Dawn – Page 36 – First Look, Then Cook

Lighter Brioche Hamburger Buns

Published on August 17, 2011 by Dawn8 Comments

We have been having a lot of fun with my husband’s new toy – the Big Green Egg. Every weekend we try something new, and everything is amazing, seriously – this thing works magic. One weekend though, he really out did himself. He went with the 18-hour pulled pork. He started it late on Saturday night, then cooked it well into the day. Neither of us slept very well, worrying that the temperature was not holding steady – but it came out beautifully – better than that, it was downright dangerous – good thing we had lots of friends over to share the goodness.

Well, since he was taking most of the responsibility with the main course (which I loved, BTW), I decided that I had to make some homemade rolls to go with the pork. I haven’t had to search for a recipe in quite a while, because normally I have a pile I am trying to get through – so I ended up going to both Foodgawker and Tastespotting to find a good roll recipe. Thanks so much Home Cooking Montana – you were the lucky winner – those buns looked amazing, and they turned out fantastic! They were light and fluffy, and rose wonderfully, which is always my worry. Next time I make them I will use more egg wash (since I had some left-over), but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. Of course the star of the show was the pork…but the buns definitely made an impressive showing. Thanks for an awesome new recipe!!

Ingredients

2/3 cup warm milk
1/3 cup warm water
3 TBS honey
2 ex-large eggs, room temp.
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups bread flour(+ more, if needed)
1 cup white whole wheat flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 TBS unsalted butter, softened
1 egg yolk with a little water
sesame seeds

*you can use regular bread flour

Preparation

In the bowl of a mixer add the flours(3 cups first), yeast and the salt. Whisk to combine and add the sliced soft butter. In a glass measuring cup, combine milk, warm water, eggs and honey. Whisk to combine and add it all to the dry ingredients. Place a kneading hook and turn on mixer. Mix on low scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the flour. Increase the speed to medium. Knead for 8 minutes…the dough should be tacky and look pretty sticky. If you feel the dough is sticking to the sides too much add 1 TBS of flour at a time until the dough gathers around the hook and slaps around the sides of the bowl. It may still stick a bit to the sides, but not overly. Don’t be tempted to add too much flour or the buns will be dry.~ I probably added another couple of tablespoonfuls of extra flour. Continue kneading for an additional 2 more minutes… for a total of 10 minutes. Scrape the sticky dough that clings to the sides of the mixer bowl and then form all of the dough in a ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until at least doubled in bulk and is nice and puffy… 1 to 2 hours.

Plop the soft dough unto a floured countertop… sprinkle a bit of flour on top as well. Using a dough scraper, divide dough into 8-10 equal parts( or in my case, just grab a lemon size piece of dough). With floured hands form balls and place on lightly oiled parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheet as they will rise some more. Flatten the balls down a bit( to about 1 1/2-2 inches or so) and brush with egg yolk. Add sesame seeds. Cover loosely (with oiled plastic wrap) and let buns rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours… or until nicely puffed.

Pre-heat oven to 400F with rack in center. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the buns. Transfer to a rack to cool completely and freeze, if desired.

So, what did we do with these beauties?? Big Green Egg Pulled Pork baby…un-freakin-believable.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Lighter Brioche Hamburger Buns

Mango-Cucumber Wine Cooler

Published on August 13, 2011 by Dawn1 Comment

I figured it was time for another cucumber drink, just in case you are still wondering what to do with all those cucumbers in your garden. Even though we don’t have cucumbers, we certainly have mint..and plenty of it. There is a section of the yard next to the garden boxes that started off with Rosemary. Rosemary grows like weeds in Seattle, there are people who actually have it growing like hedges – what a wonderful smell they have walking up to their front door. Back to our garden – so even though it started with Rosemary, and we figured we would have to trim it back it would grow so big – it only lasted a season. I guess Rosemary has not been happy with the cold winters we have been having – and it hasn’t been doing as well in the recent years. Two years ago, my husband decided to plant some mint in that space – we heard that mint also grows like weeds, so we figured we would give it a try. Sure enough, it is perfect for that area – it dies in the winter and comes back in the spring – and so far (knock on wood), it hasn’t taken over the entire yard yet.

