is this awesome).  I made a few minor adjustments related to the spices by adding 1/2 teaspoon of baking spice, and dropping down the vanilla to a teaspoon and the cinnamon to 1 1/2 teaspoons since I used 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon oil.  This cinnamon oil is delicious and tastes exactly like red hot candies.  Use it sparingly--as wonderful as these turned out, the cinnamon flavor increased over time and completely took over the bars by the time we polished them off (not that it was a bad thing, but if that's not what you want, you might be disappointed).  Next time, I would bump up to two teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon oil (noted in the recipe below).  I also should have baked them a little longer--the middle of my pan was a little undercooked, so I'd bring the total bake time to 40 minutes, checking frequently in the last 10 minutes.

Apple & Oatmeal

Fall in New England means lots of apples and I've been trying to find various recipes to use up some apples that just aren't that great for everyday eating.  But they are great for baking.  I'd made another apple cookie last month and it was missing something.  I decided what it needed was oatmeal.  So I looked for a good recipe and then found some great apples at the orchard--Yellow Newtown Pippens. I'd never had or heard of them before, but they are a tart-to-sour apple perfect for baking.


I got this recipe from one of my favorite recipe swapping websites, Mixingbowl.com.  It's a social network for cooks, and I've gotten a ton of yummy recipes from the generous cooks who share their recipes (I share too--if you head over, look me up under cookieprincess).  This recipe was posted by Kitchen Chatter as Oatmeal Apple Cookies and she lists her source as Pat Duran.

I have made some changes to this recipe, and if I were to make it again I would make other changes.  The cookies were good, but Dave and I thought the cranberries didn't really do anything for the cookie.  So I would leave them out next time and add more apple to really feature this as an apple flavored cookie.

Apple & Oatmeal

3/4 cup shortening (or butter or margarine)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup peeled, diced apples (tart apples work best)
3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
3/4 cup chopped nuts (I did not use in this recipe)
3 cups quick cooking oats (not instant or old fashioned)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F for a dark, non-stick pan.  Cream together shortening and sugar. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla, scraping sides of bowl when necessary; mix until well blended.


In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.  Mix thoroughly into creamed mixture.  Stir in fruit and nuts (if using).  Stir in oats (In the future, I would add the oats to my flour mixture and combining at the same time). 

On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.  If you don't have parchment or a silicone baking mat, grease your cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.

Makes 6 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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