This Christmas apple cranberry slab pie reminded me of the flavor profiles on the show.  The cranberries add a necessary tang to all the sweet and combine beautifully with the apples.

I’m not new to slab pies, as I made a summer version with blueberries and peaches here.

The key to this Christmas pie is flavors and cooking down the apples with butter, cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla, cardamom, and nutmeg. You can choose to mix it up anyway you like, but keep the cinnamon!

Pushing the flavors of old time Christmas, the cranberries do their job.  I used two kinds of apples. The granny smith which cooked down, yielding a lot of juice. To those I added 3 gala apples which don’t cook down in the same way.

This is the first time I’ve mixed my apples, and I rather like it. Gala apples are usually my apple of choice because they keep some of their crispness. You can mix up your apples (see notes in recipe).

The filling for the apple cranberry slab pie is absolutely delicious.

It tastes like an old fashioned pie you might eat in Europe, so rich in flavors.

I trimmed the dough around the sheet pan, but you could do something more decorative if you choose. I felt I had enough dough and the corner pieces would have too much.

Blind bake Apple Cranberry Slab Pie for 15 minutes. 

Since my apple filling was pre-cooked, I blind-baked the bottom crust for 15 minutes to ensure it remain crisp when cut. It worked perfectly, and there was no soggy bottom.

Use any cookie cutters you like. I like these Christmas cookie cutters.

This is the perfect crowd pleaser. Pre-cut into squares in the pan before serving. This pie also freezes well.

I’ll be adding this to my Apple Desserts with Decorative Crusts

Summer Slab Pie Here

More Apple Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Pan Dowdy (Gluten Free)
• Bourbon Caramelized Apple Hand Pie
• Low Carb Apple Upside Down Cake
• Caramelized Apple Tart with Stove Top Brown Sugar Apple Filling
• Keto Apple Muffins

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Apple Cranberry Slab Pie

Winter Apple pie with cranberries baked in a sheet pan.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Apple Cranberry Pie Filling

• 8 apples
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries can sub with raspberries
• 1/3 cup brown sugar may need a few tablespoons more
• 1/2 orange for juice and zest
• 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 3/4 cup sugar (See Notes)
• 1/2 orange
• 2 tablespoons sifted corn starch
• Pie Dough
• 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour 448 grams plus more for dusting
• 12 ounces Unsalted Butter 24 tablespoons or 3 sticks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup iced cold water 2 more tablespoons, (if needed

Instructions

• Make Pie Dough below first and refrigerate for one hour while making apple filling.

MAKE APPLE FILLING

• Peel and core apples. Y≈
• Slice apples about 1/4 inch thick.
• Zest orange and juice orange.
• Put 4 tablespoons butter in frying pan with 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
• Toss apples with sugar, juice of half orange, orange zest. Add 1 tablespoon corn starch.
• Cook apples and cranberries on top of stove on low in large frying pan, until somewhat softened. The granny smith apples will cook down more than the gala apples. There will a lot of liquid, after about 15 minutes.
• Drain liquid and use in another recipe.
• MAKE PIE DOUGH
• Cut butter into small pieces. Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Mix flour, sugar, salt in food processor or kitchen aid mixer. You can whisk and do this with your hands.
• Cut butter into flour mixture. I prefer my kitchen aid mixer but a food processor works well too
• You can, however use a pastry cutter and mix butter into flour, making sure to keep the pieces pea sized.
• Add in ice cold water. Mix just enough to be able to squeeze dough together.
• If the dough stays together when you press, it’s processed enough.
• Put in plastic bag, separating it into 1/3 and 2/3. Bring it together in bag. Refrigerate for one hour. You can do this a day in advance of recipe.
• Bring out twenty minutes before rolling.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange rack in oven on bottom third.
• Once you are ready to assemble, first roll out 1/3 dough to make stars. You can make 15 large stars or 18 smaller stars. You can use more dough from the other section if need be. The recipe will make the stars and the remaining dough is just enough for the sheet pan.
• Make the cut outs and place in refrigerator, while rolling out the dough for the bottom.
• Roll into rectangle and place in sheet pan.
• Fork holes all over the bottom. Place in freezer for a few minutes.
• Arrange apples cranberry mixture.
• Before placing stars over fruit, using your finger, rub milk over each star, and sprinkle raw sugar
• Bake for 35 minutes. Check halfway through and turn pan around.
• Check at 30 minutes and loosely cover with foil if it’s already golden brown.
• Allow to cool before cutting.
• Keep at room temperature, covered with foil.
• Can be frozen for 60 days. Take out and allow to defrost at room temperature. Can be reheated in oven.

