Apple & Walnut Turnovers

As a rule, we never eat dessert, that is unless it’s winter time and it’s a good excuse as any to try some warming desserts. Having puff pastry on hand in the freezer is dangerous (for me anyway) because you’ve got some great options to prepare a quick dessert like these Apple & Walnut Turnovers.

Granny Smith apples are in full season at the moment and are great for cooking. It was just a matter of melting some brown sugar with a little water, softening the apples and adding a little cinnamon while they cooked.

You could cut the square piece of puff into four triangles but there was just the two of us for dessert this particular night and well, I’ve got nothing to say except I really wanted to get a good fill of apples. Once the apples have cooled slightly, spoon into the centre of the triangle piece of puff.

Top with the other triangle of puff and press the edges with a fork to seal. Brush the top with egg wash and pierce a hole in the top to allow steam to escape.

I sprinkled a little sugar on top before popping in the oven and the result was very warming and full of flavour with a light puffy pastry and a soft apple filling with the crunch of the walnuts.

I hope you didn’t throw the liquid away that you cooked the apples in? That is a delicious caramel that can be poured over the vanilla ice cream. This is the exact reason why we don’t have dessert every night. Too much of a good thing? You could try this with pears, plums, peaches, nectarines or other firm fruit.

Apple & Walnut Turnovers

• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped roughly
• 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
• sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
2. Add diced apples, walnuts, brown sugar, water and cinnamon to a pan and allow sugar to melt and apples to soften. (Save liquid from softened apples.)
3. Cut puff pastry into two triangles. (For a smaller pastry, cut into four triangles. By rights, I should’ve done this!)
4. Spoon cooled apple mixture into centre of pastry triangle.
5. Put other half of triangle pastry on top and brush edges with a little egg wash.
6. Press with a fork to seal and cut a small hole in the top of pastry to allow steam to escape.
7. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with a little white sugar.
8. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Serve with vanilla ice cream and/or custard and spoon reserved liquid from the apples over the ice cream.

Apple & ginger cakes with lemon icing

Cakes or muffins were on the baking list for school and I just get so bored with making the same things. Chocolate, chocolate chip, apple and cinnamon etc etc. I know the kids eat those flavour combinations but I wanted to do something a little different. I thought about trying apple and ginger. Why not? As it turns out, it was absolutely beautiful.

I left some plain for the lunch box and some were iced for home.

I was lucky enough to receive some of the new range of Coles Create & Bake ingredients and accessories to try. The box of lemon icing contains two packets of icing with instructions on how to make a standard icing, a lemon drizzle or a cream cheese icing. This icing mix would be just like having icing sugar on hand but already flavoured with a hint of lemon. Lemon icing works well with most cakes.

There is a huge range of sprinkles to choose from but I thought

http://1947partitionarchive.org/node/830

these green and white ‘dinosaurs’ matched the dark green cupcake paper, also part of a vast array of different coloured cupcake papers now available at Coles.

Apple & Ginger Cakes with Lemon Icing

• 1 and half cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 grated Granny Smith apple, peeled
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons oil (I use canola)
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• half teaspoon salt
• 1 packet of Coles Lemon Icing Mix (make up as per direction on pack)
• sprinkles

1. Turn oven to 180 C (375 F). 
2. Prepare cupcake papers.
3. Put the flour, grated apple, sugar and spices in a bowl. 
4. Add  vinegar, oil, baking soda and salt. 
5. Mix with beaters until smooth. (Mixture is runny.) 
6. Pour into the cupcake papers. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. 
7. Decorate with icing and sprinkles.
8. Makes 12 large or 24 smaller cupcakes.

Disclaimer:  I was not paid for this post but did receive part of the Coles Create & Bake range to try. All thoughts, photos and opinions are my own.

Easy Apple Tea Cake (Dairy & Egg Free)

You might be thinking that I’ve turned over a new leaf and gone completely crazy with the vegetarian/vegan thing or I’ve developed an intolerance to dairy and eggs but no. I’m just a scrooge when it comes to using butter and eggs in my baking. I know they are essential baking ingredients but when you’re on a budget, butter and eggs are a bit of a luxury for me. I only have  butter in the house and the kids have it on their sandwiches or I might use it to make cookies or another extravagance.  Same with eggs. I’m not a big egg eater but would happily use them for a lunch or main dish. But if I see a cake recipe that needs 4 eggs, I skip it. I always go to my favourite cake recipe, the No Fuss Fudge Cake.

As much as I’d love to just bake a cake for the sake of it, I did bake this one thinking I was catching up with a friend for morning tea. Turns out I missed an important word in her SMS message which was “night”. She wanted to catch up at night for a coffee somewhere. Never mind. The cake won’t be wasted, that is for sure. I’ve had the odd piece here and there and for dessert with ice cream and the rest has been put in the freezer for when the kids get home from their holiday with their Dad. It’s amazing how the humble Apple Tea Cake is making a comeback. I’ve seen it on 3 different blogs this week. A great cake and a great way to use up all of those apples.

