Bear Claw (apple dessert) or Cinnamon Rolls

This is a delicious recipe using cannery dried apples. It can be halfed for more of a single family size.

Bear Claw
-Rehydrate 5 cups of dehydrated apples by soaking them overnight.

Mix together the following ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes:
2 1/3 c. warm water (hot to the touch but not burning. ~120 degrees F)
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. yeast

Then:
Preheat oven to 425
Grease Pans
Melt 1 cube margarine or butter (1/2 cup)
Make cinnamon/sugar mix: 2 Tbsp. cinnamon to 1 c. sugar

To yeast mixture add:
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 c. oil
6 2/3 c. flour

Mix well:
Roll dough into an oblong shape on floured surface, transfer to baking sheet. Spread 1/2 with melted butter. Place 1/3 of apples over butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture to taste. Fold dough in half lengthwise and lightly seal edges with fingers. With kitchen shears cut 2 inch "fingers" 3/4 of the way through dough, leaving at least 2 inches along back uncut. Twist each finger twice and then lay back down on baking sheet. Repeat until all fingers are completed. Let rise about 10 minutes. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

Yield:
Each recipe yields 2-3 bear claws, depending on size. (They are about the size of a loaf of french bread each).

Frosting:
In a small sauce pan place:

1/2 cube of margarine or butter (1/4 c.)
1/3 c. milk

Heat until hot but not burning, remove from heat and add:

1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
3 1/3 c. powdered sugar.

Note:

Same dough can be used to make delicious cinnamon rolls. Instead of forming bear claw, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and raisins if desired, roll dough from the long side and cut in one inch wide rolls. Place in greased pans with sides of rolls just touching. Follow same cooking instructions.

Applesauce Cake

2 cups applesauce
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.  In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time.  Add the applesauce.  Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.  Beat until well blended.  Stir in the walnuts.  Pour into a greased 13x9 inch pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake is done.

Fresh Apple Cake

4 cups diced apples
2 cups sugar
1/2 cups oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups flour

stir apples, sugar, and oil together.  Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients to the apple mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes in a greased and floured 9x13 pan

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cube butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend all ingredients together and frost cake.  Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Baked Apple French Toast

1 (16oz) large loaf of French bread or 2 small loves

8 eggs, lightly beaten

3 c. Milk

3/4 c sugar, divided

1 T. vanilla extract

2-3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch glass dish with vegetable oil spray.  Slice bread into 1 1/2 inch slices.  Place bread tightly together in one layer in dish.  Mix eggs, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla.  Pour half of the liquid over the bread.  Place apple slices on top of the bread to cover.  Pour remaining egg mixture over the apples.  Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the apples.  Dot with butter.  Bake for 35 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake the next morning for 50 minutes.

Spiced Apple Muffins

2 Cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup raw apples, finely chopped

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.  Combine milk, egg, and butter and add to dry ingredients.  Mix just enough to combine.  Fold in apples.  Drop in well greased muffin tins.

Topping:  Place an apple ring (unpeeled) on top of each muffin and sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar mixture (2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,) and chopped walnuts (optional) and sprinkle on top of muffins.  Bake at 425 for 20-25 mins.

Snickers Salad

1 red apple
1 green apple
1 Snickers Candy Bar (or more!)
1 cup whipping cream with 4 teaspoons powdered sugar (Cool Whip works as well)
6oz container of strawberry yogurt

Fold yogurt into whipped cream. Cut apples and snickers into bite size pieces.  Fold pieces into creamy mixture.

Baked Oatmeal

I know I have been posting with a vengeance but I have to catch up one way or another with all these yummy recipes. I have had to tweak my diet quite a bit since my gall bladder has decided to quit working. So some of these recipes I have found healthier ingredient options for. This is one of them and it still tastes JUST as good as the original. By the way, if none of you have ever tried baked oatmeal-- it is such a delicious way to eat your oatmeal. You just make it up the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight with saran wrap. Then get up in the morning, take the saran wrap off, set it in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. It will warm up as the oven warms up so it won't crack your dish. So I'll give you the original dish and the additional options on the side so you can take your pick.

