Gaines Family Chili

Last month I was craving chili and found this very simple recipe (a printable version is here). The only thing you need to chop is one onion, so this is the perfect weeknight recipe since it comes together so quickly. All of the flavor comes from the canned tomatoes and beans which are already seasoned. Two 26-ounce cans of beans sounded like a lot to me, so I used two 15-ounce cans instead and I thought that was perfect. I had never seen or heard of Ranch Style Beans before but luckily our commissary had them. I used mild Rotel but if you like more heat, use original or hot. I did not use Fritos but I left it in the recipe.

I was skeptical about this recipe but I was surprised at how good it was. I'm so used to making a big recipe of chili that uses ground beef and ground pork and requires chopping peppers, onions and garlic and using various spices and then having it cook for several hours. This recipe only takes about 45 minutes. I made cornbread to go with it (and spaghetti because I love spaghetti with chili) and this was the perfect fall dinner. This fits perfectly in a 4-quart dutch oven (pictured below), or has a little room to spare in a 5.5-quart dutch oven.

If you are new to cooking or running low on time, this is the recipe to make!

Gaines Family Chili

Recipe from Magnolia Table, Volume 1 Cookbook

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large white onion, finely chopped

2 pounds ground beef (80% lean)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Two 10-ounce cans mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Ro*tel, undrained

Two 26-ounce or 15-ounce cans Southwestern-style beans, preferably Ranch Style brand, undrained

One 10.25-ounce bag Fritos

2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and tender, about 8 minutes.

 

Add the beef and a couple of pinches each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often to break up the meat, until it loses its pink color, 6 to 7 minutes.

 

Stir in the tomatoes and beans with their juice. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

 

Ladle the chili into bowls. Serve topped with Fritos and grated Cheddar and accompanied by cornbread.

 

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

 

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Zuppa Toscana

I recently came across this soup recipe and made it tonight - it was so good! I don't think I have ever put potatoes in soup before (I always add pasta), but this was delicious and is the perfect recipe for anyone who is gluten-free. Apparently this soup is served at Olive Garden, which I do not go to so I've never had it. There are many copycat recipes out there and most have bacon and kale in them but this one was more appealing to me. This recipe is very straightforward and easy and I much prefer spinach over kale. Sadly I can't have heavy cream but I found a Country Crock dairy-free alternative that I used, which worked well (this Silk one is even better). It would have tasted just fine without it though (if you leave it out, replace it with a bit more broth). I really love the addition of flour which makes the broth thicker than most soup recipes. I did find that it needed more salt and pepper so I increased those amounts below, and I still added more of both at the end of cooking. Otherwise I followed the recipe and wouldn't change a thing next time.

This recipe did not make that much but it was enough for my use tonight, so depending on how many people you are cooking for you might need to double or even triple the recipe. My husband wasn't home but I had 2 bowls of it, one of my sons had a very small bowl of it and I gave the rest to a friend who isn't feeling well. I also made bread this morning and dipping the toasted crusty bread in this soup was amazing.

This is a delicious, hearty soup - a great fall and winter recipe that I'll be making again very soon!

Edit: This soup was so good that I made it again the following night when my husband was back home. He loved it! This will be in our dinner rotation for sure.

Zuppa Toscana

Recipe from Once Upon a Chef Blog

 

Make delicious Zuppa Toscana at home with this easy recipe! It’s filled with sausage, potatoes, and spinach in a creamy broth that feels like a satisfying meal on its own. 

 

1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy, depending on your preference), removed from casings

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced into ½-inch pieces

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for more heat)

2 cups baby spinach, stems removed, packed

½ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

 

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it browns, 5 to 7 minutes. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a colander in the sink to drain, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pot for sautéing the vegetables.

 

Add the diced onion and carrots to the reserved drippings (if the pot seems dry, add a bit of oil). Sauté over medium heat until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Do not brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

 

Gradually pour in the chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

 

While the soup simmers, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. With more paper towels, blot the sausage to absorb any excess grease.

 

Add the baby spinach and cooked sausage to the soup. Simmer until the spinach is wilted, a few minutes. Stir in the cream and cheese and continue to simmer until everything is warmed through. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot, passing more cheese at the table.

 

Serves 4.

 

Notes:

Make-Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the soup up to 2 days in advance. After cooking, let it cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened too much.

 

Freezing is not recommended.