Needless to say – I have been making a lot of drinks with mint this summer. Cucumber and Mint is a wonderful combination (as I proved here), but add some Mango to the mix – and you’ve got yourself a party in a glass. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I had to give it a try. This was almost like a Sangria – alcohol soaked fruit with a wine base – it was wonderfully refreshing. What I love most about these drinks, is you get a little snack with every glass. I served this to some friends, and it went quickly. A perfect summertime drink – now only if we could get Mangos to grow in the Pacific NW…we would be set!

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 750-ml bottle Sauvignon Blanc
1 hothouse cucumber, peeled, cut into 1/4″ rounds
1 mango, pitted, peeled, finely diced
12 sprigs fresh mint, divided
1 cup ginger ale

Preparation

Stir sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water in a large pitcher until dissolved. Add wine, cucumber, and mango. Remove leaves from 6 sprigs of mint; stir into pitcher. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.

Stir ginger ale into pitcher. Fill 6 large wineglasses with ice. Divide wine cooler among glasses. Garnish with remaining 6 mint sprigs.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Mango-Cucumber Wine Cooler

Lemony Cucumber Salad

Published on August 10, 2011 by Dawn2 Comments

Are you wondering what to do with all those cucumbers in your garden? I am not asking that question of myself, because unfortunately we stopped growing cucumbers years ago, since my husband is not a fan. I am a huge fan though, so I end up buying them at the farmer’s markets along with other goodies that we don’t have growing in the back yard.

I have probably told this story before, but when we lived in Denver, my husband (boyfriend at the time) grew everything imaginable – whether he liked it or not. Cucumbers seemed to grow like weeds, we had way more than I knew what to do with – and that’s when he told me he wasn’t a fan. So what did I do? I bought some italian dressing, cut the cucumbers in slices, and kept a huge Tupperware container of them marinating in the refrigerator. I was young then, only a couple of years out of college – with no internet, and very few cook books. This was the best I could do – and I loved them – I probably ate a cucumber a day for a month. I probably should have just made pickles and ate them throughout the year….live and learn.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and it just seemed like the perfect summer salad – I could find almost everything at the farmer’s market. Since I was using cucumbers and knew my husband wouldn’t eat any, I didn’t feel badly at all putting vinegar in the dressing. It was a delicious salad, that tasted even better the next day. So, if you don’t want to make pickles with all your cucumbers this year – try this one instead!

Ingredients

1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine lemon rind and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss well to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Lemony Cucumber Salad

Cherry Crisp

Published on August 6, 2011 by Dawn6 Comments

We have a love-hate relationship with our cherry trees. I remember when we found out we would have cherry trees in the back yard of our house – we were elated. We couldn’t believe we would actually get cherries to pick, it just seemed too easy. Cherries are one of the most expensive fruits in the store – I figured there had to be a catch.

The first couple of years I think we got about 5 cherries combined from our two trees. I knew it couldn’t be that easy – it finally made sense that they were so expensive. Then a couple of years later, something happened – we got cherries, lots of cherries – so many, we didn’t know what to do with all of them – and we couldn’t keep up – the crows and birds moved much faster than we did, and by the time we thought they were ripe enough to pick, there were not many left. We couldn’t believe it. And boy what a mess they made – there were cherry pits everywhere – all over the yard, the garden boxes, it was just a mess. The next year we were determined to get enough cherries so I could make some crisp – so we were out there, the second we saw the cherries getting ripe, and we picked a lot – and I baked a crisp. The next day, the crows and birds had a party, and the season was over.

This year we had pounds and pounds of cherries – and we decided to share them with the crows and birds – every night we would pick some and they would eat some – and it actually worked out pretty well. We were all happy, and we tried to keep up with the mess they made, so we didn’t curse them as much. We actually got a crisp out of it – and something else, so stay tuned – aside from all the freshly picked ones we ate. We even invited some neighbors over to enjoy the bounty. It was a great season. I found this crisp recipe from Sugarcrafter – and it was delicious. Thanks for a great recipe, and thanks birds and crows for not eating them all this year!