Baked Oatmeal

2 1/4 c. quick cooking oats *use if you are making and baking right away
(or 2 3/4 c. old-fashioned oats) *use if you are making and baking in the morning
2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar (1/3 c. brown sugar or 3 T. pure maple syrup)
1 t. baking powder
3/4 c. raisins (or cranberries)
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced (or peaches or strawberries or blueberries)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (I use 3/4 c.-- I like it crunchy!)
1-2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
3 1/3 c. skim milk (3 1/3 c. soy milk if you prefer)
1/2 c. butter (1 t. safflower or coconut oil w/ 1/2 c. applesauce)
4 egg whites (1 mashed banana)
1 t. vanilla extract
milk, yogurt, cream, sugar, and/or fruit for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" square glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, raisins, apples, walnuts, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine milk, butter, egg whites, and vanilla and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.

Pour into the baking dish and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes depending on what consistency you want to end up with. I like mine well set with a little crunch around the edges, but so it is still moist inside, just a tad over 50 minutes. Cool slightly.

Serve topped with milk or cream or sugar or yogurt and fruit, whatever you want. Store leftover oatmeal tightly covered in refrigerator.

Apple Art

This is an activity, not a recipe. Cut apples in half cross-wise to make star stamps for dipping in paint.

Apple Pizza

Crust:
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. ice water

Mix well and form into a ball. Spread onto 1 large or 2 small ungreased pizza pans; turn up edges.

Topping:
1/2 c. powdered coffee creamer (can make without)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 c. cold butter

Mix all except butter. Spread half of topping over crust and leave the rest in the bowl. Cut butter into the remaining half of topping and save.

Filling:
6 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apples
juice of 1/2 lemon

Sprinkle lemon juice over apples. Pile onto pizza, then sprinkle on remaining crumbly topping. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut into slices and serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Delicious topped with drizzled caramel sauce!

Toffee Apple Dip

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 (11 oz.) package Skor or Heath toffee chips

Beat softened cream cheese, sugars and vanilla together until fluffy. Stir in toffee chips by hand. Serve with sliced apples.

Autumn Wild Rice

2 (6 oz.) packages long grain and wild rice mix
1 medium red or green apple, unpeeled and diced
1 green onion, minced
1/4 c. dried cranberries or golden raisins
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 t. poppy seeds
1 t. grated lemon rind
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. apple juice

In a medium saucepan, cook rice according to package directions. In a large serving bowl, combine apple, onion, cranberries or raisins, parsley and almonds. Add cooked rice and toss together to blend. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, poppy seeds, lemon rind, cinnamon and apple juice. Pour over rice mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Applesauce Muffins

1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 T. milk
1 c. raisins (optional)
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 t. nutmeg

Topping:
1/4 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 c. brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 t. cinnamon

Combine applesauce, sugar, oil, eggs, milk and raisins. Mix together and add dry ingredients. Stir with a spoon until well blended. Pour into greased muffin tin. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake t 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Oreo Caramel Apples

I'm not sure where I collected this recipe from, but it is so good.

1. Slice Granny Smith Apples
2. Dip in caramel sauce
3. Dip in Oreo Crumbs
4. Refrigerate

Caramel Recipe:
1/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup

Bring to a soft boil, then add 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (7 oz.). Return to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1/2 t. vanilla. Let cool before dipping apples or it just runs right off.

Apple Slab Pie

From Cook's Country

I know this isn't Kathy's famous apple pie (which she should probably post this month), but it is still pretty darn good. Here goes.

Pie:
8 granny smith apples (about 3 1/2 lbs.) peeled, cored, and sliced thin
8 golden delicious apples (about 3 1/2 lbs.) peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. animal crackers
2 (15 oz.) boxes pillsbury ready to roll pie crust
4 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 T. minute tapioca
2 t. ground cinnamon
3 T. lemon juice


Glaze:
3/4 c. reserved apple juice (from filling)
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1. For the pie: combine apples, 1 c. sugar and salt in colander set over large bowl. Let sit, tossing occassionally until apples release their juices, about 30 minutes. Press gently on apples to extract liquid and reserve 3/4 c. juice.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and remaining sugar in food processor until finely ground. Dust work surface with cracker mixture, brush half of one pie round with water, overlap with second pie round and dust top with cracker mixture. Roll out dough to 19 x 14 " and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Brush dough with butter and refrigerate; roll out top crust in the same way.

