Caramel Apple Struesel Pie - total time 1.5 hours

What's more American than apple pie?  Well, a lot of things.  What's more American than apple pie on Thanksgiving surrounded by family?  Hmm... okay, now that's pretty American.

I've made traditional apple pie before... and you know, it's as easy as... pie.  Even making the pie crust from scratch is pretty easy.  Then I had a Dutch apple pie made by Amish bakers.  Can I just say, yum!  I looove cinnamon sugar in any combination I can think of... so packing even more of that deliciousness on top for a crunchy, cinnamon-y crust... that has to be the perfect pie right there!

For Thanksgiving, I wanted to incorporate that Dutch apple pie idea and add a little something to it.  I have been on a caramel kick lately after including Ghirardelli's Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Caramel in our trick-or-treat candy bowl (one for you, two for me).  So caramel apple filling it is!

Turkey, Cheddar, and Apple Panini - total time 15 minutes

We haven't had deli meat in our house for a while.  When I realized how much was added to make deli meat what it is, it made my stomach hurt.  I have always wondered why we eat things that doctors recommend pregnant women to avoid.

No deli meat certainly does not mean that we don't eat sandwiches at home!  We frequently have shredded chicken leftovers in our fridge.  This time we had some turkey leftover from a turkey tenderloin I made earlier in the week (so this would make a great sandwich for you leftover Thanksgiving turkey).  

In the past I have been wary about adding fruit to savory meals.  I never really understood adding fruit to salad (except tomatoes).  But now I rarely make a salad without some kind of fruit, whether its is dried cranberries, fresh strawberries, or sliced apples.  I felt the same way about sandwiches... I mean adding cheese to an apple didn't seem like a flavor combination I would enjoy.  But I wanted to try it, and this sandwich changed my mind!

The crispness of the apple, the creamy, sharp cheese, and the savory, tender turkey makes this sandwich the trifecta of textures and flavors!

Weekly Menu

Labor Day weekend is the start of apple season for Lynd's Fruit Farm near our house.  Every week they open a different section of their orchard to the public for picking and each section is a different variety of apple.  Families come from all over to pick apples with their kids, some even bring their dogs (Snoop would be eating all of the apples and would look more like a pig by the end).  I always associate apples with autumn and usually forget to check the apple schedule until the last week.  This year is the first time we got apples that weren't winesap or goldrush... we actually got some of their honeycrisp apples which are fully picked from the orchard within 24 hours!

So with about 30 pounds of apples, I have some baking to do!  My husband is requesting apple crisps and I will definitely be making some fresh apple juice with my juicer.  Here are some other apple recipes to try out... slow cooker applesauce, apple pie chips, apple cider caramel cookies, and personal apple pies.

Last week was a busy week making for a hectic, on-the-go dinner schedule.  This week might be a little more low key and get us back on track.  So here is this week's menu...

sloppy joes with salad
chicken pomodoro with garlic pasta
turkey apple and cheddar grilled cheese
stuffed shells
quesadillas

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies - total time 2 hours

A week of Christmas baking with several new cookies on tap!  The first one is perfectly seasonal too.  Our apple pile from the orchard is starting to dwindle and a couple were a little soft, so they were great to use in this recipe.  The cookie tastes like an apple cinnamon shortbread.  Warm the cookie up and the caramel is ooey goey.  If you won't be able to warm the cookies up where you are taking them, a better alternative may be to frost them with a caramel frosting instead of the caramel candy inside (I am definitely trying this soon!).

.5 cup apple juice
1-2 apples, chopped
1.5 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tsp all spice
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 dozen caramels

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small pot, cook apple juice and apple chunks over low heat to create an 'apple reduction'.
2.  Whip butter in mixer, then add butter, and continue to whip.  Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice and blend together.
3.  Take apples off heat and allow to cool.  The reduction should make about 3 tablespoons of apple syrup.  Once cooled, add into batter.
4.  Add flour a small amount at a time until everything has combined.  Wrap dough in plastic and refridgerate for at least one hour.
5.  Shape dough into two inch disks fold caramel into each one.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Reheat in microwave for 10 seconds before serving to soften caramel.

Cinnamon Applesauce - total time 6 hours

Another apple recipe that you do a little prep work and forget about it while it cooks.  Of course I put cinnamon and sugar in my applesauce... I can't get enough of that flavor.  Mmmm...

8-12 apples, chopped
.5 brown sugar
1 tbsp nutmeg
6 cinnamon sticks
3 tbsp butter
1 lemon, juiced

1.  Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Turn on low for six hours.  Fish out any remaining whole cinnamon sticks.  That's it!  Enjoy warm or chilled.

Apple Pie Chips - total time 7.5 hours

Eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away is not going to get through the bushel of apples I bought from the local orchard fast enough.  So even though I love eating apples plain... I needed to find another way to preserve and share them.  This recipe is super simple, but takes forever in the oven.  With apple pie spices, these could be a snack or dessert!

8-12 apples
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg

1.  Slice apples into thin slices (less than .25 inch).  You could use a mandolin, but be careful! 
2.  Preheat oven to lowest temperature, mine was 175 degrees.
3.  Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then coat each apple slice.  Lay apple slices on lined baking trays and bake for three hours, flip slices, and bake for four additional hours.

Personal Apple Pie a la Mode - total time 50 minutes

The hardest part of making a pie is keeping it together when cutting and serving.  So I am taking the phrase 'easy as pie' one step further and taking the hardest part out!  Plus, I really like using my muffin tin...  And you could accommodate individual tastes by making different flavors without making several whole pies.

Pie Crust
2.5 cups flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup cold butter
1 pinch salt
.25 cup ice cold water

Pie Filling
4 cup apples, chopped
1 tbsp butter
.5 brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg

1.  Make pie dough in advance.  Fill mixing bowl with flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut cold butter into the flour (or pulse in food processor).  Incorporate a small amount of cold water at a time until you can form a ball with the dough.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium mixing bowl combine chopped apples, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg.  Cut small pieces of butter and stir into bowl.
3.  Rip off small chunks from the pie dough ball, form into smaller balls, and roll out onto a powder sugared surface (tastier than flour!)  Spray muffin tin lightly with oil and form the pie crusts into the muffin cups.
4.  Scoop apple mixture into each mini pie crust and cover with little lattice pieces.  Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.  Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream!