apples – Stephfood CLONE

Cheddar Apple Bundles - Open — Insides, close-up

This is another in a series of recipes I made to try and use up some apples I had rolling off of my kitchen counter.

Why did I buy so many apples, you ask? Because I’m crazy! First, I bought a bag of MacIntosh apples, and then I heard that Cortlands were good, so I bought a bag of those… and then I bought a bag of my favourite kind, Granny Smith.

I am an applepotamus.

This adorable dish is great for weekend brunch. It sounds like a weird combination to some people – apple and cheddar really isn’t that odd of a pairing! At the same time, it is hard to decide whether this tastes more like a savoury dish or a dessert.

Although sweet from the apple, the dough is not especially sweet, so it’s perfectly fine for a main course!

This sounds weird, but the apple and cheese melted together to make a sort of gravy inside the parcel. It was a tasty mix of sweet and salty, all oozy (but in a good way)!

Cheddar Apple Bundles - ready to eat — Ready to eat...

Recipe after the jump!
Continue reading Cheddar Apple Bundles

I find that I’m trying to make excuses to turn on the oven these days. I may as well bake something while trying to heat the apartment.

That, and baking stuff always smells good and wins me brownie points with J. Luckily, he’s happy with a bowl of warm apple crisp.

Cranberry Apple Crisp - a row — All in a row

I don’t know if apple crisp even counts as baking. The only reason I can pull it off is because it’s more like cooking than baking. Measurements don’t have to be precise, you can add other ingredients and it won’t destroy everything. It’s brilliant, and satisfying. It’s also a great way to use up all of the apples starting to pile up on my counter.

This time around, I used a mix of Cortland and Granny Smith apples. Granny Smith are my very favourite kind of apple for snacking on.

I also decided to throw in a handful of dried cranberries. These were a really great addition, because they are sweet and tart and take on the spiced apple juices really well.

This recipe is the result of years of trial and error with different recipes, different techniques, different spices. I think it has a lot to do with how much liquid you add to the cooking container. Previous recipes had me adding way too much water to the bottom, leaving a mushy mess of apple. I prefer the apple to be soft, but still able to keep its shape until it reaches my mouth.

I think I also prefer making these in their own individual ramekins, rather than in one big dish. It cooks faster, and looks cute.

Recipe after the jump!

Continue reading Cranberry Apple Crisp