Jan D'Atri

Jan D'Atri > butter, melted

butter, melted

Surprise Filling Apple Pie

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Homemade fresh-out-of-the-oven apple pie ala mode. Pretty hard to beat. When I got a letter this week from Sun City resident Eva Meeks, it included a recipe for an award-winning apple pie that she had clipped from a magazine a few years ago. Here’s part of Eva’s letter:


“During the 4th of July holiday I hosted a pot luck for my family and decided to bake my favorite apple pie. I’ve been making it for several years now, and it’s always a big hit. Apparently this pie won some blue ribbons at state and county fairs. All I know is it wins hearts every time I make it for friends and family. It has a surprise filling that really adds a nice flavor. I thought you’d like to try it.”


Well, Eva, you thought right! I wasted no time peeling the Granny Smith apples and mixing up the “surprise” filling. I’m so happy Eva “blind bakes” (also known as pre-baking) her bottom crust. I’ve always done that as well because the bottom shell stays somewhat crispy after filling and baking. I’m also a fan of cooking my apples just to soften before filling the pie shell. Eva softens her apples in the microwave and then adds the rest of the ingredients. If you’re an apple pie lover, dish this one up with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’ll be in for a big surprise!


Crockpot Cobbler

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It’s quite an understatement to say that we could all use a little comfort right now.

Everything in our world has changed. Thank goodness certain foods are there to comfort us. Top of the list for me this week for me are Crockpot cobblers! Fortunately, (or maybe unfortunately) I discovered how easy they are to make. I mean, three ingredients to a scrumptious Cherry or Apple Spice Cobbler? How about six simple ingredients for a delectable Peach Cobbler! Just pour in the fruit, sprinkle the topping over top and drizzle melted butter over the topping! Take five minutes to do it in the morning and have piping hot cobbler with icy cold creamy vanilla ice cream ready for dinnertime.  Or, if you can’t possibly wait (that would be me) just take the lining out of the Crockpot and bake in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes or until golden brown on top! Comfort food? You bet. Crockpot cobblers are a downright slow cooker sensation!

Watch my How To Video for Crockpot Cobblers here!

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

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I’ve had the recipe for the famous St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake in my “must bake” folder for several years now. I didn’t really know anything about it. I just knew if it had gooey and butter in the title, it was destined for my oven. Then I forgot about it, until one of my cooking pals, Janne Mahan, moved to St. Louis, Missouri. There, she established a book club, and then the pandemic put a halt to group gatherings. Her book club then began to via Zoom video conferencing. Since the members of Janne’s book club were also foodies, I thought it might be fun to have her poll the group and let me know what their very favorite St. Louis foods are. As it turns out, top of the list was the St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. It was the perfect excuse to pull out my folder, dig for the recipe and get to work. Holy Cow. No wonder it’s a favorite! This cake is one sweet St. Louis treat! It’s dense and rich and acts a bit like a brownie with a dusting of powdered sugar baked into the top. It has two distinct layers; the bottom one is the pound cake and the top is a blend of cream cheese, powdered sugar and eggs which provides the gooeyness. It’s perfect as a coffee or snack cake and is a great make-ahead treat to transport to a picnic or party. Not only is St. Louis the home of the world’s tallest arch known as the Gateway to the West, but also the city rich with ooey gooey goodness!

Watch my How To Video for St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake here!