Another of my preserving adventures: Apple Pie Filling! I had bought a bunch of apples on a good deal without realizing they were meant for baking. They didn't make for yummy fresh snacks. So I searched online and found a fairly simple recipe for freezer pie filling.
Did I ever say how much I don't love peeling?
My mix of spices. LOTS of sugar!
Cooking the mix.
Bringing to a boil.
Adding apples.
They cooked for awhile. And then into the freezer bags!
I ended up with 5 of them.
I went ahead and used some to make quick Apple Turnovers.
This recipe used store bought refrigerator biscuits. Talk about easy! Just rolled them out..
Filled them and sealed them.
And baked them. They were yummy but would have been yummier if I had remembered to add powdered sugar. :)
Another dessert I just made that you simply MUST try!!!
I had some pears that we had forgotten about that were running out of time. You would be amazed at how much can be done with pears!! The only desert with pears that I had ever heard of were Poached Pears. But oh the possibilities that are out there!
I ended up going with a lovely Pear Streusal Cake.
More peeling and chopping. Peeling a slippery pear can be tricky..
You mix them with lemon juice to keep them from browning.
The dry goods.
Eggs, milk and such.
The yummy crumbly streusal topping!
It is much for fun when you get your hands in there!
So you layer the cake batter..
then the pears and streusal mix..
Then more cake batter...
and finally, more pears and streusal.
The finished product! It is especially good when its fresh as the top is nice and crunchy. It will soften after being stored a day or two. Still yummy though. Reminds me of apple pie.
Because this was such a treat and a personal success, I have included the recipe and encourage you to give it a whirl! You'll be glad you did!!
Pear Streusal Cake
2 med pears, peeled and cored, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
Streusel
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C light brown sugar, packed
4 oz cold butter, cut in small pieces
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 C chopped pecans (optional)
Cake
2 C all purpose flour
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 C milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 oz butter, melted
Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350.
Toss chopped pears with lemon juice in a bowl; set aside.
In another bowl, combine streusel ingredients, except pecans, with a fork until crumbly, or pulse with food processor. (I used a fork and then my hands) Stir in pecans, if using.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir to blend.
Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until blended; stir in milk, vanilla, and butter. Add to flour mixture and fold with a wooden spoon or spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon half of the batter into prepared loaf pan; spread out to cover the bottom. Sprinkle batter with half of the pears and half of the streusel. Spoon remaining batter evenly over streusel, spreading carefully to cover. Sprinkle with half of the remaining streusel, the remaining chopped pears and then the remaining streusel.
Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife carefully around sides; invert the cake onto a plate. Turn the cake, streusel side up, onto a rack and let cool on a rack completely.
*A little dollop of cool whip adds to the goodness.*
I went ahead and used some to make quick Apple Turnovers.
Another dessert I just made that you simply MUST try!!!
I had some pears that we had forgotten about that were running out of time. You would be amazed at how much can be done with pears!! The only desert with pears that I had ever heard of were Poached Pears. But oh the possibilities that are out there!
I ended up going with a lovely Pear Streusal Cake.
Because this was such a treat and a personal success, I have included the recipe and encourage you to give it a whirl! You'll be glad you did!!
Pear Streusal Cake
2 med pears, peeled and cored, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
Streusel
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C light brown sugar, packed
4 oz cold butter, cut in small pieces
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 C chopped pecans (optional)
Cake
2 C all purpose flour
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 C milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 oz butter, melted
Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350.
Toss chopped pears with lemon juice in a bowl; set aside.
In another bowl, combine streusel ingredients, except pecans, with a fork until crumbly, or pulse with food processor. (I used a fork and then my hands) Stir in pecans, if using.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir to blend.
Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until blended; stir in milk, vanilla, and butter. Add to flour mixture and fold with a wooden spoon or spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon half of the batter into prepared loaf pan; spread out to cover the bottom. Sprinkle batter with half of the pears and half of the streusel. Spoon remaining batter evenly over streusel, spreading carefully to cover. Sprinkle with half of the remaining streusel, the remaining chopped pears and then the remaining streusel.
Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife carefully around sides; invert the cake onto a plate. Turn the cake, streusel side up, onto a rack and let cool on a rack completely.
*A little dollop of cool whip adds to the goodness.*