 

This soup is endlessly adaptable, so don’t be afraid to play around with ingredients depending on what you’ve got on hand. A few ideas:

·       Swap the sausage: Use turkey or chicken sausage in place of pork.

·       Toss in extra veggies: Diced bell peppers or mushrooms would be great; just sauté them first. If you want to swap out the spinach, kale or Swiss chard would work well. (Because they’re both sturdier than spinach, add them a little earlier so they can soften up.)

·       Add beans for heartiness: White beans (like cannellini or great northern) give the soup one more layer of texture and add a creamy bite.

Before adding the cream in

Butternut Squash Soup

I had a big butternut squash in my fridge that I needed to use and wasn't sure what to make with it. Usually I would cut it up and roast it in the oven and serve with pork, but this squash was pretty big. I also had some ricotta in my fridge and wanted to try a ricotta gnocchi recipe, so I decided I would make that with the butternut squash. At first I thought I would roast the squash to serve with the gnocchi but I knew that would not use up much of it. Then I thought of making this butternut squash soup and using it as a "sauce" on the gnocchi, serving the rest as soup or freezing it.

The soup was rather thick since my butternut squash yielded about 10 cups of cup up squash, so I used a little bit of pasta water to thin out the portion of the soup that I was using as sauce for the gnocchi, which worked really well. My gnocchi sauce turned out delicious! I had some left over Dutch oven bread that I made last night, and dipping that in the soup was delicious as well!

My mom and my sister Maria make this soup recipe so I've had it before and knew it was good but this was my first time making it. It's very simple and straightforward. Since I'm lactose intolerant, I omit the butter, and I appreciate that this recipe doesn't use cream in it like some others. I used my immersion blender, which made the last step very easy. If you love butternut squash, give this recipe a try!

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

 

2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

3½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls.

 

Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Some soup thinned out with pasta water and mixed with homemade gnocchi!

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

This Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe is super easy to make and delicious! So far I've used it for chicken pot pie, apple pie and pecan pie. This recipe makes is enough for a double crust but it can easily be cut in half to make just one crust (that's what I do when I make a pecan pie). You can also make the dough and refrigerate it in discs for up to 5 days before rolling it out, which helps around the holidays so you don't have to do everything in one day.

Making a pie always intimidates me because I'm not good at making the crust look nice, but this recipe is so simple and always tastes delicious - that's why it's my go-to pie crust recipe!

This link also has some more great tips!

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

Recipe courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction

 

This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, cut this recipe in half OR freeze the other half per the make ahead tip instruction below.

 

2½ cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) plus more as needed for shaping and rolling

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

2/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

½ cup ice water

 

For best results, chill all ingredients before using. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl and chill them.

 

Add the chilled and cubed butter and shortening to the chilled flour and salt mixture.

 

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.

 

Measure ½ cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure ½ cup water since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about ½ cup of water and a little more in dry winter months (up to ¾ cup). Do not add any more water than you need.

 

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Cut dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.

 

Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

 

When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected!

 

Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.

 

NoteS:

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 4 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.

Shortening:  I use between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of cold shortening in this dough. Lately, I find 2/3 cup (which is 10 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons) works best.

Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1¼ teaspoons.

Easy Italian Sausage Soup Recipe (with Spinach)

I came across another delicious soup recipe that is very easy to make. I changed the recipe a bit by taking out the garlic, onions and red pepper. Since I left those out, I increased the amount of carrots and celery to about 1.5 cups of each. If you like more diced tomatoes, you could use a 28-ounce can of them. I added an entire bag of baby spinach and it would be good with that amount, half the bag, or even without it all together if you don't have any. I also cooked my pasta (I used Rotini) separately and added it into the individual bowls of pasta. That way it doesn't soak up all the broth and get soggy.

Even without the onion and garlic, this soup was full of flavor! Use the link above if you want to see the original recipe. The recipe below reflects the changes I made.

Easy Italian Sausage Soup Recipe (with Spinach)

Recipe Adapted from Cucina by Elena

 

Easy Italian Sausage Soup Recipe (with Spinach) brings together hearty Italian flavors and nourishing ingredients. It’s a simple, rustic dish perfect for a cozy evening!