Easy Apple Tea Cake (Dairy & Egg Free)

• 1 and half cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 apples, peeled, cored and diced (any kind – I used Royal Gala)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons oil (I use canola)
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• half teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon extra
• 2 tbs sugar extra
• icing sugar to serve

1. Turn oven to 180 C (375 F). 
2. Grease and/or line a round cake tin. 
3. Put the flour, cinnamon, sugar, and water in a bowl. 
4. Add vanilla, vinegar, oil, baking soda and salt. Mix with beaters until smooth. (Mixture is runny.) 
5. Pour into the tin. 
6. Top with diced apple and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top of the apple.
7. Bake 40 minutes or until cooked through. 
8. Cool for 10 minutes then take out of tin. 
9. Dust with icing sugar to serve. 

Note:  You could use less apple but I love it chunky and ‘rustic’. Serve it warmed with cream or ice cream.
Linking up with Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday

Apple Rose Muffins

Following on from my Mystery Ingredient Monday this week which was Granny Smith apples, I really wanted to do both a savoury and a sweet dish but I’ve just been so down with a bad cold. I managed to get a bunch of muffins in the oven last night while I was preparing dinner but didn’t quite get the effect I wanted for these Apple Rose Muffins.

Pinned from Pinterest but keeps leading me to spam sites so can’t credit the original creator

This is an Apple Rose Tart I found on Pinterest and I thought I could recreate the same sort of thing on a cupcake or muffin. I don’t believe I made the ‘roses’ big enough. Or, I could’ve created a more loose rose and topped with a little muffin http://www.thermolife.com/forum/members/flexis/ batter. Maybe I’ll try it again or go for a larger cake or tart as above if I need to make a larger baked item. Individual muffins or cupcakes work better for us now as I can freeze them to last a while because there’s only three of us.

The ‘rose’ is peeled from the Granny Smith and turned around on itself before putting on top of the muffin batter. I sprinkled with a little brown sugar for a caramel crunch on top.

I didn’t bother with cupcake cases either as these will be for lunch boxes and one less thing for the kids to worry about.

Not exactly kitchen success tonight or the result I wanted but I got a couple Granny Smith’s used up and maybe, all going well, I’ll get that savoury dish done soon too.

Apple Rose Muffins

• 2 cups Self Raising flour
• 1/4 cup oil (I used Canola)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 Granny Smith apples, skin peeled
• brown sugar, for sprinkling

1.  Preheat oven to 175 deg C.
2.  Add first 6 ingredients, mix lightly and pour into cupcake papers
3.  Peel apple flesh without trying to break it (doesn’t matter if you do).

Next time I would roll a bit looser.

4.  Start to turn apple into a rose shape and place on top of muffin batter.

5.  Sprinkle with a little brown sugar.6.  Bake for approx 15 minutes. 
7.  Makes a dozen large sized muffins.

Oh, what the heck. They tasted alright and that will teach me to try something new when I’m rushing to get dinner on the table.

Wholemeal Apple & Sultana Cake Bars

Thoughts of Melting Moments, Chocolate Crunch Slice and cupcakes go dancing around my head on a Sunday afternoon as I think about what to bake for the week and then reality strikes. No eggs, very little butter, no white sugar and all but a bit of cocoa left in the pantry. Quick look in the fridge and pantry reveals one lonely Granny Smith apple and a nearly full packet of sultanas (golden raisins) so a wholemeal Apple & Sultana Cake bar it is.

This recipe is based on my best cake recipe ever. It’s such a good one to have as it uses no eggs or butter and you can pretty much throw anything into it and throw it into any kind of pan and you’ll always produce a wonderful cake.

I loved the way the afternoon winter sunshine was streaming through the window when I took the photo.

Wholemeal Apple & Sultana Cake Bars

• 1 and half cups wholemeal plain flour
• 1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
• 1 Granny Smith (grated)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons oil (I use canola)
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• half teaspoon salt

1. Turn oven to 180 deg C (375 deg F).
2. Grease a 20cm x 18 cm slice tin
   well or line with baking paper.
3. Put the flour,
   sugar, grated apple, sultana, cinnamon and water in a bowl.
4. Add vinegar, oil, baking soda and
   salt. Mix with beaters until smooth.
5. Pour into the tin. Bake
   20 to 25 minutes.
6. Cool for 10 minutes then take out of tin.

Caramel Apple Crumble Slice

I had heaps of leathery old apples in the fridge which definitely needed using up so I’m grateful for apples to make this Caramel Apple Crumble Slice.

This is your basic Apple Crumble (or Crisp as they call it in the USA) Slice with the addition of a thin layer of caramel under the apple. It’s just delicious. It can be served warm as a dessert with cream or ice cream or eaten cold for morning or afternoon tea. I had it for lunch, afternoon tea and dessert. Naughty, I know. I justified it by cutting smaller slices (sometimes).

