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Come Party With Me: Spring Picnic - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:10:09 -0700

For my Spring picnic, I knew apple pie had to be on the menu because it's the quintessential American dessert. The only problem is pie isn't the most picnic friendly of meals. Unlike cookies or brownies, pie just does not transport easily.

However, this recipe for apple pie bars looks picnic perfect. The crust is a crisp shortbread, the filling a mixture of apples and cinnamon sugar, and the topping an oat-walnut streusel. All the familiar flavors of apple pie are present, but no fork or plate is necessary! To see how it's made, read more.

Apple Pie Bars
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

Crust
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
12 Granny Smith apples (about 6 pounds)-peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup water, as necessary
Topping
3/4 cup walnuts
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

Directions

Make the crust: preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 15-x-17-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
In a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
At low speed, beat in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Press the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and 1/2 inch up the side in an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.
Meanwhile, make the filling: in each of 2 large skillets, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter with 1/4 cup of the light brown sugar.
Add the apples to the skillets and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir half of the cinnamon and nutmeg into each skillet. Cook until the apples are caramelized and very tender and the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes longer; scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillets and add up to 1/2 cup of water to each pan to prevent scorching. Let cool.
Make the topping: spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast until golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop the walnuts.
In a large bowl, mix the oats with the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the walnuts and press the mixture into clumps.
Spread the apple filling over the crust. Scatter the crumbs on top, pressing them lightly into an even layer.
Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, until the topping is golden; rotate the pan halfway through baking. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting into 2-inch bars.

Serves 4.

Make ahead: the bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or frozen for up to a month.

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Yummy Links: From Caramel Apples to Wine Glass Charms

partysugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:45:27 -0700

Get excited for Halloween by making tricked-out caramel apples. - Chow
If caramel apples aren't your thing, why not make chocolate pumpkin pie bars instead? - Baking Bites
Ditch communal snacking and eat healthier. - FitSugar
The Michelin Guide has announced the 2009 stars for restaurants in New York City. - Epi-Log
Would you wear a bacon tiara? - Serious Eats
Leftovers are the key to budget cooking. - Simply Stated
Which sandwich bread is the best for you? - The Kitchn
Learn how to make your own stylish wine stem charms. - Hostess with the Mostess

Source

Must-Read: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:40:24 -0700

"The best food doesn't have to be challenging in its preparation, but should recall our fondest food memories," Melissa Murphy writes in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. That pretty much sums up the philosophy of this cookbook ($17.82), penned by the brainchild of Brooklyn's popular Sweet Melissa Patisseries. Here, the French Culinary Institute-trained pastry chef reveals the secrets behind the refined, yet homespun, baked treats that the bakery's known for. Was the tome a sweet success? Find out when you read more

Come Party With Me: Christmas Caroling

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:05:22 -0800

I know it may be a little old fashioned but I think it's time we bring back Christmas caroling. That's right, you guessed it, let's throw a Christmas caroling party. Invite a group of people over (we all know a few American Idol wannabes) then put on your big coats and head out into the cold to sing for your neighbors. Afterwards invite everyone back in for some hot soup and a hot chocolate bar. Make this party particularly memorable and ask guests to wear their tackiest Christmas sweaters. To make this party your own read more

Invites: To emphasize the tacky sweater concept create mini sweaters for invites. Visit your local Goodwill to scout large, chunky, cheesy sweaters. Cut into pieces and glue onto red or green metallic card stock. Cut the card stock/sweater into mini sweater shapes about 4x5 inches (you want it to fit into a regular sized envelope). The front should look like a mini sweater and on the back you can write in the specifics of the party. Slide into an addressed envelope and send to your guests.

Menu: Keep the menu uncomplicated, serve a crab dip, crackers, and fresh sliced salami while you wait for all the guests to arrive. Leave a creamy tomato soup warming on the stove for after the caroling. Serve mini ham and cheese sandwiches with the soup. Pair chocolate fudge and rice crispy treats with the hot chocolate bar.

Decorations: This is one party where no decorations are necessary. The tacky sweaters are decorations themselves and act as conversation starters. Don't light candles and leave the house to go caroling because, potentially, this could lead to a fire risk. Create a booklet of lyrics to the Christmas songs you plan to sing and give each of your guests one upon their arrival. When you return from caroling ask a friend to light a fire and another to light your candles. Turn on some music and bowl up the soup.

Music: Pump up guests by playing a CD of the Christmas carols you are going to sing at the start of the party. For the after party portion when you return from caroling your friends may be Christmas caroled out so put a few of your latest favs on rotation. My picks: Gwen Stefani's Sweet Escape, Fergie's The Dutchess, and the Killer's Sam's Town.

Drinks: When guests arrive offer them an apple pie shooter to loosen up their inhibitions and put them in the singing spirit. For drinks you can plan a naughty & nice hot chocolate station. Start with a good hot chocolate base (which you can leave on super-low heat, stirring every so often) and leave out a tray of nice: mini-marshmallows, cinnamon sticks, whip cream, dinner mints, etc. and a tray of naughty: grand marnier, kahlua, irish cream, etc. If your guests are not interested in the hot chocolate you can always serve Port, sparkling wines (and juices) or mulled wine.