Apple Bars Recipe

At a fun evening with friends, Kevin and I were able to enjoy a piece (or two or three) of this amazing, partially good-for-you apple bars. Molly and her husband are pretty health conscious, but I knew they enjoy delicious foods, which told me I would totally love this dessert. She told me they were full of oats, made with applesauce rather than oil, and speckled with apples. (She added white chocolate chips to hers--very, very good decision!) There is still a good amount of sugar in these, but for a dessert, I'd say it's a tasty win!

The only thing that would make these apple bars even better? A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! (but then that throws the 99 calories per bar out the window! *wink*) 

Apple Bars Recipe
recipe adapted from my friend Molly Lopez-Cepero 
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients
1-1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup (1 medium) chopped apple
1 cup white chocolate chips, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats.

In a separate large bowl, beat together applesauce, brown sugar and white sugar for 2 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and then stir in vanilla.

Add dry mixture into the liquid ingredients and stir gently until combined. Fold in chopped apples (and optional white chocolate chips).

Bake 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes
Follow on Facebook.
Find me on Pinterest

Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipe

This apple pie is perfect year-round, but in this dessert-centric holiday season, I thought it needed to be brought to the forefront. The hardest part of this pie is peeling all the apples. If you can handle that, you can make a delicious apple pie. 

originally written February 20, 2009

This recipe is a specialty for me.  Every time I've made it using these recipes, the reviews have been fantastic!  The crust is the perfect combination of flaky, moist and spicy with just a bit of crispness. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Apple Pie Recipe

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Makes 1 two-crust pie

Ingredients

1/2 batch of Never Fail Pie Crust (for 2 crusts)

6-8 cups cooking apples*, peeled and thinly sliced

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter, cut into 4 pieces

Lemon juice, optional

Directions

*Granny Smith, Macintosh, Paula Red, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Rome Beauty

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Line 9 inch deep-dish pie pan with the first crust.   

Peel and slice apples into an extra large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Pour cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples and toss to coat thoroughly.  Add the apples to the bottom pie crust, heaping in the center (be sure to pile in more apples than it should look after cooked--apples will cook down). Dot with 1 Tbsp. butter.  (Add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice if apples are not tart.  Add 1 Tbsp. flour if apples are too juicy.)  Put on top crust and seal edges.  Flute the edges with your fingers or with a fork..  Prick top crust (or cut out a shape in the center or cut the letter "A" in the top or whatever you want...)

Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Lower temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40-45 minutes or until apples are cooked through when pricked with a fork.

Cool completely on wire rack. 

Sugar Free Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe

You may have seen the other applesauce recipes I've posted in the past. Those are all delicious, but this one takes the cake because it has the fewest ingredients and absolutely no sugar. It's fast and easy, and amazingly delicious--especially during apple season.


Sugar Free Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Makes about 7 cups 

Ingredients  

10-12 medium apples (Ida Red are perfect) 

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups water

Directions

Peel and core apples. Cut into quarters (or smaller for a faster cooking time.) Add to a 5 or 6 quart pot and stir in cinnamon and water. Turn burner to high and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook 5-10 minutes. Begin breaking apart apples with a potato masher or spoon. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-20 minutes, stirring now and again, continuing to break down apples. (Secret tip--Using a wire whisk will result in a smoother sauce. Love it.) Cook until your desired consistency is reached.   

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes plus you can Follow on Facebook.

Strawberry Banana Apple Smoothie Recipe (no sugar added)

For an insanely healthy afternoon snack, a speedy breakfast, or even a tasty dessert, this frozen fruit combination is the perfect solution. 

Strawberry Banana Apple Smoothie Recipe (no sugar added)

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

1 whole frozen banana

2 cups frozen strawberries

1-2 cups apple juice 

Directions

In a powerful blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately. 

---

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes and don't forget your can Follow on Facebook.

Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad

Salads are one of my favorite go-to lunches. Fresh, fast, and easy...but they can also become mundane, boring, and predictable. This salad blows mundane out of the water! Combining juicy, sweet, crisp apple slices with crunchy, hearty, nutty walnuts, and the tartness of Craisins and balsamic results is a lunch that you will love! Delectable! 

Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad 

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 1 

Ingredients

4 leaves romaine lettuce, torn

1/2 apple, sliced 

5 walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp dried cranberries

Balsamic vinegar

Directions

Combine lettuce, apple slices, walnuts, and dried cranberries on a plate of your choice. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar twice around the salad. Toss to combine. Enjoy!

You might want to Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes plus you can Follow on Facebook.

Baked Apple & Peanut Butter Steel Cut Oats

A hot, homemade breakfast doesn't have to take long to prepare. Throwing together these ingredients takes time than the oven needs to preheat. Super fast, really delicious, and perfectly filling. This is definitely becoming one of our favorite go-to breakfasts--and great for braving our New York winters. 

Baked Apple & Peanut Butter Steel Cut Oats

recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen's eastcolomom

serves 2

Ingredients

1 whole apple, chopped

1 cup milk

1/2 cup steel cut oats

2 Tbsp peanut butter

1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 1 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

Combine all ingredients in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot! (Pouring extra milk over top makes this even better!)

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes

Follow on Facebook.

Apple Cinnamon Bars

I had a drawer overflowing with fresh delicious apples, but unfortunately we were never going to eat all of them in time. I wanted to make a special treat for the teens to enjoy, but I was looking for a new way to use my apples. I've made plenty of apple pies (always a hit!) and a few varieties of apple cinnamon bread, but I wanted a bar cookie of some sort. I used a Betty Crocker recipe as a springboard to create my own version, and I love how they turned out!

The base crust is perfectly crunchy and infused with the cinnamon flavor I love, the apples are sweetened and spiced and topped with the remaining oat mixture to form a streusel topping. Yum!!

Apple Cinnamon Bars

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Makes 24 bars 

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1-3/4 cup flour

1-1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

4-1/2 cups peeled, chopped baking apples (4 medium, I used Golden Delicious)

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cream brown sugar, butter and shortening in large bowl. Stir in flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Reserve 2 cups oat mixture; press remaining oat mixture in ungreased 13x9 inch pan.

Toss apples with 3 Tbsp flour and 1 tsp cinnamon; spread over mixture in pan. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture; press lightly.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. For 36 bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm. Store covered in refrigerator.

----

subscribe to my recipes.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

I need you to know I have a seriously love for all things apple cinnamon--candles, lotions, oatmeal, breads. This recipe fits perfectly into my idea of an amazing apple-cinnamon combination. I'm so glad I saw the recipe appear on both twopeasandtheirpod.com and browneyedbaker.com. I knew that meant it was a winner. 

I highly recommend you make this bread as soon as possible. The spices are spot on, the crunchiness of the topping is perfection, and the apples keep the inside wonderfully moist. Yumalicious! 

Recipe adapted from browneyedbaker.com

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces (about 1½ to 2 apples)

Topping

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of an 8×4-inch loaf pan or two 6-1/2x4 inch loaf pans.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves. Set aside.

In the large bowl, beat the eggs on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add in the oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix until smooth. Next, add the sugar and mix until well-combined.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture and mix until the flour is just barely combined. Gently fold in the apples with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s).

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the loaf pan. For the 9x5 inch loaf, bake for 50 to 55 minutes. If using two 6x4 inch pans, bake for 35-40 minutes. Bake until the loaf is golden and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a dull knife around the sides of the loaf and turn it out on a cooling rack and place right-side up. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap leftover loaf in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Old Fashioned Spiced Apple Crisp

I can't think of very many anyone who doesn't love apple crisp. It's just plain good. 

Apples? good. 

Oats? good.

Butter? gooooood.

(If you're one of the two people in the United States of America who doesn't love apple crisp, please keep that terrible truth to yourself. Thank you.) 

This particular apple crisp is unique in that it is perfection. Yes. It's true. The apples are tossed in so many incredible spices you can't escape the goodness. The crumbly topping is the ultimate combination of crunchy, soft, buttery, sugary and cinnamon-y. 