Ingredients

Filling:

4 cups fresh cherries, pitted
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour

Topping:

3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8″ baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together the cherries, sugar, and flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the topping ingredients. Pour the filling into the baking dish, and then sprinkle the topping mixture over the top. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cherry Crisp

Spinach and Parmesan Souffles

Published on August 3, 2011 by Dawn4 Comments

I have a little secret that I have been waiting to write about…I took my older daughter to Paris this past April. We went to visit with my mother and step-father who were there for an extended vacation. It was more than amazing, it was just spectacular. It was the everything I imagined it would be, and much more. I love Paris, have always loved Paris, since studying in France during college – but it was so special sharing it with my daughter – and my parents, who love their food as much as I do. She was the best traveller ever – she let me march her all around the city, eating everything in sight, and she loved it. We had wonderful meals every day that my parents chose, and they were just so happy to be our tour guides.

For lunch one day, we went to a wonderful restaurant near the Bon Marche that serves souffles called La Cigale Recamier – and they were out of this world. I ordered an asparagus souffle (picture above) for my lunch that was incredible – the flavor was just outrageous and oh so creamy – it melted in my mouth. For dessert my daughter and I shared a vanilla souffle with caramel, again, it just kept getting better and better….

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I figured I would give it a try. My younger daughter, who is now yearning to go to Paris, needed to try one. The final product was nothing like in Paris (aside from the fact that it was much healthier I’m sure), but it was still delicious, and both my girls ate them up – even though they had bits of spinach. I would say that is definitely a win – and now she thinks she is definitely ready for a trip to Paris…I know I am.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 1/2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation

Place a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat oven to 425°.

Coat 4 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, tilting and turning dishes to coat sides completely.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Coarsely chop spinach.

Combine 2/3 cup milk and the next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a large bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cheese, and egg yolks.

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently stir one-fourth of egg whites into spinach mixture, and gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on preheated baking sheet; return baking sheet to 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350°; bake soufflés at 350° for 21 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve immediately.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Spinach and Parmesan Souffles

Blueberry Crumble Pie

Published on July 30, 2011July 31, 2011 by Dawn11 Comments

I have been longing to make a homemade crust lately. The last time I used a prepared crust, I just wasn’t happy with how it turned out – yes, it significantly cut down on the amount of time to make the pie, but it just wasn’t that good. Also – I found a new gadget that I just love, and it makes rolling out pie crust so easy, you almost want to make one from scratch, just so you can use this thing. I found it at Whole Foods one day, and decided that for $6, I have nothing to lose. A prepared pie crust can cost up to that, so I figured I would be getting my money’s worth.

I tried it out for the first time during Thanksgiving – and it was awesome. It made the most consistent homemade pie crust I have ever made, and it was so easy to get it into the pan. No more worrying about folding it over, or rolling it, – I just unzipped the thing, and flipped it over on top of the plate. This was my second or third time using it, and it worked like a charm. When I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, I decided it was time to make another crust. Then I remembered my new gadget, and I was all over it. This pie was excellent – not too sweet, not too tart, just perfect – and the crumble on the top was such a nice change from another pie crust. So – no need to be afraid of pie crusts any longer – just get yourself a pie crust bag, and you will be making perfect pie crusts in an instant! And no, I swear they are not paying me to say this…

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for surface
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling and Topping

2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 cups (1 pound 10 ounces) fresh blueberries
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

Special Equipment: Use a 9″-9 1/2″-diameter glass or metal pie dish. You will need pie weights or dried beans to bake the crust.

Preparation

Crust

Pulse 1 1/4 cups flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Pulse until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, use the heel of your hand to smear each portion of dough twice in a forward motion to distribute butter. Gather all 4 dough pieces into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill dough until firm, at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13″ round. Transfer to pie dish, gently pressing dough onto bottom and up sides of dish. Fold overhang under and crimp edges decoratively. Pierce bottom of crust in several places with a fork, then chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Line a large baking sheet with foil and place on a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°. Line crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and pie weights. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer crust to a wire rack; let cool.

