Crescent Apple Pie

After Thanksgiving, I had an event to bake a dessert for, but did not have the time for any of my usual treats. Who, honestly, has the time to spend several hours prepping, putting together, and baking any thing delicious after doing that very thing for days prior to Thanksgiving, and then running around for all of the amazing Black Friday sales? I definitely did not, and took to Pinterest to try and find something simple, yet yummy, that would remind everyone of the holidays while not putting me out of hours, and hours, of time. I stumbled upon a recipe for a unique variation of apple pie. As I began baking, I realized that I did not have on hand some of the spice mixes that were required, and ended up making my own. It was so easy, the spices took a few minutes to throw together, and between prepping and baking I spent approximately 45 minutes on this gem!

Ingredients:
1 Granny Smith Apple (or any other variety you may prefer) peeled and cut into 8 slices
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Parchment paper
** optional ** Instead of the last three ingredients, apple pie spice may be used

Makes 8 crescent pies

Instructions:

First, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees, and lay out parchment on a cookie sheet. After peeling and slicing the apples, place them in a bowl and pour the 3 tablespoons of melted butter on top. Make sire to mix well so that butter is covering all portions of the apple. Then, mix together all of the spices making certain they are mixed well and that none of the brown sugar is clumped together.

Now it is time to begin assembling! Unroll one of the crescents, take a spoonful of the spices and spread evenly over all of one side of the dough. Then, take one of the buttered apple slices and place it on the wider end of the crescent, then roll the dough up, and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat until all of the apple slices and crescents have been used. Lastly, place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a golden brown.

Enjoy!

November Thanks Day 16 – Let Them Eat Cake!

As I was looking through my Facebook pictures, trying to come up with something for today’s thanks, I saw some things from a few years ago that made me smile. I used to bake, and decorate, cakes. There was a period in my life where I was jobless (thanks economy!), not in school, and needing a way to earn some extra money while staying sane, feeling I was learning something new. So my mom gave me the gift of a few cake decorating classes, and I was able to sell a few cakes whenever we really needed a few extra dollars.

My daughter’s 5th birthday cake

The best part was seeing that I have a small creative outlet, and seeing my kids happy with some of the things I made for their birthday’s. Plus, it felt good to be able to be resourceful in hard times.

A friend’s wedding cake

While looking at the pictures, please keep in mind that I am in no way saying I’m as good as a professional. I’m not. I’m not Duff Goldman, Buddy Valestro, or any other greats (some of my co-workers, and my mom, are truly great decorators), but for my own capabilities I’m not that bad. And it brings me joy to create something (after loads of stress trying to get it done). Also, I have to say that I miss doing this on occasion. It has been about two-three years since I tried my hand at any serious decorating, basically since motherhood, work, and school took over my life 🙂

Gender reveal cake

Her fourth birthday cake, and yes, the top tower is leaning!

Birthday cake for a friend



Yule Log

Summer Fun – Homemade Ice Cream

Last summer, my kids and I had fun trying different science experiments every Saturday – the one that was the most fun was making our own ice cream. I know, I know, ice cream is not what comes to mind when many people think of experiments, but if you think about it cooking and baking go hand in hand with science.

 Growing up, my parents owned an ice cream maker which was wonderful and quite the experience. I am in no way saying that the method I am about to share is a replacement to the creamy, deliciousness of a professional ice cream maker. That being said, this is something where my kids can see the process of liquid turning to solid and also get some exercise in at the same time. Plus, who doesn’t love eating what they themselves have made? In doing things this way, each child is responsible for their own serving, and are able to add in their own flavors and mixings.

You will need:

1 pint sized zip lock bag
1 gallon sized zip lock bag
Ice cubes (enough to fill the larger bag to the halfway point)
1/2 cup of rock salt (any salt will do, but rock salt is the best and is fairly reasonable in price)
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
Any extras that you would like to mix in (candy, chocolate chips, cookie dough, etc)

*please keep in mind, this list is just for one serving. You will need to have this amount per bag of ice cream!

In the pint sized zip lock bag, place the sugar, half and half, and vanilla together. Make certain this bag is now sealed very tightly (if not, it will become a leaky mess!).

