How 'bout Them Apples? TABLESCAPE

 

I had big plans for lots of table settings this summer, but sadly, did very few of them. But, I am beginning to emerge from the heat and humidity, am truly embracing September, and today felt like celebrating fall with this apple table.

I don’t often use my dough bowl — I’m not quite sure why — but it proved the perfect vessel for this beautiful combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples from Melissa’s Produce. Interspersed among the apples for a little bit of pattern are the Tennessee Dancing gourds that I grew this year. It is on these colors that I based this table.

 The stack of ceramic apple bowls belonged to my mother, as did the wire basket holding Fuji apples, and vibrant red flatware. The smoky stemware belonged to my mother as well.

The tin chargers come from a favorite local shop, The White Rabbit; the glass crescent salad dishes are vintage, and one of the first things I purchased after graduating from college. I had a small table, and reasoned that these would take up less room than the traditional round salad plates, and I was right. I still love them after all these years.

Number two son gave me the bright green appetizer plates and cocottes; I love that color with the red.

Woven placemats, black plaid plates, and green plaid napkins are all from Pier One.

The cups are vintage, and a part of a bigger set of Galloping Gourmet (Remember Graham Kerr?) cookware that was given away, piece by piece, for free with a $10 or more purchase back in grocery stores in the ‘70s.

 I always find a transitional table appropriate for this time of the year. I don’t generally bring out the rusty reds and burnt oranges until October, but look out when I do!

 

Get the look:

Amber Stemware

Tin Chargers

Green Plaid Napkins

Green Cocotte

Red Flatware

Woven Placemats

Faux Apples (red)

Faux Apples (green)

 

 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday
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Snickerdoodle Cobbler

 

No matter how hot it is, once August hits, I move into “fall mode.” I guess it’s because, where I live anyway, spring pretty much starts in April. By August, my garden plants are dried out and dying, and I am sick of the very sight of them. I’ve found that the gobs and gobs of cucumber and melon vines that I lovingly nurtured and encouraged all summer produced nothing but male blossoms, resulting in no fruit from either, and I’m ready to just chuck it all and move on. That’s why not an August goes by that I don’t make pumpkin spice something or begin to embrace apple dishes. 

I found this recipe online, and the ease of it intrigued me. The recipe was poorly written, the directions largely wrong, so here’s my version. Warm from the oven, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this would be a wonderful fall dessert, and certainly company worthy. It also makes a pretty tasty breakfast, or at least that’s what I tell myself. J

Snickerdoodle Cobbler

 

 1 17.5oz. pkg. Snickerdoodle cookie mix

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

1 21-oz. can apple pie filling

3 T. caramel topping

2 t. cinnamon sugar (from enclosed packet)

 

 Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with PAM; set aside.

 Open the packet of cookie dough mix, remove the cinnamon sugar packet; set aside. In a small bowl beat together cookie mix, butter, and egg until well blended.

Dollop half of the dough by spoonfuls across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar from the packet. Spread apple pie filling over this bottom layer, and dollop remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the top.

Sprinkle with another teaspoon of cinnamon sugar from the enclosed packet, and top with a drizzle of caramel topping.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown, and it is bubbly around the edges.

 Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before scooping heaping spoonfuls into bowls and topping with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

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Celtic Apple Crumble with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

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A week from today is St. Patrick’s Day, and if you are looking for a luscious, Irish dessert to accompany your equally luscious corned beef meal, have I got a dessert for you! This Celtic Crumble, from well-known Irish cookbook author, Margaret Johnson, is simple to prepare, but will wow your guests with its Irish whiskey goodness. You may just want to hide this one and keep it all to yourself. Enjoy it with a cup of Irish coffee for the complete experience.

Celtic Apple Crumble with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

Adapted from Irish Puddings, Tarts, Crumbles, and Fools by Margaret Johnson

Filling

½ c. water
3 T. Irish whiskey
½ c. golden raisins

¼ c. currants
1 t. vanilla extract
4 lg. Melissa’s Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/3 c. granulated sugar
½ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. ground ginger

1/8 t. nutmeg

1/8 t. allspice

1/8 t. cardamom

Pinch kosher salt

Crumble

1 c. flour
½ c. (packed) brown sugar
6 T. butter
1 c. quick-cooking Irish oatmeal

Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

1 c. heavy cream
2 T. dark brown sugar, packed
2 T. Irish whiskey

Filling

To make the filling, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the water and whiskey to a boil. Stir in the raisins and vanilla. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour, or until the raisins have absorbed most of the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square glass baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir in the raisins and cooking liquid and arrange in the prepared pan.

