CARAMEL APPLE PIE

I came across this recipe on a Facebook group page (link at bottom) and it looked delicious.
At first glance I could tell the recipe had too much sugar in it so I cut the amount in half. It was the right choice. I upped the cinnamon amount as well. Also I am noting that you must put this on a baking sheet or you will have a huge mess in your oven. All that being said it turned out fabulous and is a super easy, fast recipe.

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 to 1teaspoon of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 5 or 6 apples
• double pie crust

Put the first 6 ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil on the stove stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

Peel and thinly slice the apples and put in the bottom of the pie shell. Cut the top crust into a strips and weave over the apples to make a lattice crust.

Pour the caramel mixture over top of the lattice crust allowing it to drip into the apples. You heard me right. You are pouring it over top of the crust. Don’t pour it right to the edge though. Leave about half an inch of the crust bare.

Place on a baking tray, lined with foil, and into a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 35 to 40 more minutes. Cool on a rack completely before slicing.

I found this to be the easiest pie I have ever made. It took about 5 minutes because I use premade crusts. My own crusts are not very good. Can’t beat that.

Click here on A Cooking and Crafting Journey’s Facebook page.
The recipe originally came from an allrecipes.com posting.

VANCOUVER VISIT

Some time ago in the middle of summer I went downtown to Vancouver to meet up with one of my sisters and her husband. You have “met” them before or at least you have met their gardens before here and here.

The had come over from Vancouver Island for the Canada Day festivities and were staying at a lovely hotel right downtown.

My nephew and his wife also came downtown to meet up with us and we were first going for lunch then we were walking to my great-niece’s place downtown for tea and dessert.

It was a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver. Let me share some of our day with you. 

We had lunch in a pub looking out on this view.

This is very close to where the cruise ships come into Vancouver. You are looking at the North Shore. There is skiing on those mountains in the winter.

Downtown Vancouver is a beautiful place. Busy and vibrant but with many lovely little spots to reflect amid the hustle.

We walked a good distance across town to a lovely old area with some amazing buildings.

We were lucky to see the street market open that day but the best part of the area was the boulevard gardens that are right in the open with no fencing. They were full of produce and flowers.

My great-niece lives in what used to be a hotel but is now apartments. Very small apartments.

Check out those marble steps and walls. Seriously beautiful. And that window…This is not a small entryway by any means.

A long narrow hallway leads to many corridors and apartments.

We all squeezed into her adorable bachelor apartment. Look at the glass that is in the built in wall unit.

The old window let in an amazing cool breeze. Of course the old radiators make great shelves. The street market was taking place right outside that window.

This was a great day spent with people I love. So nice to see two of my 5 great-nieces, my nephew and his wife and my sister and brother in law.

It was also nice to get downtown again and see the changes and the things that have stayed the same over time.

COOKING: Frozen Lime Cheesecake REPEAT POST

Originally this was a recipe for a frozen raspberry cheesecake but my grocer no longer carries the frozen raspberry juice mix so I opted for the lime flavour.
This is very easy. Lets get ready. First you need to spray a spring form pan with some non stick spray. Believe me if you don't you will regret it.

1 cup of Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 large egg, separated
1 250g package cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2/3 cup icing sugar (not granulated)
2/3 cup frozen lime beverage base (thawed not mixed with water)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter then press them firmly into the bottom of the spring form pan. Put into the freezer.

1. 
   
   
   Assemble all ingredients before beginning.
2. Beat egg white until stiff
3. Beat whipping cream until stiff
4. Set aside
5. Beat cream cheese at medium speed and gradually add sugar until smooth.
6. Beat in the egg yolk then the lime juice and lemon juice
7. Fold whipped cream into the cheese mixture
8. Fold in egg white gently
9. Pour into frozen crust and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight
   
   Garnish with more whipped cream

To serve let it sit out of the freezer for a few minutes before cutting.

Click here for printable recipe. 

 

CHECK IN WITH DESIGNS BY GOLLUM FOR FOODIE FRIDAY. AWESOME POSTS. 

SUNDAY FAVORITES

Sunday Favorites gives us a day off by having us post a favorite past entry. This event is hosted by Chari @ Happy To Design. Stop in to see all the interesting posts from the past. Leave a comment and visit as many as you can.

Oh man I wish I had one of these right now. It is a Lime Cheesecake.

Originally this was a recipe for a frozen raspberry cheesecake but my grocer no longer carries the frozen raspberry juice mix so I opted for the lime flavour.
This is very easy. Lets get ready. First you need to spray a spring form pan with some non stick spray. Believe me if you don't you will regret it.

1 cup of Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 large egg, separated
1 250g package cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2/3 cup icing sugar (not granulated)
2/3 cup frozen lime beverage base (thawed not mixed with water)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter then press them firmly into the bottom of the spring form pan. Put into the freezer.

1. Assemble all ingredients before beginning.
2. Beat egg white until stiff
3. Beat whipping cream until stiff
4. Set aside
5. Beat cream cheese at medium speed and gradually add sugar until smooth.
6. Beat in the egg yolk then the lime juice and lemon juice
7. Fold whipped cream into the cheese mixture
8. Fold in egg white gently
9. Pour into frozen crust and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight
   Garnish with more whipped cream

To serve let it sit out of the freezer for a few minutes before cutting.

RECIPES: Chocolate Mousse

This is so good it will make you cry. Happy, happy chocolate tears.

8 oz bittersweet chocolate. (I mixed in chocolate chips)
2 T. cocoa powder
5 T. water
1 t. instant espresso
1 t. brandy
2 eggs, separated Pinch of salt 1 cup plus two tablespoons of whipping cream 1 tablespoon of sugar divided between the egg yolks and whites

Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler over low simmering water.

Add in cocoa, espresso, brandy and water whisking together well.

Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks with half the sugar and the salt.

Add a little of the slightly cooled chocolate mixture to the eggs and mix well. Then add this egg mixture back into the chocolate. If you add the egg yolks right into the hot mixture you will end up with chocolate scrambled eggs and this is not a good thing.

Whip cream until soft peaks form.

Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Start on med. low for 2 min. add sugar then move up to higher speed. Don’t over beat.

Add ¼ of egg whites to chocolate mixture and then fold in remainder gently.

Fold in whipped cream
Spoon into dishes 6-8 bowls and cover with plastic and chill for 2 hours can be made up to 12 hours ahead.

This is so rich you only need a small serving. No really you can't eat a big bowl full. Enjoy.

RECIPES: The Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake

This recipe was brought to coffee group by EW. He thought he was being helpful but really what kind of friend would do this to us. Now we can make chocolate cake in the time it takes to make coffee. I am sharing this with the hope that everyone else will go out and buy up all the chocolate chips in town so I can't make it every day. I did tweak the recipe a bit because I thought there should be baking powder in the cake if we were not using cake flour

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake:

4 tablespoons of flour

4 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, sifted

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons milk (I used buttermilk because I had it and I like it)

3 tablespoons oil

3tablespoons chocolate chips

a small splash of vanilla extract

Add dry ingredients to a large microwaveable mug and mix well.

Add the beaten egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add vanilla and chocolate chips.

Mix very well making sure you get to the bottom. I had to switch to a fork.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3-4 minutes on high. The cake will rise up over the sides but that is okay. (It will make your butt sizes rise up too)

Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate if desired. Be warned it is very, very hot. This can serve 2 if you are feeling virtuous. Ya, right. Like that is going to happen. EW you are a terrible, terrible person, mmmmm, no wait you are my new best friend. Mmmmmm How could you do this to me. MMMMM. I'm so conflicted. I might need some chocolate to calm my mind.