Please, do yourself a favor and put those apples to good use. Make this apple crisp. You won't be sorry. I know I wasn't. :) 

Old Fashioned Spiced Apple Crisp

by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 4-8

Ingredients

8-10 large Granny Smith apples (or other baking variety) 

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

for topping:

1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cold 

1-1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 casserole dish by coating it with non-stick cooking spray. 

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. In a large bowl mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Add apples and toss to thoroughly distribute spices. 

Pour the coated apple slices into the baking dish. Use the same mixing bowl (to save dishes!) to cut the butter into the remaining topping ingredients. Mix until crumbly. Cover the apples with the topping, patting down lightly. 

Bake for 45 minutes or until the fruit is soft when pierced by a fork and topping is browned. (If topping begins getting too dark, while apples remained uncooked, lightly cover the casserole dish with a layer of tin foil.)

Apple, Onion, & Butternut Squash Gratin

I'll be honest, my first thought when I saw this recipe was "huh???"

I never would have come up with this combination of ingredients, but I have to say I'm SO GLAD I didn't let that stop me! 

This is a fantastic way to use butternut squash--Ezra Pound Cake is brilliant. 

You can hardly distinguish the onions from the apples from the squash. 

All of the flavors meld brilliantly into something sweet, savory and tangy--all at the same time. 

Four side dish servings. 

Recipe adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium leeks, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, well washed and dried OR 1 small onion, thinly sliced. 

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/2 cup dry sherry or apple cider (I omitted this--and there was enough liquid without it.)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus leaves for garnish OR 2 tsp dried thyme

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/8-inch thick

1 pound apples, such as Gala, Cortland, Baldwin, or Macoun, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add leeks (Or oninos) and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add sherry and sage (or thyme) and cook until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes; set aside.

In a 2-quart shallow baking dish, arrange squash in overlapping layers; season with salt and pepper. Spread leeks (or onions) evenly over the squash.

Arrange apples in an overlapping layer over the leeks. Brush apples with remaining tablespoon oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle cheese over the top. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown. The tip of a paring knife should easily pierce the gratin. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sage or thyme leaves.

Spiced Apple Cake

I couldn't resist this delicious recipe from Joy the Baker when considering what to contribute to our church potluck. 

It was perfect. 

Apples. 

Spice. 

and Cake. 

My favorite things. 

And who can resist a pretty bundt cake. 

*Almost* too adorable to eat. 

When I finally got to grab a fork I have to say, I was quite happy with the cake in my mouth.
My only complaint is that it was in the oven probably 6.564 minutes too long.
And that was me taking it out 5 minutes before the time went off.
Other than a slightly overdone edge, the cake was moist and flavorful and oh so cute!

Ingredients

Sauteed Apples

2 tart apples (about 1 pound)

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

Cake

12 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon clove

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sour cream

1/4 cup raw sugar (or granulated if you don’t have raw on hand)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven.  Butter and flour an 8-inch spring form pan (or a lovely bundt pan) and set aside.

To sauté the apples: peel, core and dice the apples into 1/4-inch cubes.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until butter beings to bubble.  Add the diced apples and cook for one minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Add the sugar and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Turn the heat to low and cook the apples, uncovered for 4-5 minutes until they are softened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  You’ll only use the sautéed apples for the recipe so you can discard any liquids that may have accumulated.  

To make the cake:  cream the butter, sugar and spices in a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment until light in color and fluffy.  This may take 6 to 8 minutes.  Stop the mixer occasionally, to scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks one at a time and continue beating until fluffy and glossy.  

Measure out the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  With the mixer set on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter.  Mix until no flour streaks remain.  Add the sour cream all at once and incorporate.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until no traces remain.  Fold in the cooked apples with a rubber spatula.  The cake batter will be thick.  

Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan and distribute evenly.  Take a knife and run it in a singular circular motion through the batter 1-inch from the edge of the pan.  This will help the cake to rise evenly.  Sprinkle the cake with the raw or granulated sugar and bake for 55-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the spring form pan or turning over the bundt pan onto a wire rack to cool completely. Before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar.  