Filling and Topping

Whisk 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add blueberries and lemon juice; toss gently to coat and evenly distribute. Let filling stand, tossing occasionally, until berries release their juices, 20-30 minutes.

Whisk flour, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add melted butter; mix topping with fingertips to blend.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 375°. Spoon blueberry filling into crust, then sprinkle topping over. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and topping is golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cover with foil after 30 minutes if browning too fast.

Let pie cool on a wire rack.

DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Blueberry Crumble Pie

BBQ Brisket

Published on July 27, 2011 by Dawn6 Comments

My husband has a new best friend. It is called the Big Green Egg (BGE for short). He is obsessed – every night we talk about what he is going to make next. I love it. I swear, everything tastes better on the egg, I don’t know how we survived before with just a gas grill. This is not a grill, this is a BBQ enabler. And let me tell you, it is insane. The best BBQ I have ever had, no joking.

So far this summer, he has been experimenting with all types of meat. We have had steak, chicken, pork – all rediculously juicy and tender – and so moist – oh, and the flavor, bursting with flavor – every single time. But, the brisket really knocked our socks off. This was his first one, and the first one I didn’t prepare in the oven. He started the process in the morning, then cooked it “slow and low” all day long. The smell in our back yard was incredible – but it was nothing compared to how it tasted – tender and smokey, with the perfect amount of punch. It was even better the next day. He was so excited with how it turned out, he wanted to make sure I posted this – so this is his first recipe…welcome to the world of food blogging!

Ingredients

One 4-5 lb brisket
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup smoked paprika
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup beef broth

Preparation

Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. (Your fingers actually work better for mixing the rub than a spoon or whisk does.)Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 6 months. Makes about 3/4 cup

Apply a generous coat of the dry rub to the meat 1 to 8 hours prior to cooking (store in fridge).

Soak hickory chips in water for 1 hr prior to adding to coals. Fill fire box of BGE with lump charcoal. Light charcoal and add soaked hickory chips once flame has died down and center coals are glowing. Add place setter (or cooking stone) on top of fire ring for indirect cooking. Place grill on top of place setter. Adjust cooking temperature to 225.

While setting up the fire, take brisket out of fridge and let warm to close to room temperature. Barbeque brisket “slow and low” at a temperature in the 210 – 230 degrees F range until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 202 degrees F (approximately 8 hours). Take brisket off the grill and triple wrap in tin foil with ½ cup of beef broth. Allow brisket to rest in a room temperature cooler for 1 ½ hours. Slice cross wise to the grain of the brisket. Enjoy!!!

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: BBQ Brisket

Cucumber and Mint Martini

Published on July 23, 2011 by Dawn7 Comments

Cocktail time!! The sun is finally shining, and it is a balmy 75 degrees here in Seattle, time to celebrate! As you know, I am addicted to cocktails made with cucumber. If I am ever out and see one on the menu, I look no further. I am starting to think I am not the only one out there, since I am starting to see them more and more – which makes me very happy…

About a year ago in New York City, I met an old friend from high school at Mercer Kitchen in SOHO. I heard the bar was decent, but I had no idea what I was in for. I got there first, and I didn’t see a cocktail menu, so I just went safe and ordered a Cosmopolitan. It was excellent, I must say. My friend came, and she ordered one as well. Just as they were delivering her drink, I noticed the bartender out of the corner of my eye – she was garnishing a martini glass with a cucumber. I asked her what it was, and she told me it was a Cucumber Mint Martini (or something like that) – I really only heard the cucumber part, and I ordered one. It was amazing – seriously amazing, I had two. I don’t drink a lot, but these were just too good. My friend also ordered a couple and she was hooked.

It just so happens that this friend moved to Seattle just nine months later…and I told her that when I have her over for dinner, that I would figure out the recipe for our favorite drink. I think I got it – at least she thinks so as well. Now I keep sliced cucumbers and simple syrup in the refrigerator so I am ready whenever I get the urge…just like tonight.

