Makeover Monday: Pumpkin Apple Muffins

I know that Thanksgiving is over and everyone is already over turkey and pumpkin, and is consumed with the Christmas season.  Well, tough.  The calendar says it is still November, so I reserve the right to post fall recipes.

I can't say for sure, but I imagine that pumpkin and apple have a bit of a rivalry going.  They are both classic fall flavors.  I have to think that apple nation feels slighted every time someone bakes a pumpkin pie, and pumpkins every where suffer from a bruised ego with every apple crisp enjoyed hot out of the oven.  But I am here today to bring these two together.  Pumpkin and apple can finally be friends with these delicious, satisfying, and made-over pumpkin apple muffins!

Apple Pie Cake with Butter Rum Sauce (and Cinnamon Candied Pecan Homemade Ice Cream!)

 It's apple time!  I can't get enough apples this time of year.  I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  And as a snack.  And I could wash it all down with a gallon of apple cider.  That oughtta keep the doctor away!  But, I do actually eat other things, even in the fall.  Because I have approximately 1 million apple recipes, I have to do a little picking and choosing.  It's so hard to decide what to make sometimes!

Apple pie is one of my favorite all-time desserts.  But I'm also pretty fond of spice cakes.  Fortunately, I have this great apple pie cake recipe that brings these two great treats together.  I love it when I don't have to choose!  This is really easy to make, and just tastes like fall!  And as if that wasn't enough, I topped it off with an outrageously delicious butter rum sauce, and served it with homemade cinnamon candied pecan ice cream.  This dessert is heaven you can eat!

Apple Cranberry Oven Baked Pancake

In case you haven't noticed, I love making yummy breakfast treats.  A few years ago I decided I wanted to make apple pancakes and began searching for a recipe.  What I came across was oven baked apple pancakes.  It's not what I originally had in mind but I thought it was worth a try.  The first recipe I used was okay, but not great.  To me it was too egg-y, too bland, too soggy, and just forgettable.  I thought I could do better.

In my own version of the oven baked apple pancake, I added more flour (whole wheat of course!) to make it more like the pancakes I was used to and less like an apple omelet.  I also added walnuts for a bit of crunch, and cranberries for a little extra flavor punch.  I chose cranberries because I love their tartness and it is November, but you could use raisins if that's what you have.  You could also use whatever kind of nuts you have if you don't have/like walnuts.  But if you don't like walnuts I suggest you seek mental help immediately.  I used margarine to save calories, and added some ground flax seed to give these pancakes a boost of omega-3 fatty acids.  But if you aren't into preventing heart disease, feel free to leave the flax out. 

One advantage of oven baked pancakes compared to traditional pancakes is that you simply prepare a pan of them, and then stick it in the oven, and forget about it for a half an hour.  That is a great time to brew some coffee and read the paper while the aroma of apples and cinnamon overtakes your house.  Yum!  This version really hit the spot and is a great fall breakfast.

Best Ever Apple Crisp

 Fruit desserts are always a hit with me.  I always feel a little better about having a dessert that has fruit in it.  It feels less wrong.  And I've always thought that I liked apple crisp.  Then I read an article from Cook's Illustrated about improving standard apple crisp.  I thought it was silly.  Apple crisp is already good!  But the folks up at Cook's Illustrated seem to know what they're doing, and I had a bag of apples that needed to be used so I thought I would give this new recipe a try.  They were right.  This recipe has a few extra steps, but it makes every other apple crisp I have made seem like mushy apple junk.  Here are the few extra steps that will take standard apple crisp to best ever apple crisp!

First, simmer 1 cup of apple cider and let it reduce until there is only 1/2 cup left.  This concentrates the apple flavor.  

 The other additional step is to coat the apple slices with cinnamon and sugar, then saute the apples before baking.  This caramelizes the apples, adds more flavor, and helps ensure that they are evenly cooked. 

This recipe instructs you to simmer the apple cider and saute the apples in an ovenproof skillet, then add the topping over the apples and bake right in the skillet.  If you don't have an ovenproof skillet just transfer the apples to an ovenproof dish after mixing with the cider.  Then cover with topping and bake as directed.

If you've never been a big fan of apple crisp but want to give it another try, this is the recipe for you!  I recommend serving warm.  And it is divine with a scoop of ice cream!  If you are anything like me, you will probably eat more of this than you intended to.  But at least it has fruit!

Best Ever Apple Crisp

Topping:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup pecans, chopped fine

3/4 cup oats (can use old-fashioned or quick-cooking)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

3 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" thick wedges (suggested apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup apple cider

2 tsp juice from 1 lemon

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

For the topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine flour, pecans, oats, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl.  Stir in butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly.  Set aside while preparing fruit filling.

For the filling: Toss apples, sugar, and cinnamon together in large bowl; set aside.  

Bring cider to simmer in 12 inch oven safe skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. 

Transfer reduced apple cider to bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice and set aside.

Heat butter in now empty skillet over medium heat.  When foaming subsides, add apple mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften and become translucent, 12-14 minutes.  Do not fully cook apples.  Remove pan from heat and gently stir in cider mixture until apples are coated.

Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks.  Place skillet on baking sheet and bake until fruit is tender and topping is deep golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, Sept/Oct 2010