Swirled Cinnamon-Apple Bread

If you have a bread machine, this recipe is a must! It's perfectly delicious and (I believe) tastes just like the cinnamon swirl bread you can buy in the store. It's amazing as toast, but if you like apples and you like cinnamon than you should like this bread any old way. Kevin was a huge fan...as was I!

This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens: Bread Machine Bounty.

Ingredients

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 cups flour or bread flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp active dry or bread machine yeast

1/2 cup peeled, shredded apple (about 1 apple)

-------

3/4 cup peeled, finely chopped apple

1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans (this would be amazing, but we had none and it was fine without!)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

Powdered sugar

Add first 8 ingredients to machine according to manufacturer's directions. (Always add liquid ingredients first, then dry ingredients (should be floating on top of liquids), then make a small well in the dry ingredients and add yeast LAST--being sure the yeast never comes in contact with the liquids or it will be activated too soon.) Select dough cycle.

When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium mixing bowl stir together the chopped apple, walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

On lightly floured surface roll dough into a 14x9 inch rectangle. Spread with 1 Tbsp margarine or butter and filling. Beginning at both short ends, roll each end up jelly roll style to the center (I totally missed this and rolled it all one direction...it worked just fine). Place loaf, rolled side up (or down if rolled in one direction like I did), in a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise till almost double (about 30 minutes).

Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes or till bread sounds hollow when top is tapped with your fingers. If necessary loosely cover with foil the last 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning. (I ended up baking it for almost 20 extra minutes and it still wasn't sounding hollow as most loaves do, but it looked done so I called it done and it was fine.) Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Sweet Potatoes, Apples & Pork Chops

I needed to throw a dinner together before leaving for church this morning--as we had my family here visiting. I couldn't just procrastinate and come up with something "easy" like Kevin and I normally do. I wanted to be a good hostess. So I started the bread machine bright and early and then tried to brainstorm through ingredients and crockpot ideas. I had pork chops that I found in the back of the freezer that were from who knows how long ago. I wasn't sure they were still edible but I couldn't throw them away without at least trying to cook them. (They were still great, btw.) We had two sweet potatoes in the pantry which had somehow developed moisture in their packaging and thus mold was taking over. I knew I could save at least some of those root vegetables. I also still had a huge bag of apples from our neighbor's tree. Hmmm. Think, Mel, think.

The result was quite delicious. Kevin helped me quite a bit in the brainstorming process. I have to give him half the credit.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 apples, peeled and sliced

1 whole onion, sliced

1/4 cup apple cider

3/4 cup water

salt

pepper

1 Tbsp cinnamon

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 boneless pork chops or pork roast

Combine all ingredients except pork in the bottom of the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Place pork on top and cook on high 4 hours.

Caramel Apple Cake

I was looking for a new dessert to bake for youth group as it was one of our students' birthdays. When I saw this recipe in the "dessert" section of my Taste of Home recipe box, I knew I wanted to try it! It was quite simple to put together and most of the ingredients are on hand. The cake is delicious and moist and perfect. I believe you could do without the caramel drizzle, as it is super sweet, but it's your choice.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3-1/2 cups diced peeled apples

1 cup chopped walnuts, opt

for caramel icing:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup light cream (or milk)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup confectioner's sugar

chopped walnuts, opt

In a mixing bowl, combine oil and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Add to batter in three additions and mix well. Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan.

Bake at 325 for 1 and 1/2 hours or until tests done.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes; Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing:

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, heat brown sugar, cream and butter until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted. Cool to room temperature. Beat in confectioner's sugar until smooth; drizzle over cake.

Sprinkle with nuts if desired.

Yields: 12-16 servings.

Crockpot Applesauce

::before::

::after::

My neighbors apparently have an apple tree growing in their yard and they have given me three bags filled with these indisputably all natural apples that are best used for cooking. I definitely knew I would need to use these for applesauce. Kevin loves applesauce and I drool over the homemade version. I like mine overflowing with cinnamon and quite chunky. But that's the beauty of making your own sauce--you can tweak it to suite your tastes.