Then, place the ice cubes and salt inside the gallon sized zip lock bag, and also put in the ingredient bag. Seal well, and shake for a minimum of five minutes. Make certain to check from time to time to see if the ice cream is at your desired consistency – if you prefer it on the firmer side then it will take longer than the 5 minutes of shaking.

Once the ice cream is done, remove the bag and stir in any of the candies and what not that you would like.

My daughter having a blast shaking away

Whispering Canyon Cafe’s Strawberry Banana Bread

Originally I was going to be making cornbread (who doesn’t love that?), but found this recipe and knew I had to give it a try! I have never made any form of banana bread before, and love the idea of trying it for the first time in adding strawberries. It’s definitely something my kids love, and will be a family favorite snack!


You will need:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups ripe bananas (about 6 medium size), mashed
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups flour
1 1/2 pounds frozen sliced strawberries, thawed

First, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees, and grease your bread pans. Then, cream the butter and sugar together, and gradually add in the bananas. Once that is well mixed, scrape sides of the bowl, and add the eggs in one at a time (make sure each egg is mixed well before moving on to the next one).

Bananas and eggs

In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together. After the butter/banana mix is done, add this and stir well. Add the strawberries and stir until everything is well mixed. Pour into bread pans, and place in oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center is removed with no crumbs.

After flour mix has been added

Stirring in strawberries

Completed bread

Liberty Tree Tavern’s Apple Cobbler

Disney Apple Cobbler

Thank you for coming back to yet another week in our Challenge! In choosing this recipe, I knew I wanted to do something that was baked, and that I had never attempted before. I found the cobbler, and not only did it sound delicious (I will admit to never trying the Liberty Tree Tavern, but I definitely will now!), but I would get to learn how to make a pie crust! It turned out delicious (though I would make a few, minor, changes), and reminded me of something my Grandmother would have made.

Pie Crust Dough:
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter cut into ¼ inch pieces
4 tablespoons Crisco – Vegetable

Start by pre-heating the oven to 300 degrees. Then, sift flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Using hands, add the Crisco (personal choice is Butter Flavor) and butter and work everything together until it is coarse and crumb-like. Add 2 tablespoons (may require more) of ice water and continue to mix with hands until dough forms. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Once it is at desired length/width place in a greased 13*9 pan.

Dry dough ingredients

Dough after water has been added

Roll out enough dough to cover the bottom of the pan

Cover only the bottom

Apple Filling:
4 pounds Baking Apples – Golden Delicious
½ cup Sugar
1 ½ cups Brown sugar
½ teaspoon Nutmeg – ground
½ cup Flour

Cut apples into thin slices (suggestion that has been made is to peel the apples as well), and fry in a pan for 2-3 minutes. Sift the sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, and flour. Mix in with the apples, and cook until apples are soft. Chill the mixture, and then place on top of the dough

Apples with sauce

Apple mix on top of dough

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces Cream cheese – softened at room temperature
1 each large egg
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Mix all ingredients together and pour on top of the apple/dough combination. Slightly swirl the filling in.

Oatmeal Streusel:
¾ cup All –purpose flour
½ teaspoon Cinnamon – ground
½ cup Brown Sugar – packed
¾ cup Rolled Oats (I used regular oatmeal)
½ cup Butter – Unsalted

Combine all ingredients together and, with hands, crumble until a course mixture. Sprinkle on top of the apple/dough/filling combination and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the center of the oven.

Cream Cheese Filling with Streusel

Finished baking and ready to serve!

Serve with ice cream and enjoy!

Join Krystal tomorrow for the next 365 dining recipe at www.magicaldismom.com

The ‘365 In Home Disney Dining Challenge’!

Some of the girls of the MAGIC 24.7 Radio Crew are proud to announce a project that they feel will truly bring a whole new aspect on cooking with a Disney twist. Taken from the inspiration of Julie Powell in her journey to cook all of the famous Julia Child’s recipes, Ashley from http://www.acupofdisney.com, Mia from http://www.bibbidibobbidibake.com and Krystal from http://www.partnersbehindthemouse.com have teamed up to cook 365 days with Disney. The ‘365 In Home Disney Dining Challenge’ is being set up by them to showcase their cooking adventures of literally cooking one Disney style recipe every day of the coming year. This challenge will also give the different views from an expert cook, to a beloved baker and a busy stay at home mom.

