Apple Caramel Speculoos Tart

Today is not my day for 'food photography'. Excuse me as I'll make up for it another time. Too much baby crying, soreness from getting back into working out and after a long day making risotto, I just said well, screw it. A picture is a picture, at least just for today. I'm still kicking myself in the butt for not being able to prop and plate everything like I wanted but that is life and my belly was awaiting. 

Speculoos is becoming so mainstream that the number of uses really need to go up. Here is one and I think for Fall, I'll be using speculoos as a tart crust for quite a few things in the coming week. I will share, of course. Recipe adapted from (Tartlet Sweets)

Ingredients:

Tart crust:

9 oz lotus speculoos cookies or Biscoff

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Apples and Caramel:

6 apples chopped and cooked (or pie filling if you want)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or all spice

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

Enough caramel to drizzle over tart - you could either make your own or use store bought.

(I used a homemade recipe of my choosing)

In your food processor add cookies and run until fine, once done add melted butter and sugar, mixing until combined and place into tart pan. Press down and make sure it is as evenly distributed as possible. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while oven preheats on 350 degrees F (150 C) then bake for 10 minutes and set aside.

Meanwhile, add butter and brown sugar, stirring until melted down well - add apples and spices of your choice. You really can't go wrong with that you add here. Place apple filling on top of pie crust, spread evenly and let cook again on 350 degrees until warm. Take out of the oven, drizzle caramel and serve warm. 

If this isn't making you go "mmmm" I don't know what will. Delicious, perfect Fall dessert. Now, accompanied with hot chocolate or some milk and you can't go wrong. 

What is your favorite Fall dessert?

Sweet potato, Apple, Bacon Sage Brown Butter Risotto

That was a mouth full, and believe me, it's just as good as it sounds. I apologize that the pictures for this aren't my usual but without natural light food photos do not look as good as they could be. My 2 month old was also tired of me cooking so that is what you get pictures wise. Pictures are still good to show an example.

Today was crazy, full of coding the new look for the blog, and seriously enjoying the name!

I've made a Lobster white truffle oil quinoa risotto almost a year ago in the Fall, and it seems to be a trend with me. I love a nice risotto, one that goes with my fall obsession is even better. Who doesn't love warm apples, sweet potatoes and bacon? Lets get started and hopefully this will be as much of a hit in your home as it was mine.

Don't skip on the water towards the end as if you add too much stock, you will end up with very salty risotto because remember, you're adding bacon as well!

Ingredients: 

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
yellow onion (amount of your choosing)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup brown rice
1 1/3 cup dry white wine (cooking wine if that's all you have)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
water as needed to the rice

Brown butter: 

3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 pink lady apples, sliced and chopped well
pinch of cinnamon and cardamom to taste
1/4 tablespoon sage
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C), cut sweet potato into large slices, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, pepper, nutmeg and whatever other seasonings you would like to it and toss well. Place on foiled baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and mash until almost pureed.

(You could cook the bacon in the oven or on the stove top now. Place bacon in food processor and once in fine pieces set aside)

Heat a saucepan and on medium-low heat add vegetable stock and heat until hot. If it boils turn it down.

In another saucepan, add olive oil, and butter (not the brown butter) then add onions, and cook until soft, then add minced garlic and cook for a few seconds. Increase heat slightly and add rice, stirring to combine. Cook for about 4 minutes, continuing to stir as the rice begins to toast. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in wine. Stir until most of the wine is absorbed into rice. Add in 1/3 cup of the warm vegetable stock and repeat the process and stir until the stock is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Towards the end, you will add water to cover the brown rice and cook until desired consistency. My rice took about 50 minutes total as normal for brown rice to cook. Add more liquid if needed.

Once the rice is cooked, reduce heat to low and stir in the mashed sweet potato. Really stir so that it is well combined. Now, add butter to a small pan, along with the sage and cook until the butter is beginning to brown - cook on low and add apples until soft, combine this to the risotto.

Finally, add bacon and serve while warm!

We had this dish with pan seared pork chops and it was delicious! What is your favorite fall meal? If you made this, what would you add or change?

Apple rings? Yes, you heard right.

This recipe was a hit. My husband almost ate all of them from me. A very good source of fun, sweet, a little tang kick mixed with it just being perfect for Fall. I'm apple obsessed, no matter what season it is but this, I will definitely be fitting in again. I found this recipe on pinterest linked me to her: Recipe -- I adjusted this recipe just a bit for my own tastes.

