Apple Pie to Die For

Those of you who are close to me understand that I have a sweet tooth that could rival even the most candied of others. There's a great chance that I make apple pie, on average, once every two months. And, when I do, I use this recipe--found after much trial and error. It has the perfect crust-apple ratio, which is hard to come by, I feel. Then again, I'm a huge "crust" person. The author of the original recipe suggests using a lattice top crust; yet, when I'm feeling particularly lazy, I set the intact dough sheet directly on top and make five slices from the middle to the crust's edge.

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 
  
• Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Eat your heart out.

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Heart-Shaped Apples on Pancakes: A Way to Make a Delicious Breakfast Even More Special

I've learned many things about myself over the past several years. One lesson: I'm no morning person. There is so much to tackle each day, it is sometimes difficult to get up and make time for an involved breakfast before it all begins; however, one other thing I've learned is that, when I do something like this for myself, the rest of the day goes a little smoother. (Somewhere, Michael Jordan is grinning #Breakfastofchampions) Trust me when I say that the taste of these pancakes are worth the extra 30 minutes.

Original recipe can be found here.


Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 apple, sliced and cut into heart shapes
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Place a slice of heart-shaped apple on top of the bubbles.
4. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Eat your heart out.

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