Starting Monday, March 26, 2012, and ending March 26, 2013, they will each blog twice a week by taking turns in cooking from famous Disney cooking books and more every day of the year. These recipes will include everything and anything from Disney inspired meals, desserts, drinks and more. You will be able to hop to each one of their blogs each day for a new recipe and how-to; complete with a difficulty key to let you in on just how much work you will be putting into each recipe. Each Sunday, their blogs will recap their cooking for the week. Each one of their blogs will also host a page with their completed recipes so you will have easy access to cook along with them in your home! Also, be listening each month for a recap show in the works to be on air on MAGIC 24.7 Radio.

You will not want to miss this exciting and innovative project Ashley, Mia and Krystal are embarking on. Follow them on Twitter to keep up with more at Ashley @ACupofDisney, Mia @BibbidiBBakeM and Krystal @MagicalDisMom. They are excited to be bringing Disney Dining home every single day of the week and encourage you to cook along with them all year long.

Disney Junior Meatloaf Cupcakes

Meatloaf Cupcakes

Happy weekend everyone! As a celebration to end this last week, I decided to revamp a Disney Junior recipe that my friend Holly and I tried (and I briefly blogged about Here) with my two kids, and loved. The original recipe is very health conscious which, while positive, takes away a great amount of flavor. So, by adding a few ingredients back in (and in much smaller amounts than normal), I have made this much tastier, and more interesting. 


You will need:

1 1/4 pound ground beef (or for a healthier option try turkey)
3 large eggs
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 cup shredded cheese (or any cheese)
1/4 cup tomato sauce (any spaghetti sauce works)
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (or piece of bread soaked in milk)
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
4 potatoes (peel if you’d like, I leave the skin on for extra nutrition)
Food dye (can be Jello/Kool-Aid packet or actual food coloring)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and either line a muffin tin with liners (there are some adorable Minne Mouse themed liners at Michaels), or grease the bottom well.

Start cutting potatoes, and placing in a pot of water and bring to a boil.

Season and boil potatoes

In a  bowl mix together beef, eggs, carrots, cheese, tomato sauce and bread crumbs. It’s best to use your hands to mix everything well together.

Meatloaf mix

Now, place mixture into cupcake tins and make sure to completely fill it so it is at the surface of the tin. Bake for about 22 minutes (or until completely cooked), and then let cool before removing.

Before baking

After baking

While the meatloaf is baking, mix the potatoes, milk, butter, and salt together until it’s light and fluffy. Then, add a small amount of food dye to the potatoes (unless a huge quantity of the dye is used, this will not affect the taste). Spread over tops of cupcakes  with either a knife or use a decorative piping bag. Enjoy!

Pre-frosting

Finit!

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Beignets

Thank you for coming back for another baking segment with me.  I have  chosen to kick off this spring with  Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Beignets; however, instead of making them in the usual square shape I decided to make them Mickey shaped. This is a two day process, but really isn’t as time consuming as it sounds.

What you’ll need:

1 package Active Dry Yeast (make sure to double check the type of yeast)
1-1/2 cups Warm Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Evaporated Milk (undiluted)
7 cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Soft Shortening (I prefer the butter flavor)
Oil for Frying
Confectioners Powdered Sugar

Yields 5 dozen (really this depends on the size – mine are usually on the large side)

Day 1: To start, sprinkle the yeast over warm water and mix well. Then, add sugar, salt, eggs, and milk and blend. Add 4 cups of flour and blend until smooth. After that add in the shortening and remaining 4 cups of flour.

Now, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2: Fill a pan full of oil about an inch to an inch and a half high, and heat it to about 400 degrees. Then, lightly flour a surface to roll out the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll it out to an 1/8th inch thick.

It is now time to cut the dough into the shape of Mickey Mouse! Like I mentioned on the show, I would normally make this much easier by using a Mickey shaped cookie cutter, but it hasn’t arrived from the Disney Store yet. So, what I did was use a very sharp knife, and cut by hand.