 

1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed (or 1 pound ground Italian sausage)

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4 ribs celery, diced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

64 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1½ cups Ditali pasta or another small pasta, dry

1½ cups fresh spinach, chopped

Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, for serving

Fresh basil, for garnish

 

 

Cook the sausage: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, crumble the Italian sausage and cook until browned and no longer pink. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and drain any excess fat from the pot, leaving two tablespoons to sauté the vegetables.

 

Sauté the vegetables: In the same pot, add the carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper, cooking for another minute.

 

Simmer the soup: Return the sausage to the pot. Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with their juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

 

Stir in pasta and cook, stirring often, until pasta is cooked to desired doneness, about 10 minutes. Alternately, cook the pasta separately, drain and serve with the soup.

 

Stir the chopped spinach into the soup, cooking just until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. 

 

Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil. Serve hot. Enjoy.

 

Serves 6.

Italian Wedding Soup

Last year my sister Maria sent me an Italian Wedding Soup recipe she makes for her family. I never got around to making it, but I recently saw an Instagram reel from Dena Fenza and it reminded me I still needed to try it, so I tried Dena's recipe tonight, and it was incredible! Both of the recipes linked above are pretty similar in terms of the ingredients (although the amounts differ slightly), but Dena browns her meatballs on the stove and the other recipe bakes them in the oven.

This soup takes a little more time to prepare than other soups because of having to form the little meatballs, but it is well worth the effort! You can do some of the prep ahead of time - I chopped the veggies and made the meatball mixture in the early afternoon. I used a teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop the meat mixture so they would all be the same size. I counted about 75 mini meatballs! I refrigerated them on a plate until after I picked up my kids from school - that made it easy to start cooking as soon as I got home. I made it in my large wide round dutch oven so there was plenty of room to brown all the meatballs at once. I cooked my Acini Di Pepe separately so it wouldn't get too soft, which worked out well for my picky eater who only wanted broth and pasta.

The recipe below reflects any changes I made to the original. Next time I may leave the onion out (at the request of one of my sons) and try beef broth instead of chicken broth to see which I prefer. I thought the soup was delicious as-is though!

Italian Wedding Soup

Recipe Adapted from Micia Mammas Blog

 

Italian wedding soup is a kid friendly, easy and delicious soup that everyone will love. The soup is made up of broth, veggies, pasta and the star of the recipe is cute mini meatballs. It is a perfect soup for a cold winter day. 

 

This Neopolitan soup is originally called “minestra maritata”, which translates to “married soup” It is not served at Italian weddings but its meaning refers to how its flavors come together in a beautiful marriage!

 

Growing up this soup was a dish that my Grandpa made all the time.  I can still remember helping him roll the mini meatballs. He taught me to sear the meatballs first. It adds such great flavor to the soup. The smell of it just brings me right back to his kitchen. 

 

 

Meatballs:

½ pound ground pork

½ pound ground beef

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 3 teaspoons dry parsley

¼ cup olive oil

 

Soup:

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup carrots, peeled and diced

64 ounces chicken broth

1½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

5 ounces baby spinach

1 pound Acini Di Pepe pasta

 

 

In a bowl, combine the pork and beef with the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, beaten egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chopped fresh parsley. Form into mini meatballs (about 1 teaspoon or less each).

 

In a soup pot over low/medium heat add ¼ cup of olive oil. Add in the meatballs, working in batches if you have to. Once browned on all sides (about 8 minutes), remove from the pan.  Repeat this process until all the meatballs are cooked and removed from the pan. This oil has great flavor but you will need to remove half of it from the pan or else the soup will be too greasy. Also, try to strain out most of the remaining brown bits from the pan.

 

Next, add in the onion, carrots and celery and cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes or until they become soft. Season with salt and the black pepper. Stir the mixture and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the meatballs back in and then add in the broth. Raise the temperature to low/medium and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, making sure the veggies are cooked. Add the spinach and cook a few minutes longer, until the spinach wilts. Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper if needed.

 

When there are about 15 minutes of cooking time left, cook your pasta and drain and put in a bowl.  You can add a small amount of olive oil to the pasta so that it does not stick together. I don’t like to cook the pasta in the soup because I find it becomes too soft. Serve the soup with the pasta and top with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

 

Serves 7.

Oven Braised Chuck Pot Roast

A few nights ago I made a delicious pot roast. I found this recipe while searching online. I've only made pot roast a few times and have never loved the recipes I've tried - until now! I don't like using a slow cooker so I was specifically looking for a recipe to make in a braiser.

