Baked Apples

I think you all know that I love baking, but in the fall/winter months I love it even more.  It just feels right to bake in the fall.  Well, last night I put together a few recipes that I thought y'all might like.

This week I will give you some of my favorite apple recipes. 
(Next week - pumpkin.)

First of all is a staple at our house.
This is one of Josh's favorite desserts!

Apple Dumplins

2 cans crescent rolls
2 granny smith apples
1 stick butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 (12 oz) Mountain Dew (I usually use Sprite.)

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge in a crescent roll. Place rolls in a 9 x 13 baking dish. In small saucepan melt butter. Once melted add sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. Spoon over crescent rolls. Pour diet Mountain Dew over rolls.

Bake for 45 minutes.

So easy and so yummy.

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Next is a yummy Paula Deen recipe, so you know it is good.  And probably pretty fattening...

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup caramel topping

Streusel Topping
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Crust -
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13-by-9-by-2 inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cheesecake-
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

Apples -
In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.

Streusel topping-
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Sprinkle evenly on top

Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set.

Drizzle with caramel topping.
(I don't love caramel so I like that I can make this recipe and not everyone has to use it.)

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This next recipe I haven't tried yet.  It is planned for this weekend.  I am kinda nervous because every time that I have fried stuff in oil it takes me a little bit to get the right temp for the oil, but I am excited to try it out.

Homemade Apple Fritters Recipe:
1 heaping cup AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
dash salt
1 - 2 tsp. cinnamon (depending on how much you love cinnamon)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped apple, your favorite kind for eating, peanut sized or smaller
oil for frying
milk and powdered sugar glaze for dipping or just powdered sugar for dusting
(About 1 cup pwd. sugar + 1 T. milk or more)

Mix all dry ingredients together, slowly add the wet ingredients minus the apple. Carefully mix until well combined but not overly beat,gently fold in apple pieces. The batter should be the consistency of a light cake mix. Once the oil is read (when a test drop of dough floats to the top of the oil) then using a cookie scooper or soup spoon, place a few balls of dough into the oil. Be careful not to overcrowd and watch carefully for the underside to turn golden brown, then gently flip over and continue frying until done. I cooked mine about 45 seconds per side, but they were the size of golf balls - adjust cooking times based on size of fritters and temperature of your oil. It is always a good idea to test one to ensure it comes out like you are expecting.

Now, I am off to workout so I can eat some of that apple cheesecake.