Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars Aubrey Chaves

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars

Aubrey Chaves

Ingredients:

Shortbread Crust

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

Apple Filling:

4 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4 inch thick)*

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup whipping cream

3 ½ tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300F degrees. Line an 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.

Make the crust: Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling and streusel.

Make the apple filling: Combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.

Make the streusel: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two knives (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Make the salted caramel sauce: Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat. Do not stir. Boil sugar and water mixture until it turns into a dark amber color. Immediately remove from heat and slowly whisk in cream, butter and salt. Cool

Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350F degrees. Evenly layer the apples on top of the warm crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the apple layer with streusel and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. Once cut, pour salted caramel sauce on top. These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm or cold. The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen up to 3 months - thaw overnight in the fridge, then drizzle with salted caramel before serving.

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder Britta Roper

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder

Britta Roper

8 Slices Bacon

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size peices

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups chopped red sweet pepper

1 cup chopped sweet onion

1-2 jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup all purpose flour

6 cups chicken broth

2 large yukon gold potatoes, chopped

2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

jalapeno slices (optional)

Directions:

In a 5-6 quart pot cook bacon until crisp.   Remove with a spoon, set aside.  Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan.

Add chicken to pan.  Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink; remove from pan.  Add sweet pepper and onion to pan.  Cook and stir until tender.  Add chopped jalapeno and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Stir in flour.  Cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add broth and potatoes.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Cook, uncovered , for 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally .  Stir in chicken, corn, cream, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves.  Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Discard bay leaves.  Top with bacon pieces and jalapeno slices if desired.  

Hints:  I usually just use a rotisserie chicken, and cook the bacon in the microwave.  :)  Then I start the soup with cooking the sweet pepper and onion in 1 tblspoon oil, and go from there.  That makes this soup much easier for me. :)

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake (WINNER!) Christina Schmoyer

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake (WINNER!)

Christina Schmoyer

For crust

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from five 4 3/4- by 2 1/4-inch crackers)

1/2 cup pecans (1 3/4 ounce), finely chopped

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling

1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

3 large eggs

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

For topping

2 cups sour cream (20 ounces)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

Garnish: pecan halves

Make crust: Invert bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (to create flat bottom, which will make it easier to remove cake from pan), then lock on side and butter pan.

Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan, then chill crust, 1 hour.

Make filling and bake cheesecake: Put oven rack in middle position and Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl until combined.

Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.

Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform leaks). Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 5 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Make topping: Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake and bake 5 additional minutes.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.

Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

Do ahead: Baked cheesecake can be chilled, covered, up to 2 days.

Apple Pecan Sticky Buns Jessica Woodbury

Apple Pecan Sticky Buns

Jessica Woodbury

2 tart apples, such as granny smith-peeled, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 ½ sticks (6 oz.) butter, softened
2 cups flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Place the apples, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter on a parchment paper lined baking sheet; toss to coat. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and roast until tender, 15 min. Lower the oven temperature to 350.

2. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, blend the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt at low speed. Add 5 tablespoons butter and mix until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ cup cream, then mix into the dry ingredients.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to form a 9-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon. Cut up 2 tablespoons butter and dot the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top and cover evenly with the roasted apples. Roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, and cut crosswise into 9 slices; place the slices cut side down in the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt and the honey to a boil, stirring. Whisk until reduced, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Drizzle the sauce over the warm buns.

Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan and Sage Christy Wulz

Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan and Sage

Christy Wulz

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups low-salt chicken broth

butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs) peeled, seeded, and diced into 1in cubes

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

(add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste)

Directions:

In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute onions in olive oil for 4 minutes. Add seasonings, broth, and squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Puree half the soup in blender (and either mash or puree the other half depending on how chunky you like your soup). Return to pot. Stir in parmesan cheese, cinnamon, and nutmeg and serve.