Cream Cheese Apple Pie

Yes, another twist on a holiday favorite. Taking that standard apple pie and giving it a kick in the pants with some added flavors and a higher level of decadence.

1 9-inch Pie Crust (Frozen or Homemade)

3/4 Cup of Shredded Fuji Apples

3/4 Cup of Shredded Granny Smith Apples

3/4 Cup of Shredded Pink Lady Apples

3/4 Cup of diced fresh Strawberries

1/2 Cup of Cream Cheese

2 TBSP of Butter

1 TBSP Packed Brown Sugar

1 TBSP Cinnamon

1 TSP Nutmeg

1 TSP Allspice

1/2 TSP of Pure Clover Honey

Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees.

1: Melt butter and combine cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and strawberries, mixing together with the butter until everything is blended into a thick cream, but try to keep this warm to prevent the butter or cheese from solidifying.

2: Combine the apples and honey in a large mixing bowl, stirring together as you add the heated cream from step one. Once the apples and cream mixture are fully blended, carefully scoop into a waiting 9-inch pie crust.

3: Either place into the oven as it is now, or place a layer of crust over the top (make sure to stab holes into the top to allow for venting). Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown, and interior is hot. Carefully watch this pie periodically as to avoid under or over cooking it. Additional time may be needed.

4: Remove the hot pie from the oven and place in a cool location to chill, before transferring it to a fridge to get cold, usually 6 hours or overnight. Serve chilled with a scoop of strawberry ice cream and some caramel sundae syrup. Enjoy.

This is a recipe involving cream cheese, which can be rather tricky to melt and work with. I would not suggest trying to melt the butter and cheese together in a microwave, as this just results in a horrible mess, and you will want to watch it carefully anyway. So take this recipe, try it with different fruits, or even add a few chopped walnuts for a little crunch in the texture. Try this dish next time you are wanting something other than the classic apple pie, it is sure to please even those who swear by grandma's traditional apple pie recipe.

~Bon Appetite~

Pierogi Dough and Filling

This is a tasty stuffed dumpling recipe that is easy to make, and even easier to customize.

Pierogi Dough:

2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 TSP Salt
1 TSP Olive Oil
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix together thoroughly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 10-15 minutes. Place the dough under a bowl and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes. Roll the dough out as thin as possible then cut into 2-inch diameter circles, continue rolling out dough and cutting circles until as much dough is used as possible. Using a pasta-roller will make this part much simpler.

Spicy Cheese Filling:

2-3 Large Russet Potatoes, washed, peeled, and shredded
1/2 Cup Yellow Onion, finely diced
1 TBSP Diced Garlic
2 Jalapeno Peppers, finely diced with seeds removed
2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Water

In a large skillet, combine the potatoes, jalapenos, garlic, onions, and oil, and cook until onions turn soft and potatoes begin to brown. Add in water and cover for 5-10 minutes, or until water is all absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, mixing together until cheese is melted and ingredients are combined thoroughly.

Using a small spoon, place a small amount of filling mixture onto the pierogi dough circles. Wrap and fold the dough around the filling, making sure to seal the edges together. Doing this, they should look similar to ravioli or mini-calzones. Drop the filled pierogi into boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and the dumplings float.

At this point, the dumplings are cooked and finished, but from here you can decide to pan fry or deep fry them for a different type of texture. You could also make a sauce to drizzle over these, a light, but savory sauce will make these dumplings a complete meal, or even a game-day snack.

Try making your own fillings using your favorite ingredients. Or if you want, make a dessert pierogi by using sweet ingredients and fruit and taking the salt out of the dough, and adding brown sugar. Also, for dessert-style pierogi dough, replace the olive oil with melted butter.

Dessert Filling:

1 Granny Smith Apple, Shredded
1 Fuji Apple, Shredded
1 Braeburn Apple, Shredded
1 Cup Cream Cheese
1 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 TSP Cinnamon

Heat the honey with the cinnamon and brown sugar until the honey is heated and easy to work with, combine the ingredients with the shredded apples and stir together until everything is well mixed. Add in the cream cheese and blend the ingredients until evenly worked in. Fill the pierogi dough and cook as suggested above.

So come up with your own unique pierogi experience and enjoy!

~Bon Appétit~

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