Apple Crisp Pizza

This is such a great recipe.  It's simple, yet elegant and OH SO tasty!

It's simply apple crisp with a crunchy oatmeal topping on a pie crust!

WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE???

I was excited when I found it at Life as a Lofthouse.

I've always been partial to my Simple Apple Crisp recipe, and this goes just one step further, making the simple into an elegant dessert.

Hubby and I enjoyed very large pieces of it at a time, and it didn't take long for the 2 of us to clean that pizza pan!

{Not all at once, mind you!}

I only had a little bit of caramel in the bottle, so I heated it a tad, then wished I had left it cold because it ran into a 'puddle'...which I guess is fine.  I would have liked for it to look more like a 'drizzle'.

Oh well - LIVE AND LEARN, right???

APPLE CRISP PIZZA

Pastry for single crust pie (9-inch)

2/3 c. sugar

3 Tb. all purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 medium gala apples, peeled and diced into 1/4" pieces

(use your favorite baking apple)

TOPPING:

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

(I like to add a little bit of grated fresh nutmeg too)

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350. Roll pastry to fit a 12" pizza pan; fold under or flute the edges.  Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Add peeled, diced apples and toss. Arrange the apples in a single layer over the pie crust to completely cover it.

Combine the first 5 topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the apples.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until apples are tender.  Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Cut into pizza slices and serve warm with ice cream.

Yield: 10 - 12 pieces

(or as hubby and I enjoyed...6 pieces!=)

Linked to Sweets for a Saturday
           Crazy Sweet Tuesday
             Ingredient Spotlight - Apples
Weekend Potluck
    GBP Roundup - Apples
Meal Plan Monday

Baked Acorn Squash with Cinnamon Apples

What a wonderful fall dish! 

I was so happy to come across this recipe at my sweet blogging friend Joy @ Simply Bloom {the blog}.

Her photos are always! so inviting and that one sucked me right in.

I'm partial to the richness, smoothness, and taste of butternut squash, but sweeten up acorn squash this way and I am ON IT!

I've probably told you before, but my most favorite dishes are desserts, and running in 2nd place are SIDE DISHES!

I'm wild about side dishes and do believe if I lived by myself, I could live without meat, and eat side dishes to my heart's content.

This is soo tasty - it was the only thing I filled my plate (and tummy) with for dinner the evening I first fixed it.

Do hope you'll try it soon.  It's simple and simply delicious!!!

BAKED ACORN SQUASH WITH CINNAMON APPLES

2 - 3 acorn squash

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

(I used 1/4 c. brown sugar splenda)

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 Tb. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt 

(I used less)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

(I used 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice)

2 - 3 lg. apples - cored and chopped

(I didn't peel)

Preheat oven to 350. In small bowl, stir together brown sugar, butter, flour, salt, cinnamon and all spice.

Wash and halve the squash. Clean out the seeds and 'stringy stuff' and arrange in ungreased 9" X 13" baking dish.  Fill the 'holes' with chopped apple, then drizzle the sugar mixture on top. 

(Joy suggests you do that lavishly).

The recipe didn't call for it, but I added about 1/2 c. water, or more, to the pan so it would steam the squash as it bakes.

Cover dish with foil.  Bake 60 - 70 (less time if the squash are small) minutes or until squash is tender.   (Mine were large, and I baked them nearly 1-1/2 hrs.)

This goes beautifully as a side dish or simply as a treat on its own.

I can testify to that thought!  MMMM!

THE END!!!!  *-*

​


Linked to Foodie Friends Friday
           Mop it up Monday
             GBP Roundup - Apples
        Full Plate Thursday
        GBP Roundup - Fall 
Weekend Potluck
Kitchen Thyme
Meal Plan Monday

Homemade Butterfinger Candy Bar Bites

                                                                       

JUST A SWEET LITTLE REMINDER...

THANKSGIVING IS ONLY ONE WEEK AWAY!

Are you ready???  *-*



Oh my Soul! 

