Baked Apple Bread Custard

Another one of the family recipes that my mom shared with me while I was home last week. It is originally a recipe from my grandmother, then my mom added a few things like walnuts. It’s such a comforting dessert, and tastes amazing right out of the oven with a bit of whipped cream on top. We ended up doubling the recipe to make a larger batch, but the recipe below is for the smaller amount, which serves about 4-5 people.

Ingredients: (serves 4-5)
1 1/2 cups (day old) challah bread, crumbled
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. You can crumble the bread in a food processor or by hand. You want it to be crumbled but not too broken down that you have tiny breadcrumbs. In a large bowl mix together the bread, apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, walnuts, and milk. Pour the mixture into a buttered casserole dish (alternatively, you can use coconut oil) then place the dish on a baking sheet, and fill the baking sheet with water to create a water bath. Bake for 45 minutes or until firm. Let cool slightly, then serve warm with whipped cream!

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Homemade Apple Cinnamon Pop-Tarts

Adults need Pop-Tarts too! My inner child was craving one of my favorite childhood snacks, so I grabbed a whole lotta of butter and apples and got to work. Surprisingly, not that hard to make. But what’s even better is the fact that they almost taste better than the real thing. I know that is a bold statement, but make these and try to tell me you don’t feel the same!

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 large egg, whisked
2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg, for the egg wash

Filling:
2 large baking apples, peeled cut into cubes
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Start by making the dough. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or use your hands. If using your hands, you simply want to roll the butter chunks between your fingers with the flour until it resembles the texture of small peas. Whisk together the egg and milk then add to the flour mixture. Mix lightly until incorporated. Pour onto a flat surface and shape into a disk, cut in half then wrap both separately in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

In a large saucepan, add the apples, lemon juice, both sugars, and the salt. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the apples are softened all the way through. You should be able to easily pierce them with a knife. Remove from the heat and strain the apples, reserving the liquid. Place the apples in a food processor and blend until smooth, using the reserved liquid as needed. Set aside to cool to room temp.

In the meantime, roll out your dough one at a time. Lightly flour the surface and your rolling pin, and gently roll out the dough into a large rectangle shape that is 1/4 inch thin. Using a knife, cut the dough into 3×5 rectangles and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Scoop the scraps back up into a ball, roll it out again, and keep cutting your tiny rectangles until you’ve used all the dough! Repeat with the other dough.

Working quickly (as the dough will start to warm and be harder to handle) brush the egg wash around the perimeter of each rectangle piece. Scoop and spread 1 tablespoon or so into the center of half of the rectangles, and top with the remaining rectangles. Using a fork, press around all the edges to seal them together. Place in the freezer for 1 hour.

When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the Pop-Tarts from the freezer and brush with egg wash. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, then rotate and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and let sit for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon until smooth. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken, then drizzle over the cooled Pop-Tarts!

Salted Brown Butter Apple Galette

I was feeling in the fall spirit this weekend and decided to grab some apples at the farmers market to make mini apple galettes. Smitten Kitchen makes these incredible sea salt and brown butter rice krispie treats, which are the perfect combination of salty and sweet, so I decided to mimic that in these galettes. I browned some salted butter, then added a pinch of flaky Maldon salt. You’d think this would be too salty, but with the brown sugar you add to the top, plus the sweetness of the cooked apples, it ends up being the perfect mix. I ate one whole galette myself then brough the rest to the office to stop myself from eating the others!

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg, beaten

Filling:
1/2 stick salted butter
Good pinch Maldon salt
2 medium baking apples, such as Gala or Pink Lady, cut into 1/8 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Granulated sugar
Light brown sugar

Start by making the dough as it will need some time to chill in the fridge. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or use your hands. If using your hands, you simply want to roll the butter chunks between your fingers with the flour until it resembles the texture of small peas. Pour in the egg and mix until incorporated. Pour out onto a flat surface and shape into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

When the dough is almost ready preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small pan, melt the salted butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until fully melted. Add the vanilla extract. Continue cooking until the butter begins to brown – you’ll see the color start to turn a bit amber and it will start to smell nutty. Be careful though because it can quickly burn from there, so do not over cook. Turn off the heat and add a pinch of Maldon salt.

Cut the dough in half and place the other half back in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Flour a flat surface as well as your dough and rolling pin. Roll out the dough until you have a circle shape. Be gentle with the dough as it can break easily. Luckily, a galette is meant to have a more rustic look though, so it is OK if it is not perfect! Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Making two rows in the center of the dough, overlap the apple slices one by one. Keep a 1 inch border around the edge. Brush the apples well with the butter mixture, then fold the edges of the dough over the apples, brush the dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Lastly, sprinkle the apple filling with brown sugar.

Repeat with the other half of the dough, then place both galettes in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the apples are softened. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of ice cream!