I made a few changes to this and it was delicious! I did not add celery like the recipe calls for. I added red wine towards the end (I'm not sure how much I put, probably 1/2 cup to 1 cup), which made it taste so good! I love adding wine to dishes like this. I used an Angus Beef Boneless Chuck Roast from Giant that was a little over 3 pounds and a bag of mini honey gold potatoes. I used more carrots than the original recipe calls for (it calls for 2 and I used 6). I also did not have fresh thyme, so I added a little bit of dried thyme and rosemary. I had 8 ounces of baby bella mushrooms that I chopped and was going to add towards the end, but when I checked it at 3 hours it was already done cooking, so I just cooked those separately and then added them to my dish. This worked out well because my husband doesn't care for mushrooms as much as I do so he left them out of his. I made this in my 3.5-qt. Braiser, which was a bit of a squeeze. Next time I will make it in something a bit larger. This fed 3 adults with enough leftover for 3 more adult servings. This was really delicious and I will definitely be making it again soon. If you try it, make sure you add some red wine!

Update January 2024: I made this again tonight but this time I made it in my 6.75-qt. Wide Round Dutch Oven, which worked much better than in my braiser. I used the full amount of salt and pepper called for in the original recipe (2 tablespoons of each), and I thought it was way too much. This was still delicious but I thought it tasted better the first time I made it, so next time I will use the amounts in the recipe below and see how that tastes. I set my oven timer to 2.5 hours, and the meat was ready, so I sautéed the mushrooms separately and added them in. This is the perfect winter meal, served with some crusty bread to soak up that yummy sauce with!

Oven Braised Chuck Pot Roast

Recipe adapted from “Sweet Tea + Thyme” Website

 

The perfect pot roast doesn't have to come from a slow cooker! This oven braised New-England-style chuck roast with vegetables is a fork-tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious recipe that's perfect for a family dinner.

 

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (3-4 pound) boneless chuck roast

6 large carrots, roughly chopped

1 medium yellow onion, sliced into ½” slices

5 cloves garlic, smashed

3 sprigs fresh thyme (or some dried thyme and dried rosemary)

2 pounds baby gold potatoes, cut in half

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups (16 ounces) beef broth or stock

½ to 1 cup red wine (optional)

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped

 

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

 

Season all sides of the chuck roast generously with salt and pepper.

 

In a large dutch oven or oven-safe braiser on your range over medium-high heat, add your high heat oil and wait until the oil is shimmering hot (that means it looks like it's doing a little shimmy in the pot, it's moving a little) then add the seasoned chuck roast.

 

Sear the chuck roast on each side until it gets a deep brown crust, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chuck roast from the pan and set it aside onto a plate.

 

Turn the temperature down to medium, then add the chopped carrots and onions to the pot. Sauté the vegetables for five minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables start to turn golden brown. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook for about two minutes. Add some red wine (optional).

 

Place the chuck roast back into the pot, add in the potatoes and beef broth, and put a lid on your pot (you can also use aluminum foil if you don't have a lid).

 

Cook pot roast for 2.5 to 4 hours, checking at 2 hours for fork-tenderness. Once fork tender, take the roast out of the oven.

 

If you want to add chopped mushrooms, either add them in the last half hour of cooking, or sauté them separately and add them in once you take the roast out of the oven.

 

Let the pot roast rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vegetables and pan drippings or pan dripping gravy.

Before going in the oven (made in braiser)

Before going in the oven (made in dutch oven)

Saute the mushrooms and add them in at the end

Apple Cobbler

Earlier this week I bought 1/2 bushel of various types of apples. I'm not sure what I'm going to bake with most of them but I knew I wanted to make apple cobbler. I had recently come across a recipe that looked good and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did because it was so delicious! This is also so much easier than making a pie, at least for me. I love cobblers and this is a recipe I'll be making often.

I used 5 apples (4 were large and 1 was small) and cut them in thin slices. It looked like too much to put in an 8x8 pan and I don't have an 11"x7" baking dish. I used a 2-qt. baking dish (and baked it on a baking sheet, just in case of any spill over), which worked out fine, but I could have baked it in something even bigger like a 9"x13" pan. I also baked it for the amount of time in the recipe, but later discovered the cobbler topping was a bit runny in some parts and the apples a bit crunchy, so next time I will bake it a little longer.