This recipe seems to be the 'rage' on the net and in Blogland as of late.

I couldn't wait to try it.

It is just amazing - and all my taste-testing friends and family agree! 

We always like a little chocolate candy with our Thanksgiving brunch and I'm excited to try this out on my kids.

I took some of my first batch to share with my sis-in-loves, who are all great cooks, and they were amazed how it tasted like a real butterfinger!

I shared several pieces at a ladies meeting the next day (from my second batch) and they all thought it tasted like the real thing too.

One dear friend told me she couldn't WAIT to go home and make a batch. 

Another friend of a friend told me they added rice krispies to it and loved it....so feel free to do 'your thing'.

I can't imagine how anyone thinks this stuff up, but I'm so thankful someone did!

Since Halloween was over, I had to scour a couple of Dollar General stores to clean them out of candy corn....on sale even!  I stocked up because I know this will be something we make again for Christmas gift-giving!

(Just this week, I've seen that Walgreen's has MUCH candy corn on sale!)

SOOOO Simple - TWO ingredients!  Can we even imagine??
Well, three, if you count the chocolate you dip them in.

Give it a try....you won't be sorry.

I had read some blog posts about gals not being happy because this candy had a smooth texture. 

Mine didn't, and I think it's better that way.  It has that

'break away' kind of texture that the real candy bar has.

I think it's because I 'accidently' had it in the microwave a tad longer than the original recipe called for, so I have typed it up for you as I made it.

The picture belows gives you an idea what the candy looks like before dipping.

I love that this recipe can be cut down if you want.

The first time I made it I used 2 c. candy corn and 1 c. peanut butter.

HOMEMADE BUTTERFINGER CANDY BAR BITES

3 cups candy corn

1-1/2 cups peanut butter

milk chocolate chips or candy melts, melted

Line 8" X 8" pan with parchment paper (or waxed paper - sprayed).

Place candy corn in microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 minute.   Stir until mostly melted.  Stir and continue heating 10 to 15 second until melted, stirring well. Add peanut butter, return to microwave for 10 - 15 seconds.  Stir until blended, but you don't want it to be smooth.

Pour into prepared pan. Let set up for 1 hour.  Remove from pan; cut into pieces or bars with pizza cutter or sharp knife.  Dip pieces in melted chocolate. (I added a tsp. of crisco to the choc chips to make them smoother)

The texture is crunchier if refrigerated when cooled.

If you are partial to Butterfinger candy bars, as I am....

OH YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS!!!!!!!

Chomp, drool, slurp, lick....

Linked to Made it on Monday
         Foodie Friday
              Melt in Your Mouth Monday
         Creative Thursday
GBP Roundup - Peanut Butter

It's time for a Giveaway!!!!

{This giveaway is now closed....winners announced on Friday, Nov. 25}
Thanks for entering....


I'm SOO excited!

SOOO much to all of you for your support and encouragement, especially these past few months.

It means more than words can express. 

YA'LL ROCK!!!!!!

I just shake my head in disbelief when I consider how quickly my Facebook fan numbers have risen in the past few months. 

I'm closing in on 1000 fans and could use your help here!

For weeks, I've considered getting this giveaway going now before the holidays HIT us strong...and have been planning to entice bribe ask you to help me  get over that #1000 hump, but I'm much closer than I would have dreamed already.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS.....YOU CAN PUSH ME OVER THE TOP!!!!

In reality, I only have about 10 more 'likes' to get there.

UN.BE.LIEVABLE!!

No matter what....

I am excited to offer TWO gift packages....

The first pkg. is this wonderful Christmas Cookies cookbook,

along with an adorable plate for YOU to give away, AND...

a cutsie spatula/turner made by Avon just for the holidays.

I'm wishing I had gotten one for myself too!

(Does seeing all that peppermint make you want to break out in singing "Deck the Halls"?)  *-*

The plate is 13" wide...you can put plenty of cookies on there to give away. 

The cookbook has ideas like...

