mmm...gumdrops!

I just wanted to share these that I found on pinterest

I want them and I want to eat them...

mmmm....

-Tori

p.s. click mmmm.... for link on how to make

Gourmet Thursday: Carmel Apple Pie

Its that time of year again, yay for all things fall! My husband absolutely loves this and I even made it for thanksgiving last year.

YUM!

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust deep dish pie, I store bought mine 
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups thinly sliced apples ( i use granny smith)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tub of caramel dip, found near the apples in produce section
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. To Make Taffy: In a small bowl combine brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, and 1/3 cup flour. Mix well and set aside.
3. To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. Add white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Toss until all ingredients are mixed well and apples are thoroughly coated.
4. Spoon half of apple filling into pastry-lined deep-dish pan. Top with half of caramel dip and half of taffy mixture. Repeat process with remaining apple filling, dip and taffy mixture. Place top pastry over filling and seal well (this is very important--if edges are not sealed, caramel will leak out all over). Cut steam vents and brush top crust with milk or light cream.
5. Cover pie with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil from pie and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden. Serve warm.

If you like a lot of apples use more apples. I used six cups.

Also if you don't want to use crust for topping the pie, there is a recipe for Streusel...I haven't made it this way before but I'm going to try it this year.

Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 c brown sugar, 3/4 c oats, and 1 tea lemon peel. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. pour over pie before baking and pat to seal ..make sure there are no openings where filling can seep through. bake, halfway till pies done..put tin foil on top and over edges of crust.


Happy Baking
-Tori

Gourmet Thursday: The gumbo of your dreams

Good Evening.
A few years ago the husband and I went to New Orleans for a small vacation. We spent a lot of time on Bourbon Street and the area around there. Now its been long enough that I can't remember the name of the place we ate at but its the first time we ever had gumbo and we fell in love (with the gumbo, we already liked each other or we wouldn't be vacationing together...duh). I came home and of course tried to make and remake this wonderful food that we just couldn't possibly get here in Indiana. I finally came upon a recipe that was similar to what I wanted to see in my gumbo...I'm going to share it with you.

• BASE
• 48 oz chicken broth, the big box of swanson
• MEAT
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
• VEGGIES
• 1 green bell pepper
• 3ish stalks celery, depends on the size
• 1 onion, white
• SPICES
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon file powder

The Roux:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Cut my chicken into smallish pieces and use half of the chicken broth to cook it on the stove until cooked through.  (I have this thing about uncooked chicken, I ALWAYS think its under cooked, so i cook it separately)

While that is cooking I slice the sausage (if you can't find andouille, smoked is ok, not as good but still good to use) I use the other half of the chicken broth in a crock pot and put it on high and put the sausage in. At this point I also put in all the spices. I don't like adding salt to my meals but the original recipe called for two teaspoons, its up to you.

While all that is going I cut my veggies, If you have picky eaters at home like my husband who doesn't like vegetables you can use a food chopper (I got mine from Walmart for 5 bucks, its lasted at least 3 years) I pretty much puree the crap out of these until you can't tell they were ever vegetables. They end up like a severely chopped textured water. AS you add these to your cooking sausage in the crock pot you may notice they do a baking soda effect and bubble up, its all good just stir them in. 

By this time my chicken is all good and I add that with all the chicken broth into the crock pot.


Lastly I make the roux, usually just because I tend to burn it and end up making it several times unless I leave it for last. Roux is simple, put the two things together and mix them up, stir enough so you don't burn them but not so much that it isn't turning a lovely shade of brown. When roux is a little darker then golden I add it to the crock pot and yes it will bubble too, just stir it in. 

Gumbo is best it let to cook overnight, the longer it cooks the better it will be. I just put mine on low and leave it, till we are ready to eat.

This is not a super thick gumbo but serve it over zatarains jambalaya rice and mmmm more please.

Happy Eating

-Tori