Apple Crisp

Hmm...anyone else noticing a pattern here - all of our posts seem to involve dessert! Apple crisp was the objective when Rachel, Leslie, and I got together to cook (and play Rock Band as our crisp baked).

Our crisp recipe comes from Betty Crocker and was delicious and simple. You could substitute different types of fruit (blueberry, cherry, rhubarb or any combination) for apple, depending what you have.

Apple Crisp (6 servings)

4 medium tart apples (we used Granny Smith)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinammon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vanilla ice cream

1. Heat over to 375*F. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with cooking spray or shortening.
2. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except ice cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.
3. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with ice cream (and one of Stephen's espressos if you're lucky!).

We promise your house will smell magical before the oven timer goes off!

Sliced apples in baking dish without the topping:

The finished crisp with the BEST crumble topping I've ever had:

Bourbon Pecan Pie

When Stephen mentioned seeing a recipe in Garden & Gun that looked promising, I figured it would be a good chance for me to finally contribute to the blog. Stephen loves Bourbon and Pecan Pie so why not have both at once!

First off, I just want to put out there that I am not a seasoned baker therefore the first time I make something there are almost always mishaps or lessons learned.

Garden & Gun included a pie crust and pie filling recipe. My mother-in-law once told me she thought making your own pie crust wasn't worth it and that the frozen ones taste just as good. I'm sure others disagree. For the sake of time I just went with the frozen pie crust. First Lesson Learned: Should've bought the deep dish pie crust or scaled back on the pie filling because some of the filling seeped out while it was baking. (Luckily I had put the pie crust on a cookie sheet). We still haven't tasted it yet and even though the recipe called for baking an 1 hour 15 mins I baked for 1 hour and the pecans look a little dark. (might be a case of not knowing my oven :/ )

Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups dark corn syrup
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp bourbon
1 1/2 tbsp melted sweet butter
1 3/4 cups pecans

Preparation:
Using a hand mixer, combine sugar, syrup, salt, flour, and eggs, mixing well. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into unbaked pie shell.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (a toothpick inserted in center should come out relatively clean). Remove from oven and place on cooling rack, allowing pie to rest for 2 to 3 hours to set.

Chocolate Ganache Birthday Cake

When you need a cake suitable for a celebration, the Barefoot Contessa will not let you down. I made the BC's chocolate ganache cake last week for Leslie's birthday and served it with raspberries, vanilla ice cream, and birthday candles, of course.

From Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook:

Chocolate Ganache Cake
Makes one 8-inch cake

1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 16-ounce can of chocolate syrup (like Hershey's)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Raspberries or candied violets for decoration (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325*. Butter and flour a 8-inch round cake pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cake will be tough.
3. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set in the middle (note - it took 50 minutes for my cake to bake). Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the pan.
4. For the ganache, cook heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
5. Place the cake upside down on a wire rack or cookie sheet and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides. You can tilt the rack or pan to smooth the glaze. Decorate with fruit or candied violets, if desired. Do not refrigerate.

Enjoy!