Community Blog

As Thanksgiving is approaching you may be wondering what you will make for dessert.  Here are two recipes that I have been making for years that are alway a hit!

Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS

1. Crust
   • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
   • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
   • 1/4 cup frozen solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
   • 3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
   • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Filling
   • 3 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
   • 2/3 cup sugar
   • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
   • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
   • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2. Topping
   • 1 cup all purpose flour
   • 1/2 cup sugar
   • 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

PREPARATION

1. For crust:
   1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter and shortening; rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Mix 3 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Drizzle over flour mixture; stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.
   2. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch; turn edge under and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate while preparing filling and topping.
2. For filling:
   1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl to coat apples.
3. For topping:
   1. Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.
   2. Toss filling to redistribute juices; transfer to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around apples. Bake pie on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browning too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and filling is bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes longer. Cool until warm, about 1 hour. Serve with ice cream.

Mini Pumpkin Tarts

*Makes 45 tarts

INGREDIENTS

• 3 packages (15 tarts each) prebaked frozen mini pastry shells.
• 1 15oz can pumpkin 
• 2 cups (plus extra for garnish) frozen whipped topping thawed
• 1 teaspoon(plus extra for garnish) pumpkin pie spice
• 1 (3.4oz) package cheesecake-flavor instant pudding and pie filling. 
• Mint leaves for garnish

PREPERATION

• Remove shells from freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes
• Combine pumpkin, whipped topping, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl, whisking until smooth
• Add the pudding mix and whisk until smooth and thick
• Sppon about 1 tablespon of the filling into each of the shells (you can also pipe the filling with a pastry or gallon bag with the tip cut off)
• Top the tarts with whipped topping, a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
• Add mint leaf for garnish