Grilled Apple Pie

Yes, you are seeing the recipe title correctly!! GRILLED Apple Pie.  I never imagined you could make an apple pie on the grill, but I was searching for recipes one day and came across this amazing way of making an apple pie. Whether it's on a grill with charcoal or a gas grill, the apples are tender and the crust is nice and flaky.  I don't have a charcoal grill, and have been making my grilled apple pies on a gas grill. I can only imagine how delicious the pie would be with that smoky, charcoal-grilled flavor. If you make it over charcoal, please comment and let me know how it was!!! Now, get all of your ingredients and GET GRILLING!!!

Ingredients Needed:

• 6-8 medium apples (I used McIntosh and Cortland; of course, you can use Granny Smith if you prefer a more tart pie); peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• juice of one fresh lemon
• freshly-ground nutmeg
• cinnamon
• unsalted butter
• two pie crusts (I used store bought)
• 1 pyrex pie dish
• 1 hot grill

How to GRILL it:

Before doing anything, get your grill nice and HOT.  The temperature gauge should read 425 degrees F.  DO NOT TURN ON ALL OF YOUR BURNERS. Keep one section off. You will be putting your pie in INDIRECT heat.  NEVER put the pie directly over the burners that are on!!!!! If using a charcoal grill, put the charcoal on one side of the grill and keep the opposite section of the grill for putting your pie on.  Again ... NEVER PUT THE PIE OVER THE HEAT SOURCE OR FLAME!!!!

1)   Peel, core and slice the apples into ½ inch slices
2)   Place the apple slices into a bowl and keep aside
3)   In another bowl, mix the sugar, flour, salt and mix well
4)   Spread the sugar over the apple slices and coat them well
5)   Add the lemon juice to the apple slices
6)   Roll out the dough and place onto the base of a pyrex pie dish
7)   Spread the apple mixture onto the base
8)   Sprinkle some nutmeg and cinnamon over the apple slices (as much/little as you like)
9)   Add thin slivers of butter all over the apples that you just covered with nutmeg
      & cinnamon
10) Roll out the other half and cover the top of the pie dish
11) Gently flute the edges and make a slit on the top
12) Lightly sprinkle on some sugar for extra crunch and to help brown
13) Grill the pie on INDIRECT HEAT in the grill for about 60 minutes
14) Check and rotate the pie dish every 20 minutes or so (for even browning)
15) Carefully remove the pie from the grill (using oven mitts)
16) Serve WARM

Kit Kat Oreo Cheesecake

What could be more delicious than the marriage of cream cheese, Oreos and Kit Kats? This deliciously decadent treat will surely put your taste buds in a state of euphoria!! Velvety cream cheese, chocolatey bits of Oreo cookies and the caramel-chocolate crunchiness of Kit Kats!! Need I say more?????

Ingredients Needed:

• 200 grams of crushed Oreo cookies
• 15 pieces of quartered or Oreo cookies
• 1 Kit Kat bar
• 50 grams of UNSALTED melted butter
• 750 grams of cream cheese
• 130 grams of sugar
• 1/2 TBSP vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 200 grams whipped cream
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 TBSP water

How to Make It:

1. Break the kit kat wafers into small pieces and distribute evnly over the base of a roughly 8" x 9" springform pan. Mix the crushed Oreo and melted butter until well blended. Press onto bottom of the pan over the kit kat wafers.
2. Bake at 160 degrees for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
3. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and mix until well blended.
4.  Add eggs one at a time and cream until smooth.
5. Add whipping cream and mix until well combined. Add quartered oreo cookies and stir until well mixed.
6. Pour the cream cheese filling over the prepared cookie base. Combine the cocoa powder and water until well mixed. Drip onto surface of cream cheese and stir patterns on the surface using a skewer or tip of a knife.
7. Bake at 160 degrees for 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off the oven and leave the cake to cool in the oven with the door slightly open for 1 hour.
8. Run a small knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake. Set aside to cool. Cover the cake and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar

I've always wanted to make donuts, but not the fried variety. When I came across this recipe, I knew I could make a delicious batch of apple cider donuts that everyone in my family would love. Very easy to make and yummy, too! These donuts disappeared as soon as they came out of the oven!!

Ingredients Needed:
For the Batter --

• 1 cup Apple Cider
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ¼ cups Milk
• 2  Eggs, Lightly Beaten
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon Butter, Melted

For the Coating --

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

How to Make Them:

• In a small saucepan, pour 1 cup of apple cider. Over medium heat, simmer the cider until it’s reduced to 1/2 a cup. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• Combine the reduced cider, milk, eggs, vanilla and butter in a medium sized bowl. Slowly pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Beat until well combined and it forms a smooth batter.
• Thoroughly grease a donut pan (recipe makes 15-16 standard size donuts).
• Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of batter into each donut ring. (Your measurements may vary depending on your pan. You want to fill the rings until half to 3/4 full.)
• Bake the donuts in the 325 F oven for 13-15 minutes.
• Combine the coating ingredients (sugar and cinnamon) in a zip top bag. Set aside.
• Remove donuts from the oven. Carefully lift donuts from the pans. While still warm, place a few donuts in the bag with the cinnamon sugar. Gently toss to coat. Repeat with the rest.

