vermont apple pie

This is the recipe printed on the bags of our favorite apple orchard.


(1 recipe pastry for double crust pie)


Filling
8 good-sized apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to taste (I use heaping 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and dash of nutmeg)


Simmer everything in a large skillet until the apples have softened. Let cool.


Roll out crusts, put bottom crust into pie plate. Add apple filling and top with second crust. Pinch and trim edges, cut holes in the top for air to escape. Place in 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. (Mine usually go longer.) Optional: use the special crust treatment at 15-20 minutes. When the pie is done the crust will be slightly golden brown and the filling will bubble and ooze a little.


Special Crust Treatment
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg white
sugar


Soften the butter and mix it with the egg white. Brush it all over the hot crust after 15-20 minutes of baking. Sprinkle sugar over this and put it back in the oven.

melissa elledge cover of yann tiersen - la noyee

classic marinara sauce

This is my favorite thing to do with tomatoes when they are out of control in the garden!


1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves


Sauté onion in oil until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Stir in tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté uncovered another 20 minutes. Shred the basil leaves, stir into the sauce and serve over hot, cooked pasta.


(From Julie)

keston cobblers' club - beam

strawberry cheesecake streusel muffins

           from the recipe critic.

Muffin batter:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups strawberries cut into small pieces

Cream Cheese Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp beaten egg 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Streusel:

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp butter

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

2.  In a mixing bowl (for the muffin batter), sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, beat the milk, oil, egg, vanilla and sugar.  Stir the dry ingredients in the milk mixture gently but do not over mix.  The batter should be slightly lumpy.

3.  For the cheesecake mixture beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.

4.  For the topping, mix together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  With a fork blend in the butter until it looks like coarse sand.

5.  Scoop a tablespoon of the muffin batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Sprinkle a few pieces of strawberries and then add about 1/2 tablespoon of the cheesecake mixture.  Sprinkle some of the streusel topping on the cheesecake filling, followed by another layer of the muffin batter.  Add a few pieces of strawberries on the top and lastly sprinkle with the cinnamon streusel.  

(In case you are re-reading that a bunch of times like I did: that's muffin batter, strawberries, cream, streusel, muffin batter, strawberries, streusel).

6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer them to a wire rack.

cheese manicotti - freezer meal

1 8-ounce package manicotti

1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese

2 cups cottage cheese

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3-4 cups Spaghetti sauce

Do not cook manicotti. Combine all ingredients except manicotti and spaghetti sauce. Grease foil pan(s). Cover bottom of pan with spaghetti sauce. Stuff manicotti with cheese mixture. Arrange on spaghetti sauce in pan. Pour spaghetti sauce over all. Cover with heavy freezer foil. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, top with more Mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 

florence and the machine - cosmic love