Shaping by hand (and messing with the dough in general) may sound difficult but it really isn’t – my five year old daughter, Reyna, was right along side me after watching some of Princess and the Frog!

My three year old son, Ken, also tried to get in on the baking action!

After getting the shapes correctly done, place the beignets in the hot pan full of oil.

Because of how hot the oil is, make sure to have full attention on the beignets for safety! The beignets are done once both sides are a golden brown (in my pan, this was about two minutes on each side). Now that they’re done, remove and set on a plate and give a generous dusting with powdered sugar.

I hope every one of you takes the time to do these – they really are a wonderful treat, and something the whole family will enjoy!

Earth Day Crush Rolls

Family Dinner Fun

I love having family sit down dinners several times a week, but with two young kids it’s sometimes a struggle to actually make a quality meal while monitoring all they’re doing, and yet keeping them included and entertained. While struggling to come up with something to do this week, I remembered an old idea my own mother did with me, but with a twist (because everything nowadays has to have a twist!): it needed to be Disney]! What she used to have me do was turtle bread, which is basically several rolls combined together to make a large turtle, while she was doing something else. So, why not take this Finding Nemo style and make several small turtles -err, Crush’s- for the little ones!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 packages(4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast

4 1/4-4 1/2 cups flour

2 eggs

Raisins or cranberries

Start by combining the milk, sugar, butter, and salt into a bowl and microwaving for about 3 minutes (or until 120 degrees if you have a baking thermometer).

Microwavable ingredients

Then, combine the yeast and two cups of flower in a mixing bowl. Add in the milk mix and eggs and beat on low setting for two minutes. Add the other cup of flower and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes. Then, mix in as much of the flower that’s left as possible.

Best yeast to use for homemade bread

Begin mixing flour and yeast

Now kneed the bread dough on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 minutes (the dough should be slightly elastic and smooth). Once that is done, place in a bowl and cover with a towel in a warm place for once hour.

Finished post kneeding dough

It is now time for the fun part! After the dough has risen, punch it down, and start dividing into 16 equal pieces. Now take those portions, and divide out the body, head, legs, and tail (shaping how you feel best to make your turtle). Once you have everything shaped, tuck a small part of the legs, tail, and head under the body of the turtle. Then, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes (longer if the room is cold).

Little Crush

With scissor detailing

Before baking the Turtles, cut raisins (or cranberries, my own personal choice) in half and pushing them into Crush’s head for eyes. Then, take some scissors and cut into the legs to make them look like webbed flippers, and on the back to look like a shell. Now bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until a light, golden brown.

Top detailing

Epcot’s Chocolate Crepes

Epcot Crepe with Mia style sauce

Welcome back to our 365 Disney Dining Challenge! As you can all probably tell, by now, I am in love with most anything French, and am always looking for extra excuses to cook the cuisine (or speak the language). So, I decided the perfect way to end this challenge week was by making chocolate crepes, like the ones at the kiosk in Epcot’s France. Since crepes on their own are not as yummy as those with a filling, I decided to create my own (if you are just wanting the Disney recipe, stick with the top list of ingredients).


Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauce (my own recipe, not found at Disney):
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup of brown sugar (can  use 1/8 to make less sweet)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon of butter
Bananas

Begin by putting all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, and then mix until well blended.The batter will slightly resemble pancake mix, only more on the runny side – for best results, let this mixture rest for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator prior to baking. Then, pour some into a pan and cook on low heat. Watch the crepe, and when you can see the edges starting to turn darker and pull up from the pan, gently flip over and cook for another minute on the other side. Repeat until all crepes are complete.

Combine all ingredients

Should look like pancake mix, but thinner

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and stir over low heat until melted.Remove from heat, and let thicken slightly (I usually prepare my sauce at the same time the crepes are cooking – everything is usually completed at the same time).

Combine all ingredients for sauce

Completely melted down

Once the crepes are finished, slice some bananas and places those slices over the crepes, then ladle on some chocolate sauce and you now have a wonderfully filling desert!

Finit!

Thank you for staying with us on our Dining Challenge journey! Krystal is up next at www.partnersbehindthemouse.com