Caramel Apple Crumble Slice

4-5 apples (any sort) peeled and chopped

Base & topping:
185gm (6.1/2 oz) butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1.1/2 cups plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1.1/2 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Caramel layer:
400gm can condensed milk
2 tbs golden syrup
60gm (2oz) butter

1. For the apples, peel and chop apples and stir in a saucepan over heat until just softened. No need to add any more liquid or spices.
2. For the biscuit base, melt butter and add brown sugar, stir. 
3. Add other ingredients and combine. Place half of the mixture into a slice pan, 16x26cm (6″x10″), press down into pan and bake in a 180 deg C (360 deg F) oven for approx 10 minutes or until just golden.
4. For the caramel, combine all ingredients and stir over medium heat until slightly thicker and golden (approx 10 mins).
5. Spread caramel over biscuit base. Spread cooked apples over caramel. Crumble remaining biscuit base mixture over the top of the apple.
6. Return to oven for approx 10 minutes or until golden on top.
7. Serve warm with ice cream or cream for dessert or allow to cool and cut into bars.

 

 

Check out some of the other lovely caramel and apple creations.

 

 

 

 

Crunchy Almond Topped Strawberry & Apple Crumble

We were down to about 6 strawberries in the punnet that were starting to soften and 1 green apple in the fridge. I wasn’t sure if I’d use the strawberries in muffins or a cake but it was going to be a cool night so what better way than to use them up in a crumble. I didn’t peel the apple because I just loved the look of the red strawberries with the green of the Granny Smith apple but once cooked the apple skin fades, but it doesn’t alter the taste. I made the crunchy topping more like granola and it was really scrummy. Another good one for a cold night. (Note, what we call a ‘crumble’ here in Australia is called a ‘crisp’ in the USA.)

Crunchy Almond topped Strawberry & Apple Crumble

strawberries, cut in half
apples, diced in chunks
2 tbs lemon juice

Granola topping:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almonds, chopped finely
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tbs butter, melted

1. Combine fruit with lemon juice and put in an ovenproof dish.
2. Combine ingredients for topping and place on top of fruit.
3. Bake in a 180 deg C oven until fruit has softened and topping is golden (approx 15 mins).
4. Serve with ice cream or cream.

Note: absolutely any fruit could be used here and any nut in the topping.

Wholemeal Apple & Pecan Cookies

I love old fashioned cookbooks. I love new, modern cookbooks as well but there’s something about the old ones that stir up memories of morning and afternoon teas as a young girl, cooking with Mum and all that old fashioned, homely goodness.

Mum had a clean out recently of her cookbooks and came across this pearl. An old Australian Women’s Weekly book of biscuits and slices. It’s not like I haven’t got enough biscuit and slice cookbooks but this one had so many classics from my childhood. It even had an ‘international’ section which featured Linzer and Viennese biscuits. Oooh! How fancy! Lot’s of home baked goodness in this book and one, which no doubt, will be used a lot over the years.

The biscuit barrel was empty so it was time to crank up the oven and get cooking. I picked out an Apple Oatmeal Cookie recipe and changed it ever so slightly. I changed the walnuts for pecans and added a sprinkling of cinnamon. Not a real crunchy, crisp biscuit which I prefer, but a little cakey but still nice.

By the way, this recipe was from the ‘Healthy’ section. Not sure how healthy they are with a cup of sugar but spread over 30 biscuits, I’m sure it’s not too bad.

Wholemeal Apple & Pecan Cookies

125gm melted butter (I don’t bother creaming butter and sugar for most biscuit recipes. I just melt and mix with the sugar)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup rolled oats
1.1/2 cups wholemeal self raising flour
1/4 cup pecans, chopped finely
1 medium apple, grated
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 180 deg C. Melt butter and mix with sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add other ingredients and mix well. Drop teaspoons of mixture onto baking trays. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes approximately 30 biscuits.

Apple, Cherry & Walnut Crumble

This Apple, Cherry & Walnut Crumble (Crisp) wasn’t really planned as it’s not exactly crumble weather in Brisbane at the moment. Something we usually like to keep for our cooler winter nights but I had some Granny Smiths lurking plus a half jar of Morello cherries waiting to be used up. I added the walnuts to the crumble mix and there was dessert for tonight.

You can use any fruit you like; peaches, apples, pears, cherries, nectarines, plums, pineapple, mango, bananas, whatever you like. My crumble mix is usually a bit of this and a bit of that. No real quantities and I like to use a nut of some sort in the crumble for a bit of extra http://radicore.org/fud/index.php?t=usrinfo&id=4352& crunch. I choose a nut that will compliment the fruit.

Apple, Cherry & Walnut Crumble

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 cup Morello cherries, drained
1 tbs caster sugar

Crumble Mix:
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Mix apple and cherries together, sprinkle sugar on top and put into a greased ovenproof dish.

Mix butter into the plain flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in other ingredients and place on top of the fruit. Bake for approx 20 mins or until golden. Serve with ice cream, cream or custard or all three!