I did not change anything about the recipe or the ingredients and I would not in the future either - the taste of this cobbler was absolutely perfect! Unfortunately I did not take any photos but I will try to next time.

Update: I made this again two weeks later to freeze for Thanksgiving dessert. I made it in a 9x11" baking dish (3-quart baking dish). The only thing I changed was I used 6 large apples, but I kept the rest of the recipe the same. The amount fit perfectly in the dish (I could have even added another apple) and the cobbler topping was still enough.

Apple Cobbler

Recipe courtesy “Once Upon a Chef” Website

 

Apple cobbler is a rustic dish of apples bubbling in their juices beneath a biscuit crust that resembles a cobbled stone pathway.

 

FOR THE APPLE FILLING:

5 large baking apples (about 2½ lbs), peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick (see note)

⅓ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the pan

 

FOR THE BISCUIT TOPPING:

1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

7 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1¾ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

1 cup buttermilk (see note)

 

FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL):

Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream

 

Preheat oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8-inch square or 2-quart baking dish with butter.

 

Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl, combine the apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Toss until the apples are evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and pat into an even layer. Dot with the 2 tablespoons butter.

 

Make the Biscuit Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cold butter and smoosh with your fingers (or cut in with a pastry cutter) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within. Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined and evenly moistened. It will look lumpy; that's good. Do not overmix.

 

Using a large spoon, dollop 8 to 10 spoonfuls of the biscuit batter over the apples, allowing the filling to show through in spots (most of the filling will be covered). Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the batter.

 

Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden, about 45 minutes (keep an eye on it during the last 10 minutes; if it looks like it's getting too brown, cover it loosely with aluminum foil). Let the cobbler cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

 

NOTES:

For the best flavor, use a combination of tart and sweet baking apples, such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious. (Don't use all tart or all sweet, or the flavor won't be balanced. I typically use 2 Granny Smith, 2 Golden Delicious, and 1 Honeycrisp.

 

If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, it’s easy! Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup. Pour milk to the 1-cup line (use this same ratio of lemon juice/vinegar to milk when you need more or less than 1 cup of buttermilk). Stir to combine the liquids. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. You’ll begin to see small curdled bits in the mixture; this means it’s ready to add to the recipe. Note that homemade buttermilk is not cultured and thick like store-bought. Even if you don’t see much change in the appearance of the mixture, the acid has been added to your milk and it will work just like real buttermilk in most recipes.

 

Make-Ahead Instructions: The cobbler can be made one day ahead and kept, covered with foil, at room temperature. Reheat, covered with foil, in 300°F oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and continue reheating for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until warmed through.

Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread

I've never made apple muffins or apple bread but I've been wanting to lately. I found this Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread recipe online last night and it looked really good so I decided to give it a try. It was so easy to make and so delicious - it reminded me of my Aunt Lucia's coffee cake with the addition of apples.

I added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to my bread. I chopped my apple pieces small as I don't like big chunks of fruit in bread. I only had Fuji apples so that's what I used. I had a bit over 2 cups (from 1.5 apples) but next time I make this I will not put any more than 2 cups of apples.

It took 45 minutes of baking for my bread to be done, but when I cut into it, it was still slightly runny in the middle.

This was the perfect apple bread for me since I don't like other spices that are in some bread recipes (I prefer only cinnamon). I love that this easily comes together with just a whisk and spatula - no mixer needed. I will definitely be making this one again soon!

Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread

Recipe courtesy “Mom On Timeout” Website

 

Homemade Apple Bread with a lovely cinnamon swirl is the perfect fall breakfast, snack, or dessert! This easy apple bread recipe is moist, sweet and simply loaded with apples and the flavors of fall. Make enough to share with friends and family or keep the whole cozy loaf for yourself! This easy apple bread recipe is a must make this season!

½ cup brown sugar

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

2 cups chopped apples - Pink Lady, Gala, Honeycrisp - any apples that are good for baking, peeled and chopped (about 2 apples)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8 x 5 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

 

Whisk eggs and granulated sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

 

Whisk in melted butter and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.

 

Stir in all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt just until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in chopped walnuts (optional) and chopped apples.

 

Add half of the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle about three quarters of the brown sugar mixture on top of the batter.

 

Spread the remaining batter carefully on top of the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture on top and use a knife or spoon to gently swirl it into the top layer.

 

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly golden on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. (If bread is browning too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.)

 

Let bread cool completely before slicing and serving.