Peeling two bags of apples is a little bit of a pain, I'm not gonna lie, but it is so worth the effort. I found this crockpot version over at A Year of Slowcooking (who's author, Stephanie, was just featured on Good Morning, America in celebration of her newly released crockpot cookbook--Make It Fast, Cook It Slow.) I don't mind standing over stove and monitoring a small 2 quart batch of applesauce, but after experiencing the 6 qt stock pot experience, I was all for the slow cooker!

I altered Stephanie's recipe which indicates the use of 4 large apples, and multiplying the ingredients by 5 (as I used about 40 small apples which could be translated into 20 large.)

40 small apples, peeled, cored and quartered

Juice from one lemon

4 tsp cinnamon (I realize this is a bit more than I needed, but I love cinnamon!)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a large slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. When apples are tender mash/break apart with a potato masher or a fork.

This many apples yielded 14 cups of apple sauce.

Mmmm, mmm, good.

Dutch Apple Pie with Oatmeal Streusal

Oh. my. word. This streusal topped apple pie is aaaamazing. Everyone loved this version of a classic. The crunchy cinnamon topping is a perfect addition to the tart crisp sugared granny smiths piled beneath. And bonus...you don't have to use 2 pie crusts! :)

Roll out the Never Fail Pie Crust. Place in pie pan and flute edges.

Peel and thinly slice 6-8 cups apples (I recommend Granny Smiths, but any baking apple would do.)

Mix 2/3 cup sugar with 1-2 tsp cinnamon.

Fill crust with half of the apple slices.

Sprinkle half cinnamon sugar mixture on top.

Repeat.

Dot with 2-3 Tbsp butter.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake uncovered pie for 10-15 minutes.

Streusal Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup butter

While filling is baking, make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and lemon peel. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove filling from oven and sprinkle streusel on top. (Gently pat streusal onto the apples so that it is firmly in place.)

Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until streusel is browned and apples are tender. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.

Cool completely before serving (to prevent excess juice from running.)

Top with ice cream or cool whip.

Better than Your Average Oatmeal

Personally, I hated oatmeal for my entire childhood. My sister loved the instant stuff --especially strawberries and cream--but I just couldn't stomach the texture. In college I gave oatmeal another shot to impress me and I began to enjoy the Dining Common's extra thick oatmeal with loads of brown sugar. I was soon hooked on Maple and Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal and then decided to try the plain instant oats out of a desire to save money. I loved that stuff with brown sugar and the occasional scoop of peanut butter. Recently I have become obsessed with the Old Fashioned Oats and buy them in bulk from good ol' Sam's Club. Cooking oats on the stovetop increases their irresistible factor by a million. I thought I would share with you one of my favorite and most frequent breakfasts--not to mention healthy & filling! I hope you enjoy!

1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 apple, chopped
1 tsp (or more) brown sugar
1/2 -1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
5 almonds, chopped

In a 1 quart saucepan begin heating the water and milk over medium heat and add oats. Let the mixture begin to thicken as you chop the apples. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and apples and let oats start bubbling, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low and remove when oatmeal reaches desired thickness (it will continue to thicken after being removed from heat).

Chop almonds with food chopper or by hand and toss on top of your delicious breakfast.

Perfectly Simple Applesauce

If you're needing a way to use up apples or just craving a homecooked comfort food than this recipe is definitely for you. (Assuming of course, that you love applesauce as much as my husband and I do. :D)

-4 medium cooking apples (1 1/3 lb), peeled, cut into fourths and cored. (I used Macintosh and used my apple slicer which cored and sliced into 8 pieces.)

-1/2 cup water

-1/4 cup packed brown sugar or 3 to 4 tablespoons of white sugar (I used brown)

-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

-1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. In 2 quart saucepan, heat apples and water to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up apples (as much or as little as you want...we like chunky so I didn't mash them), until tender.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Boil and stir 1 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Store in refrigerator.