Apple Crisp

Let the Kit-tastrophe continue! No, no, no... that name won't work. Kit and Caboodle? Kitting Around? Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Blog?!

Eh, whatever, we'll figure it out together.

This week's featured food kit is McCutcheon's Apple Crisp Mix. My parents picked it up for me from Delicious Orchards--famed for its pies, turnovers, and apple cider doughnuts, among other things. It's got a great reputation for baked goods, so I was willing to bet that this would be a winner.

Ingredients:

1/2 Package of McCutcheon's Apple Crisp Mix

2 Large Apples

4 Tablespoons of Butter

Steps/Analysis:

First things first: you'll have to peel and slice the apples. At the supermarket, I chose braeburn because (1) they looked ripe and (2) they were on special, which is all the reason I've ever needed to buy anything.

I sliced them about 1/8 of an inch thick and dumped them into a round baking dish that's been greased up with some butter. (In the interest of complete discretion, McCutcheon's recommends a pie dish, but I don't currently own one.)

Next, melt four tablespoons of butter in the microwave and add the McCutcheon's mix. Stir until delightful little clumps of crisp topping form.

Spread the topping over the prepared apples and remove to a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Serving/Notes:

As we all know, there's only one thing to do with warm apple crisp . . . smother it in vanilla ice cream and consume!

Overall, I was pretty satisfied with this product. I found it to be a little dry, but perhaps that's because I'm used to syrupy-soaked, restaurant-purchased crisps. The topping had a chewy, oatmeal-like texture.

Beer Bread in a Bottle

As it turns out, being a cook is a lot like being a writer.

Let me explain.

Once I openly identified myself as a writer to friends and family, it became surprisingly easy to shop for me during the holidays. The notebooks and pen sets just came rolling in. Since I'm a cook now, as well, this Christmas I received my fair share of cookbooks and kits.

For example, I present to you Moose Grub "Beer Bread in a Bottle," straight from Bar Harbor!

My family knows me too well. I like beer. I like bread. Let's make this happen.

Ingredients:

1 Moose Grub "Beer Bread in a Bottle"

1 12 Oz. Beer (Room Temperature)

Non-stick Cooking Spray

Steps/Analysis:

The good folks at Bar Harbor really make things easy for you. First, empty the contents of the "Beer Bread in a Bottle" into a large bowl. The dry mix contains just about everything you need.

Next, add a room temperature beer of your choice to the mix.

The kit encourages you to experiment with the beer you use, stating that light and dark beer may be used and that each will bring its own unique flavor to the party. I chose my own personal favorite draft: Yuengling.

Stir the mix and beer to thoroughly combine.

Find a loaf pan and give it a quick blast of non-stick spray. Pour the now sticky and fully-formed dough into the pan and toss it into a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Done-zo!

Serving/Notes:
I was quite happy with the way the bread turned out. I ended up with a sourdough-style loaf with just a hint of that delicious Yuengling taste. It was a little crumbly, but still suitable for sandwich or any other use.

Leftover Corner: Meatball Pizza

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you meatballs, well... I think you can see where I'm going with this. You'll want to refer back to a couple recipes to get you where you need to be:

http://thebagourmet.blogspot.com/2010/11/tomato-sauce-v20.html

http://thebagourmet.blogspot.com/2010/11/turkey-meatballs.html

Even if you got your sauce and meatballs from another source--a restaurant, your mother, etc.--it's so easy to turn these supplies into a pizza, there's really no reason not to.

Ingredients:

2-4 Leftover Meatballs

Leftover Tomato Sauce

1 Pizza Crust

1/2 Onion

Shredded Cheese

Steps/Analysis:

To start things off, you'll want to preheat your oven to 415 degrees and get out a baking sheet or pizza stone, if you're fortunate enough to own one.

Lay out your crust and ladle on enough sauce to reach the outer crust. Sprinkle a healthy layer of cheese on top. I think you'll find that your local supermarket carries "Pizza" or "Italian" blends of shredded cheese, which I highly recommend. It'll usually be some combination of mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan: perfect pizza building materials.

Next, cut your onion into thin slices and scatter them around on your pie. Do the same with your meatballs.

Finally, pop that bad boy into the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and a little brown around the edges. Remember, there's nothing raw here, so you're warming, not cooking.

Notes/Suggestions:

A simple recipe, perfect for the single man or anyone looking for a quick meal after a long day. Can't go wrong with additional parmesan or red pepper flakes.

Nicki's Cinnamon Buns from Heaven

Hello, 2011! Hello, B.A. Gourmaniacs! We've made it through an entire year together and I, for one, am looking forward to a delicious new year.

Just before returning to my family home for the holidays, a grad school friend of mine (not Nicki, lest you be misled by this post's title) entrusted me with her coveted cinnamon bun recipe. Over the course of the fall semester, rumors of these pastries had taken on legendary proportions. I had the opportunity to test this bad boy out this week and, let me tell you, these cinnamon buns are nothing short of a breakfast miracle. The recipe takes a little time from start to finish, but the investment in time pays dividends in a gooey, flaky, delightful currency.

"Nicki's Cinnamon Buns from Heaven" was originally published in The Oregonian, out of Portland several years ago--my friend's copy of the newspaper showed definite signs of love around the edges--and has garnered some acclaim and notoriety in the meantime. You can find a fairly faithful reprint of the recipe here: http://blog.tracyporter.com/eating-gathering/cinnamon-buns-from-heaven

Since I received this recipe second-hand (or would this be third- or fourth-hand at this point?) I wouldn't feel right representing it here as my own. I will, however, show off some pictures I took during the baking process.

Ready? Enjoy, but try not to drool on your keyboard too much!

Here we have two pans of rolled, filled, and proofed cinnamon buns. Don't you want to take a big ol' bite out of them already?

After a brief stint in the oven. Whoa baby! That's a lot of puffy, yeasty, sugary, kitchen-air-infusing goodness.

I'm pretty proud of myself for waiting to administer the glaze before tearing into these like a monkey on a Christmas ham. That self-restraint wouldn't last much longer.

Plated up and ready for my stomach!