Crumble

To make the crumble, combine the flour, brown sugar and butter in a food processor. Pulse 4-5 times to form coarse crumbs. Stir in the oats. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apples are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

In a deep bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer on high until soft peaks form. Dissolve the honey in the whiskey. Fold the honey mixture into the whipped cream and spoon over the crumble.

Mile-High Apple Pie with Tart Cherries and Spicy Crumb Topping

It’s October, and October means the harvest, the harvest means apples, and apples mean apple pie! I got the urge to make one the other day, putting my own special spin on it (as I do), and it is delicious. Loaded with tart Granny Smith apples, offset with the tangy sweetness of dried tart cherries, with a crumb topping spiced up with a tiny bit of heat from Melissa’s Hatch Chile Pecans. This will satisfy whatever craving you happen to be having at the moment.

Mile-High Apple Pie

with Tart Cherries and Spicy Crumb Topping

 4 lbs. Melissa’s Granny Smith apples
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried tart cherries
1 lemon, zested
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 T. bourbon
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. flour
1 t. kosher salt
¾ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 t. ground allspice
1/8 t. ground cloves
1 pie crust
1 recipe Spicy Crumb Topping (below)

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Core, peel, and slice apples. (I use this apple corer/slicer, and then cut each slice in half.)

In a large bowl, combine apples, cherries, orange zest and juice, bourbon, sugar, flour, salt, and spices. Toss together to coat.

Fill whatever pie crust you have chosen to use (homemade or purchased, I don’t judge) with the apple mixture.  Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and mound on the crumb topping. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes until the juices bubble out. Midway through the baking process, cover the top of the pie with a sheet of foil to keep from getting too dark.

Serve pie warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Spicy Crumb Topping

1 cup flour
½ c. brown sugar
¼ c. Melissa’s Green Hatch Chile Pecans
½ c. (1 stick) butter, cold, cubed

In the work bowl of food processor pulse together flour, brown sugar, and pecans until thoroughly combined. Add butter all at once, and pulse until it forms a crumbly mixture about the size of peas.

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Mom's Apple Crisp

Sometimes nostalgic thoughts wash over me like a warm bath. Such was the case last Sunday when I prepared a fruit and cheese tray to enjoy during one of the many football games that plague grace the Sunday lineup. I was thinking of just how well apples complement cheese, cheddar in particular, when I was suddenly back in my mother’s kitchen sneaking bits of topping from a warm apple crisp.

Like James Bond on a mission, I set out to find that recipe. It wasn’t easy. Dad wasn’t sure where it would be, my aunt and cousin hadn’t a clue, and I had looked through her recipe box to no avail. In desperation, I pulled out the recipe box again, and carefully went one-by-one through every recipe, unfolding those that had been folded in half or in quarters, and examined each carefully. There in the “Pork” section was the recipe.

So today, I decided to make it. Oh, how I wish my mother had been here to tell me the type of apples she used (Jonathon were her favorites, so I have to presume those), and just how thinly the apples should have been sliced.

Mine was good, but it wasn’t like my mom used to make. The topping was wonderful, so I was pleased with that, but the apples I’d sliced too thickly and they just didn’t have the same sweet, chewy, caramelisation that hers always did. I used her deep dish pie plate that probably wasn’t the best choice, but, really, who has a 6” x 10” pan? I didn’t even know they made those; as I recall, she made hers in an 8” x 8” pan. Clearly this will be a work in progress, and I’ll munch on the topping while pondering just what to do to improve the taste and texture of the apples. Stay with me, this isn’t over! In the meantime, if you cannot read my mother’s handwriting, here is the recipe if you'd like to give it a try.

Mom’s Apple Crisp

 4 cups sliced apples

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup sifted flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup rolled oats, uncooked

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place apples in greased 6” x 10” pan. Sprinkle with sugar.

For topping combine all ingredients, blend thoroughly, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the apple mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm or cold with ice cream.
 

Print Recipe

Ready for the oven. Note the grated bits of Tillamook cheddar.

This post is linked to:

Great Idea Thursday

Full Plate Thursday

Simple and Sweet Fridays

Foodie Friday & Everything Else