3. Toss drained apples with tapioca, cinnamon, and lemon juice and arrange evenly over bottom crust, pressing lightly to flatten. Brush edges of bottom crust with water, and arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together and use a paring knife to trim any excess dough. Use fork to crimp and seal outside edge of pie and then pierce top of pie at 2" intervals. Bake until pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 1 hour.

4. For the glaze: While pie is cooling, simmer reserved apple juice in saucepan over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 c. , about6 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and butter and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in powdered sugar and brush glaze evenly over warm pie. Let pie cool completely, at least 1 hour longer. Serve.

**This pie can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

***You grind animal crackers and sugar to a powder in the food processor and use this mixture instead of flour to facilitate rolling out the dough. The animal cracker-sugar mixture lends a much needed flavor to the bland store-bough pie dough.

Caramel Apple Slices

2 lbs. (about 6 apples) Golden Delicious apples
2 T. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. flour

Peel, core, and slice each apple into 8 pieces. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add brown sugar and flour. Add apple slices and cook over low heat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Great as a garnish, snack, topping, or side dish. Makes 6 servings.

Grated Apple Salad

This is an old-time jello salad, but try it if you like. You may just like it.

1 (6 oz.) pkg. cherry Jell-O
2 c. boiling water
2 c. apples, grated (2 lg. or 4 sm.)
1 1/2 c. orange juice

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add orange juice and set until partially thick. Fold in grated apples and set until firm.

Apple Pancakes

From Captain Jefferds Inn (Kennebunkport, ME)
2 c. unbleached flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 T. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. mace
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 T/ bacon drippings or oil
1 1/2 c. tart apples, shredded, firmly packed
1 1/2 c. pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

Combine flour, sugar, and dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly and stir in oil and milk. Add flour mixture and blend just until dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Stir in apples and pecans and let stand for 20 minutes. Stirring lightly, pour 1/4 c. batter onto a hot skillet. As bubbles appear on top, turn and brown on the other side.

Sugarless Apple Pie

6-8 apples, peeled and sliced
1/8 t. salt, brings out the natural sweetness of the apples
1/2 to 1 c. raisins
Dash of cinnamon

Mix together. Bake in 2 crust pie shell at 450 for 20-30 minutes, or until crust is cooked.

Caramel Dumplings

This is not apple, but I've seen so many apple dumpling recipes I thought it would be fun to try a different version. It's delicious!

1 1/2 c. flour, sifted
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. butter

Milk (enough to make thick batter, about 2/3 c.)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. water
2 T. butter

Boil together; drop in dumplings. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Fruit Mixture:
5 c. (5 medium) apples, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 t. cinnamon

Topping:
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. nuts, chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 x 8", 2 qt. baking dish. In a large bowl, combine all fruit ingredients; toss to coat. Spoon into greased baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar, and 1/3 c. flour. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit.

Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown or apples are tender. If desired, serve with ice cream, whipped cream or heavy cream. Makes 10 servings.

Microwave directions:
In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar 3 T. flour and cinnamon. Spoon into ungreased 12 x 8", 2 qt. microwave-safe dish. In small bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar, 1/3 c. flour, melted margarine, and nuts; mix well. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit. Microwave on high for 10 -12 minutes, or until apples are tender, rotating dish half turn halfway through cooking.

Fruit Filled Cake

Cream together:
1 c. margarine
4 eggs
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Beat in:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder

Spread half on a large cookie sheet. Dot with one can of fruit filling. Apple pie filling or tart cherry pie filling is nice. String remaining dough around fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Apple Crisp with Rum Sauce

Crisp Mixture
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, melted

Apple Mixture
7 apples, peeled and sliced
2 T flour, mixed with apples
Additional sugar/cinnamon mixture, mixed with apples

Put apple mixture in a 9x13 pan. Crumble the crisp mixture on top. Bake for 1 hour at 350°. Serve warm with ice cream and rum sauce

Rum Sauce
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 T rum flavoring

Boil first three ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Add the rum flavoring at the very end.

