A is for Apple Pie Cookies [vegan]

I have this idea in my head, an idea which I’ve been considering for the past few weeks.  Since one of my New Year resolutions was to, I quote: “Bake different styles of food!,” I’ve obviously got to follow through on that!

To accomplish this resolution, my idea is: Desserts Around the World-alphabet style

Basically, every two weeks I will post a new recipe that originates from a foreign country.  Simple enough right?  The only other criteria is that there are going to be a total of 26 recipes, and each recipe name will begin with a letter in the alphabet.

To start myself off, here’s a recipe for Apple Pie Cookies, with the country being AMURICAAA.

These are essentially cinnamon oatmeal cookies, with an apple pie filling and a simple icing on top.  The cookies have almost a biscuity texture, which really enhances the idea of an apple pie.  These cookies are made for eating with a glass of milk (I’d even go as far as to say glasses of milk are made for drinking with these cookies), and if you’re aiming for a totally vegan dessert, a glass of soymilk is perfect too.  Eat these cookies to celebrate the United States- a mess of a country, but one built on honest ideals.

Apple Pie Cookies

For the cookies:

• ½ cup butter (I used vegan butter)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup flour (reduce to ¾ cup for a less biscuity cookie)
• 1 tbs corn starch
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt

1. Cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Whisk in the vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the oatmeal, flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, and stir until a dough forms.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Take ¼ cup size balls of dough, and form into round disks on a baking sheet. Make an indent in the middle of each disk as a bowl for the apple filling.

For the apple filling:

• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbs butter

1. Melt the butter in the pan, and add the brown sugar.  Heat until bubbling.
2. Add the apples, and cook until they begin to soften. Reduce the heat and keep cooking until the apples caramelize and the filling is deep golden brown. Cook less for a more gooey filling (in my cookies, I cooked the filling until very golden brown, and it was almost like a chewy apple caramel in the final product).  Divide the filling among the cookies.
3. Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until they are a light golden color.  Cool completely before adding the glaze.

For the icing:

• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tiny splash vanilla
• milk (or soy milk)

1. In a plastic bag combine the powder sugar and vanilla.
2. Add a tiny splash of milk, and squish the bag until a homogenous icing forms.  If needed, add another tiny splash of milk.
3. Cut a corner off of the bag and pipe the icing onto the cookies.
4. Allow the icing to harden, then enjoy the cookies with a glass of milk.

Advertisement

Oatmeal Stuffed Baked Apples

I have a pretty solid routine when it comes to being on the computer.

I usually start off with facebookstalking, move on to checking my email, scroll through a billion pages of reddit, look for any tumblr updates, check my deviantart, and if I have time, oogle at the mind-numbing brilliance of foodgawker.

The other day, managing to get through my whole checklist, I was drooling at desserts on foodgawker when I came upon a recipe for this.  Ice cream stuffed apples? Yum.  My cranium began turning and all of the sudden, a simple idea invaded my thoughts: oatmeal stuffed apples.

This is a new, revolutionary food-so healthy (you get your apple a day to keep the doctor away!) and yet so simple.  Portable, filling, and best of all: DELICIOUS!

Today’s version (I’m betting there will be more in the future ;)) is super simple-an apple stuffed with cinnamon apple raison oatmeal.  They take about 30 minutes to make, but I betcha they could easily be made on a weekend, and heated in a microwave for breakfast (who wants to turn on an oven for breakfast anyways).

Eat them plain for maximum nutritional value, or top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for maximum yum factor.

Cinnamon Raisin Apple Oatmeal Stuffed Baked Apples

• ½ cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbs brown sugar (add to taste)
• pumpkin pie spice, to taste (I used 1 tsp)
• 2 apples (dense apples probably not the best for this recipe)
• 1 tbs raisins
• OPTIONAL 1 tbs butter- I didn’t use.
• OPTIONAL- 1 tbs walnuts, chopped

1. Combine the oats and water in a large bowl, and microwave at high heat for four minutes.  Carefully watch to make sure it doesn’t overflow.  OR cook the oats on a stove until done.
2. Combine the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a ramekin.
3. Take the apples and cut the tops off.  Scoop out and dice the flesh of the apples.  Cut off the stems.
4. *OPTIONAL* Rub the butter along the inside of the apples.
5. Take about 1 tsp of the brown sugar spice mixture and spread on the inside of the apples.
6. Add the remaining spice-sugar mixture to the oatmeal, along with the raisins, diced apple flesh, and walnuts, if using.  I only used the flesh of one apple, and fed the rest to my dogs.
7. Place the tops of the apples back on, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
8. Serve plain, or with whipped cream and/or ice cream. Enjoy!