Jan D'Atri

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ground cinnamon

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!


Momma’s Pumpkin Roll

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After Halloween, when our carved-out pumpkin jack-o-lanterns start to shrivel, we usually toss them into the trash or compost pile and then head to the pantry for the canned pumpkin puree to make our holiday pies, cakes and cookies. But in the Early New England settlements, colonists considered the pumpkin a staple and culinary treasure:

“For pottage and puddings and custards and pies,
 Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies
 We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon;
 If it were not for pumpkins, we should be undoon.”

Now that trick-or-treating is over, all things pumpkin leads the way to Thanksgiving and our holiday baked goodies. Here to kick things off is a deliciously moist and delicate fall favorite, The Pumpkin Roll. This tasty spice cake rolled around a sweet cream cheese filling is a lovely way to not only satisfy our sweet tooth, but to pay tribute to the pumpkin, one of the first wild plants cultivated for human consumption in America.

Skillet Chicken with Baked Apples

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Here’s a tasty combination: Pan grilled chicken and glazed baked apples. This is the sort of one skillet deliciousness that you would expect when you visit grandma’s house! Plus, it’s the perfect meal to bring us into the fall. Normally when apples are served with chicken or pork, they are softly sautéed and served on the side. I love the way these apples look and taste. They are called Hasselback apples, the method of making lots of thin slices three quarters of the way down the apple. The result is a baked apple that has lots of hidden places for the glaze to go and each slice is just the right size for each piece of chicken! Since you probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen cabinets, I say pick up some fresh skinless boneless chicken thighs and make this comfort food meal for dinner this week!

Watch my how to video for Skillet Chicken with Baked Apples here!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

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Would you pass a Waffle House to get to an International House of Pancakes or vice versa? The Washington Post took a survey and it revealed that 59% of Americans preferred waffles to the 41% who love flapjacks. Well, this recipe for may change all of that. That’s because this pancake gets its awesome flavor and look from another one of American’s breakfast favorites, the cinnamon roll! (Waffles, you may be in serious trouble here.) These pancakes are so delicious with the built in (or swirled on) goodness of a cinnamon roll with that yummy cream cheese glazed icing over top! There are a couple of additional steps to making the pancakes and some tricks to making Cinnamon Roll Pancakes perfect! First, make sure the cinnamon swirl is not too runny. If so, place it in the frig for just a few minutes. Runny cinnamon swirl won’t give you the pinwheel look. Second, give yourself a pancake or two to get the technique down pat. Before you know it, you’ll be on a (cinnamon) roll! Personally, I love these!