Ingredients

5 thin slices of cucumber
1 1/2 tablespoons simple syrup
10 mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup Hendrick’s Gin (or Vodka if you prefer)
Ice

Preparation

To make simple syrup, put equal parts of sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until all the sugar is dissolved and bowl for a few minutes. Cool.

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber, simple syrup and mint leaves. Add the fresh lime juice and the gin or vodka. Shake with ice, then strain in a martini glass.

Makes 1 delicious martini.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cucumber and Mint Martini

Orzo Salad with Radish and Fennel

Published on July 20, 2011 by Dawn4 Comments

My family is afraid of vinegar. I know, how can you be afraid of vinegar? I didn’t believe it either, but it is true. As soon as I take a bottle of vinegar out of the pantry, my family runs for the hills. I am the only one that likes salad dressing (aside from my youngest, but she will only eat ranch dressing), and when I have to cook with vinegar, it is mandatory to open all the windows – even if it is cold and raining outside (oh, have I mentioned that we have only had 72 minutes over 75 degrees this year?), the windows need to be wide open for the smell to escape. I have learned over the years that it is best to cook with vinegar when I am the only one in the house – and since that almost never happens, my vinegar bottles remain very full in the pantry – longing for me to find discrete ways to use them.

Because of the issue with vinegar, pasta salads are not very popular in our house. I love them, and look for them every day in the salad bar at work – and for that matter, I cover my salad with balsamic vinegar every day. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and what caught my eye was the fact that it was missing a key ingredient – yes, vinegar! I had to give it a try, I had nothing to lose – and I was able to keep the windows shut. So, here was the funny part – it actually wasn’t that good the first night I served it. The dressing was too strong, and the orzo and veges needed more time to marinate. The next day though, it was awesome. I had no intention of blogging about this, until I had the leftovers. The flavors really came together in perfect harmony, music to my mouth. So – give this one a try, but you must make it ahead of time and let it sit – it is definitely a pasta salad well worth the wait.

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups diced fennel (about 1 bulb)
1/2 cup chopped radish
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons minced green onions
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

Cook orzo pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to the package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.

Combine lemon juice and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add orzo, fennel, and the next 4 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon salt); toss well to coat. Cover and chill. Top with nuts before serving.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Orzo Salad

Apple Crisp with Oat Streusel

Published on July 17, 2011May 21, 2012 by Dawn5 Comments

I know it is not apple crisp season, but here in Seattle, it is. We have had a few days of summer so far, but today we have fast forwarded to fall. I am seriously starting to worry that it may not break out of the 70s this summer. I am trying to find the good in this, and cooking and baking is all I can find, besides all the money we are saving by not watering outside. When the weather is like this, all I want to do is stay home and create yummy treats in the kitchen.

Apple crisp is one of my husband’s favorite desserts. I didn’t make this one completely dairy free, but I didn’t use too much butter, so it seemed to be fine. I actually found some dairy free earth balance sticks today at Whole Foods, that I am excited to try – I will let you know what I think. So, I saw a recipe in Bon Appetit for an Apple Pie with Oat Streusel – but in order to cut down on the amount of butter, I decided to just make an apple crisp with the oat streusel – and boy was it amazing. There was so much topping, it really didn’t need a crust at all. I had a bunch of apples already in the house, so I used quite the variety – and it definitely worked – the apples were a nice caramel flavor, and the topping perfectly crisp. The girls and I had some with whipped cream, but it definitely didn’t need it. A perfect dessert for a not so summer day…

Ingredients

Filling

3 pounds Pippin apples or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into scant 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Generous pinch of salt

Topping

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

Preparation

Filling

Toss all ingredients in large bowl. Let stand while preparing topping.

Topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together first 6 ingredients. Add butter, using your hands until the mixture is crumbly. Add oats. Transfer filling to a greased 9×9 baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over.

Bake crisp until topping is golden, about 40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples are tender when pierced with small sharp knife and filling is bubbling, covering pie loosely with foil if topping and crust are browning too quickly, about 30 hour longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Apple Crisp with Oat Streusel

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