Apple Crumb Pie

This season of apple picking was the best yet! The Stayman Winesaps were the darkest shade of maroon I have seen in three years. My first batch of apple butter is on the shelves, and my appled brandy and apple-spiced whiskey are busy getting sweeter and spicier for the holidays. With Thanksgiving around the corner and fall color at its peak, it felt like an apple pie kind of weekend. Feeling the need for something new, I made an easy change to my Classic Apple Pie recipe.

The result resembles the so-called "Dutch Apple Pie" with a streusel topping: flour, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Using oats and nuts in this crumb topping resulted in a crumb slightly less sweet than usual. "Less sweet?!" Don't worry, with this pie less sweet is better. It's like the most delicious apple cinnamon oatmeal ever made. In other words, eat this pie for breakfast.

Apple Crumb Pie
Makes one 9 inch pie

Follow the pie recipe here, using only a bottom crust.

Crumb Topping
for one 9 inch pie

3/4 c. flour (white or whole wheat)
3/4 c. oats (barley, wheat, or rye)
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1 t. cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 T. cold butter

Stir together flour, oats, sugar, nuts, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with fingers until butter is pea-sized. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pie. Bake as directed.

Classic French Toast

Every once in awhile I like to sneak French toast into my pancake routine. Last Saturday morning I did just that, arriving at the local bread shop by 8:30 a.m. in search of a day-old loaf of French brioche. This recipe from Alton Brown of the Food Network produced a classic French toast taste, that was perfectly sweet. I swapped the recipe's half and half for whole milk, which I happened to have in the fridge, and added some cinnamon to the batter. Serve the French toast with bananas, powdered sugar, and real maple syrup for happy bellies.

December Baking

December is a busy month in the kitchen. Between Christmas cookies and homemade gifts, my sink is always full of measuring cups, spatulas, and cookie sheets. Short, dark, cold days left me yearning for the tastes of summer at the beginning of the month. I broke into my frozen blueberry stash from July to make a batch of orange blueberry poppy seed muffins on December 8th. 

These muffins are a twist on Joy the Baker's lemon blueberry poppy seed muffins. I swapped the whole milk in Joy's recipe for soy and the lemon zest for orange. These muffins are moist and full of blueberries. If your blueberries are frozen to start, toss them with 1-2 tablespoons of flour in a bowl. This will help prevent your batter from turning blue.

When you begin to sprinkle the crumb topping over your muffin cups, you will be hesitant to use all the topping. Don't stop sprinkling! I was hesitant too, but I was so very happy I used it all.

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Cinnamon, sugar, butter. [Cue drool]

On days where I have to wake up before the sun, my first smile comes with the thought of breakfast. I could live off of breakfast and brunch foods forever. In fact, after my 85th birthday I plan to do just that, with ice cream for both pre- and post-dinner snack.

This bread was my first introduction to the fabulous Joy the Baker. Her pull-apart bread would be the perfect pairing to your morning coffee or tea, but it's best to consider this a brunch recipe. Why? It's a yeast bread. Dun, dun, dun. Don't go running just yet, but do heed my warnings: (1) multiple steps and rises are required in this recipe (so worth it) and (2) after spending your morning preparing this bread, you will be angry (but satisfied) with how fast it disappears.

pull-apart = no slicing required

When you begin to roll your dough out, you might hesitate to use all of the butter and cinnamon sugar mixture in between your layers. It looks like a lot but do not hesitate. You're on your way to warm, buttery, cinnamon sugar heaven. I wouldn't want you to end up disappointed, with only a slightly cinnamon tasting bread.