Here is everything you'll need for these easy Fall treats.

For the rings:

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 pink lady apples (can use any)
• vegetable oil for frying
• cinnamon and sugar

For the icing:

• tbsp melted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 1/4 cup powder sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice

You'll need to heat up the oil, in a skillet or a cast iron skillet, while it's heating preheat oven to 400. I have a cast iron for meats and everything else, and then I have one for baking. I used my cast iron that is strictly for baking and heated the oil on medium. Whisk the egg white together until it starts to foam, then whisk in water and vanilla, once well mixed, you can then mix in the flour and salt. This will be the batter. You will need to core the apple and cut them from the side so they turn out like a circle, OR you can do what I did and use a apple peeler and corer that cuts the apples into spirals and peels them. I broke them off to create a circle with a very small line so when fried, they did not look separate.

Place apples in batter and place into hot oil. You will definitely need to turn these quite a bit before they are golden brown. You want them only to be golden and not a dark brown. Do not overload what you used to fry it because they will begin to stick together in a bad way.  Once golden brown, transfer to paper towel and sprinkle with just a little cinnamon and sugar. Place on a cooling rack or place on greased foil on cookie pan to be placed into the oven. Place in oven for 5-10 mins until crisp. Make icing by just putting everything together. Take the apple rings out of the oven and glaze with icing. Serve warm.

I hope this is just as much a hit for you, your family, or friends, as it was for me. Enjoy!

Be on the lookout for my upcoming apple salsa with cinnamon tortilla chips, peppermint bark cookies and a mud worms for kids this Halloween. 

Apple Freakin' Pie Cupcakes.

 Now, I can't take credit for this recipe. I can say that I did change a lot around from the original and that is where my own creativity, and experimentation comes into play. Her original recipe: Original Recipes .

Here is what you'll need for the cinnamon cupcakes:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar until thick ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Add flour mixture and beat on low just until incorporated. Add milk mixture and vanilla, and beat until blended.

Divide evenly among baking tins. Bake at 350°F for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

I did not follow everything that she did. I used pure sugar cane. Added one more egg for it to be more cake like, and moist. I added as much cinnamon as I wanted -- I'm a total rebel. Haha, and I also added as much vanilla extract as I saw fit.
Now, I did make my own apples. I think canned apple filling just doesn't add the feel that you'd need for something like this. I sliced gala apples up, and soaked them for 2 minutes, in apple cider vinegar. Lemons to me are too bitter. I, then chopped them and put them into a pan on my stove top. I added honey, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, and let it cook until soft. Stir occasionally.

No caramel in my recipe. Of course, you can add to this however you wish. I like the keep things simple. Very easy, very simple and just in time for Fall.

Hope you enjoy my pictures of mine that I included. I got lazy with the frosting.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Apples and Bacon

This recipe is one I'd recommend for a special family dinner, or for a romantic date with that special someone that you can easily make at home. However you choose to serve it, I promise it will be a hit. Here is what you will need:

Large Sea Scallops - Pat Dry
2. tbsp Apple Cider
Golden Delicious and Gala Apples
Onions
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
Panko Bread Crumbs
Garlic
Bacon

To make the Apple Topping:
On medium, to medium low heat in a large skillet or frying pan, warm olive oil. Add onions (optional) stir often until soft. Add the chopped apples to the onions until the onions are brown and the apples are softened. Add 2. tbsp apple cider - salt, pepper, and then remove from the heat until later.

Now, you will need to cook the bacon. I prefer to cook bacon in the oven, less fatty and extremely easy clean up. For oven bacon, preheat the oven on 400 for thin bacon and 375 thick bacon. Place bacon on foil for easier clean up. Cook thin bacon for 12-14 mins, turn over half way through, and for thick bacon, bake for 10 mins and turn bacon over half way through as well. Once done, also set this aside.

In a bowl, add Panko bread crumbs to patted dry scallops. Transfer over to a hot, smaller skillet or frying pan, already coated with olive oil and butter, then sprinkle a little garlic and pepper over the scallops. Cook for 3-4 mins on each side until brown. Add a little Parmesan cheese on top. You should use medium high heat. Once done, add to a plate with a nice side.

Reheat the apples, just a bit and either add under, beside, or on top of scallops. However you prefer. Last, add the bacon and make into small pieces and place on top of scallops. Serve and Enjoy! Hope this is a hit at your home.