~Baking Cookies with Kids
~Sharing with Friends

~Making Memories

~Cookie Storage Hints

along with many shaped, dropped, and bar cookie recipes.

MMMM!

I made some of the Peppermint Candy Shortbread cookies and they were super!

The second gift package is this cute "Cookie Dough FUN" cookbook, along with a set of 4" X 6" Christmas recipe cards.

These are some of the titles in this little booklet...

~Crazy for Cookie Dough
~Simple Pleasures
~Kids in the Kitchen
~Holiday Treats
~Party Fun

OK - here's how you enter this giveaway...

I'm keeping it simple - please tell me a dish you are making for your Thanksgiving Day meal.
(I dare you to make my mouth water=)

Then for additional comments you can do any or all of the following....please be sure to come back and let me know what you did.

Don't forget to include an email address so I can contact you.

(If it's easier for my non-blogging friends, you can always use the 'anonymous' comment option, but leave your name/email address in the body also)

~"Like"  my Recipes & Recollections Facebook Page
(or let me know if you do already)

~Post this giveaway on your Facebook Page or Blog

~Subscribe to my blog

The giveaway ends on Tuesday, Nov. 22nd at 6 PM - EST.

The winners will be announced the day after Thanksgiving.

This giveaway is for residents of the U.S. only.

(Sorry - I really do appreciate those around the world who are interested in my blog, but this is only for U. S. folks)

LET THE FUN BEGIN....GO!!!

Can't Leave 'Em Alone Pumpkin Bars

{After I typed this up, I wondered why I didn't just ask Tonya to do a guest post for me here?  I hope to make that happen in the new year, so be on the lookout for more recipes from this cowgirl because we are 'sisters' who must share taste buds =}

Dear Blogging Friends....

This would make an awesome Thanksgiving dessert to grace your table and impress your family and friends.

It's heavenly...to say the least!

I don't know about you, but I just can't get too much pumpkin this time of the year.  I'm always ready for M.O.R.E..

I was thrilled to find this recipe at the blog of my sweet new blogging buddy, Tonya, at 4little fergusons.

(Isn't she a doll???) 

This is the first of several of Tonya's recipes that I plan to share with you soon, so I must first....tell you more about this amazing and incredible woman! 

I've become a true fan of Tonya...in 'Tonyaland' along with her 4 precious little babes.


Tonya is a Wonder Woman for sure!
AWESOME COOK. WIFE. MOMMY. WOMAN OF FAITH.
PHOTOGRAPHER. ORGANIZER. FRIEND. PROVERBS 31 WOMAN.
PILLOW-FLUFFER...


and the list goes on and on and on....

I can't imagine how she finds time to blog, but she does, and trust me...she does it well.

I think she must have a stick of dynamite wrapped up inside her little body somewhere to accomplish everything she does!



Maybe she has a clone somewhere?? {wink}

If you haven't ever been over to visit Tonya, PLEASE take a few minutes to pop in on her. Her amazing photos will draw you right in.

OK...onto this delectable recipe... 

You will want to try this seriously delicious dish!

Would be perfect for Thanksgiving!!

CAN'T LEAVE 'EM ALONE PUMPKIN BARS

CRUST:
1 (18 ozs) box yellow cake mix, reserve 1 cup
1/2 c. melted butter
1 egg, beaten

Mix together and press into 9" X 13" baking pan.

MIDDLE:
2 eggs
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1- 15 ozs. can pumpkin
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix well and pour over crust.

TOPPING:
1 c. reserved cake mix
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. white sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

Mix together and spoon over pumpkin filling.
Bake at 350 for 40 - 50 minutes. (It will still be a bit soft in the center.)

Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold with whipped topping. 

Personal opinion: It's very good warm, but we prefer it chilled.

Linked to Totally Tasty Tuesday
               Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Sweets for a Saturday
        Ingredient Spotlight - Cake Mix
         Ingredient Spotlight - Pumpkin
Weekend Potluck
Meal Plan Monday