• Enjoy while warm or allow to cool and store in an airtight container. 

Recipe from tastykitchen.com; modified slightly by My Favorite Recipes

Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas

For all those unfamiliar with the dish, chimichangas are essentially deep-fried burritos filled with a variety of savory fillings, such as pulled pork,  or beef, beans, rice and cheese. This is a dessert version that stars a homemade strawberry cheesecake filling rolled inside flour tortillas. The stuffed tortillas go for a quick dunk in boiling oil and a final swish in cinnamon and sugar. The result is a twist on traditional cheesecake that swaps pillowy tortillas for the classic graham cracker crust!

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 6 (8-inch) soft flour tortillas
• 1 3/4 cups sliced strawberries, divided
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• toothpicks
• deep-fry thermometer

How to Make Them:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in 3/4 cup of the sliced strawberries.

Divide the mixture evenly between the tortillas, slathering each portion in the lower third of each tortilla. Next, fold the two sides of each tortilla toward the center and then roll the tortilla up like a burrito and secure it with a toothpick. Repeat the rolling process with the remaining tortillas.

Divide the mixture evenly between the tortillas, slathering each portion in the lower third of each tortilla. Next, fold the two sides of each tortilla toward the center and then roll the tortilla up like a burrito and secure it with a toothpick. Repeat the rolling process with the remaining tortillas.

Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set it aside. Line a large plate with paper towels.

Add 3 inches of oil to a large, deep saucepan, leaving a minimum of 2 inches from the top of the oil to the top of the saucepan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 360ºF on a deep-fry thermometer.

Working in batches, fry the chimichangas until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes, flipping them as needed. Transfer the chimichangas to the paper towel-lined plate to drain for 1 minute, and then roll them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Repeat the frying and rolling process with the remaining chimichangas, returning the oil to 360ºF between batches.

Remove all toothpicks from the chimichangas and transfer them to serving plates. Top each with a portion of the remaining 1 cup of sliced strawberries and serve immediately.

Recipe from Just A Taste

Decadent Black Forest Bars

Chocolate lovers everywhere -- these are the most chocolaty, gewy, delicious bars you'll ever eat. Made with a chocolate chip cookie dough crust, bars of Hershey's Special Dark chocolate and topped with a cherry "glaze" ... you'll just keep saying "OMG" over and over and over!

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 Roll (16.5 oz)Of Pillsbury Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• 1 can of Cherry Pie Filling..divided (crushed, either with a processor or rough chopped with a knife)
• 5-8 Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bars (regular Milk Chocolate is fine too)
•  4 Eggs, slightly beaten
•  1 1/2 cups granulated Sugar
•  2 tbsp. all-purpose Flour
•  2 tbsp. Butter, softened
•  Powdered Sugar for dusting..optional
•  13×9″pan..or smaller for thicker bars..may take longer to bake in a smaller pan!

How to Make Them: 

• Break up the Cookie Dough and press it evenly into the bottom of an ungreased baking pan.

• Bake it for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees, just until it’s a light golden brown.

• In  a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until well blended. Beat in the Sugar, Flour and Butter until combined.
• Stir in approx. 3/4 of the slightly crushed Cherry Filling.  Make sure to save enough for spreading on top as well.

•  Top the Cookie Crust with a layer of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bars…

•  Pour the mixture over the warm, Chocolaty Cookie Crust…

• Bake 20-30 minutes longer at 350 degrees ... or until it doesn’t jiggle anymore ... and is slightly golden on top.

• While it’s still a little warm top it with some Herhsey’s squares and the rest of the Cherry Pie Filling..just spread it around as evenly as you can.

•  Cut into squares, serve and listen to all the joyful moaning!

 Recipe from Oh, Bite It!

Nonna's Palačinke

This recipe is a very old family favorite. My grandmother and mother used to make these all the time.  This was always a special treat and whenever they were being made, the house smelled wonderful. Now I make it for my family ... and I'm teaching my daughter how to make them so the tradition continues!

Ingredients Needed:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 tsp orange extract
• 1/2 tsp anisette extract
• Crisco for cooking

How to Make Them:

• Mix all the ingredients (except for the Crisco) until batter is smooth and let stand for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
• Heat 9" or 6" skillet. Melt about 1 tsp Crisco in skillet.
• Using a ladle, pour about 3/4-full ladle of the batter into the hot skillet. Swirl the batter so that it forms a round crepe.

• Cook on medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.
• Using a fork, gently lift edges of crepe.

• When the bottom of the crepe has a light-medium brown color, gently flip the crepe over.
• Cook other side of crepe until it's a light-medium brown color.
• Remove from heat and placed cooked crepe on a warmed dish.
• Repeat the entire process with the rest of the batter.
• Fill center of crepes with your favorite filling. (I use a variety of jams like peach, apricot, strawberry, raspberry and, of course, Nutella)
• Roll crepes tightly and enjoy!