Apple Pancake

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. apple slices

1 egg

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

dash of nutmeg

In 9 inch pie plate melt butter. Put apple slices in pan. In bowl beat egg; add flour, milk, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour over apples. Bake 12 minutes at 425°. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Apple Nut Crackers

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and finely minced

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup applesauce

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Add applesauce all at once. Using a fork, stir until the mixture can be gathered into a ball. Divide dough in half. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease baking sheets and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of the dough into a 12x7 inch rectangle. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares with a pastry wheel (I use a pizza cutter)--you can also get fancy and do circles, triangles, letters, etc. Place crackers 1/4 inch apart on baking sheet and prick each cracker with a fork a few times to prevent bubbles. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool until firm and store in an air-tight container.

Baked Apple Pancake

I got this recipe from Parenting Magazine and absolutely fell in LOVE with it. Just be careful with the hot skillet. I burn myself more often than I'm willing to admit.

3 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced

2 T lemon juice

½ tsp cinnamon

6 T powdered sugar

6 T butter, melted and cooled, divided

3 eggs

¼ tsp salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

½ tsp vanilla

Toss apple slices with lemon juice and then the cinnamon and powdered sugar. Heat a 10 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add apples and 4 tablespoons butter. Cook on low-medium heat, stirring for 4 minutes, until tender

Beat eggs, salt, flour, milk and vanilla until smooth. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Spread apples evenly in skillet. Pour batter over the top. Bake about 20 minutes, until no moist spots are left in batter. Remove from oven and immediately flip over onto a large plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Let's keep going!

We've had enough people show interest that we're going to start with the themes again. I'll keep adding to my digital recipe book through the end of the year and make it a Chicks & Dip Cookbook Part 1. I really am happy that so many want to keep sharing!

This month . . . APPLES!

I'll just pick the themes for each month, but I'd love your input. Post a comment with all your fantastic ideas!

Apple Cinnamon Bread Braid

I would have taken a picture sooner, but this was all that was left by the time I pulled out the camera. I usually make cinnamon rolls for conference morning using my Aunt Sandy's french bread recipe (found here). This year, I made them but added a few twists.

The bread rises for nearly an hour while you stir it down a few times. During the stir down-times, I sprinkled in a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon sugar so that the dough would be really infused with that flavor once it was all the way risen. It makes the dough a little bit sticky, but when you roll it out onto the countertop with flour, it is just fine.

The other thing I did was take half the dough and turn it into a bread braid. Here's how:

1. Roll the dough out into a rectangle.

2. Spread a thin layer of butter onto the dough.

3. Spread a 1/4 inch layer of light brown sugar onto the dough, and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

4. Take a pizza cutter and cut 2 inch strips into the dough along the long ends of the rectangle, thus leaving about 4 1/2 inches of non-cut dough where you pile sliced apples.

5. After apples are piled along the middle of the rectangle, take the ends and "braid" them into each other. I folded the end into the apples, then took the strips and just criss-crossed them. At the end of the braid, tuck leftover dough back into the braid.

6. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Some of the brown sugar will leak out onto the cookie sheet, so make sure and use one with edges.

7. While it cools, drizzle cream cheese frosting all over it. Slice and serve.

It is freakishly delicious, and has been requested for next year and also for Christmas morning. I just love a good versatile bread recipe!

Hey out there!

I don't know if anyone ever comes here anymore, but I thought I'd let you all know . . .

I'm working on putting all these recipes into an organized word file that can be printed out, bound and kept with the rest of your cookbooks. I'll email the file to anyone who is interested.

So:

• If you have any recipes you really want to share before I finish this up, do it now.
  
• If you would like me to send the file to you, leave me a comment.

Thanks for all the great recipes ladies!