Notes

Apples: I mixed my apples, but you can use all gala which stay a little crisper and require less sugar. If you use all granny smith apples, you will need all the sugar. Taste filling as you go, since it’s cooked stovetop. 

The post Christmas Apple Cranberry Slab Pie appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

You can use turkey, stuffing, left over corn pudding, a little bit of mashed potatoes and some brussels sprouts. Eat this with cranberry sauce. It’s so good.

The cutest ever turkey cookie cutter will bring a smile to everyone’s face.

We know this wonderful cheesecloth roasted turkey is carved and mostly gobbled, but you still have leftovers.

We have a tradition that goes back before I was born. Every Thanksgiving we make Baked  Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pudding, which is an Amish tradition that influenced much of Pennsylvania. I cream my own corn in a Vitamix, but you can use creamed corn mixed with regular corn. I add buttermilk (you can use milk) and eggs to bake this iconic dish.

The Key to pulling this together is use to your left over stuffing. Luckily I have six recipes for that.

This is the best way to fuel up for Black Friday or just sit on the couch and order from Amazon. I have my own store divided into categories of all my favorite purchases that I love and use here. (Amazon is an affilate and I earn a small commission. Prices are not affected).

Pin This ⇓

It’s all mixed in the baking dish until it feels right, (very thickened cream corn) and baked until it looks done. This leftover corn pudding made this turkey, mashed potato pie taste amazing. This is truly a down home, American comfort food, that promises to conjure up good memories of home.

Since your leftovers are not my leftovers,you will have to just trust yourself on a winning combination, but I can share with you some basic tips and mistakes to avoid.

• Keep some of the celery and onions that you chop for dressing. (or use fresh, but be sure to saute them before adding them to the pie. You may not need if you have lots of stuffing.
• Keep some (not a lot) of gravy.
• Use your side dish for leftovers, except green beans casserole.
• Only use pastry crust for the top. You can purchase puff pastry.
• Mashed potatoes are a must and will hold everything together.
• Add fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme and sage.
• You can use some stuffing or dressing at the bottom of the pie. Pre-bake at bottom rack for ten minutes. Then add mixture and proceed with recipe.

I make my turkey pie cut-outs while I’m baking pies and freeze these for Black Friday.

Happy Shopping Everyone. Have a Great Weekend and welcome to the Holiday Season.

Please connect with me on Instagram to get all the stories in advance. I also have ALL my recipes on one Pinterest Board. Find the Spinach Tiger Recipe Pin Board here.

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Turkey Pie Reinvented

A creative way to use Thanksgiving leftovers in one pie.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion minced
• 2-4 stalks of celery diced with leaves (you can leave out, if you have in stuffing).
• 2 cups turkey cubed
• 2 cups mashed potatoes or any amount
• 1-2 cups corn pudding or 1 can creamed corn
• handful of parsley chopped
• 1/2 cup turkey gravy optional

Pie Doug for Cut Outs

• salt and pepper
• Pie Dough recipe below
• cranberry relish
• 6 tablespoons butter

Pie Dough (or store bought dough or puff pastry)

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 stick ice cold butter cubed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2-4 tablespoons ice cold water
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

• Saute onion in butter for three minutes. Add celery. When both are softened (about 5 to 8 minutes, add turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, parsley and gravy. Cook until warmed through.
• Spread into a pie plate. Smooth the top. Cut pastry into turkey shapes or any other shape with cookie cutter. Leaves, Christmas Trees, etc. are good ideas. Brush pastry with egg wash or cream.
• Bake at 350 for one hour, or until pastry is golden brown.
• Serve hot with cranberry relish on the side.

Pie Dough for Cut Outs

• Mix salt and flour together. Freeze for a few minutes.
• Cut butter into small pieces. Freeze for a few minutes, as butter softens immediately upon cutting. If using food processor, put flour mixture in bowl.
• Lay small pieces of butter evenly over flour and mix for 20 seconds at a time, stopping as soon as dough is shaggy.
• Stream in cold water one tablespoon at a time. ( If using kitchen aid type mixer, use paddle attachment on low setting for one minute max. Stream in cold water on sides of bowl. Mix on low, just until incorporated.)
• Form into disc , wrap in plastic at least one hour.
• Roll out and cut pastry shapes.
• Put cut outs on pie.
• Brush cut outs with milk.
• Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until golden and crisp.

The post Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Pie Reinvented appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I wouldn’t dare post a pumpkin pie recipe unless it had a twist and was worth knowing about. After all, the recipe on the can is quite good if you’re looking for regular pumpkin pie. This is not that recipe. It’s a little different and worth making a change from tradition. Instead of eggs, I used cream cheese and I like it so much better.

I make the most perfect turkey because I use a really special technique.

You Can Make the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tart in a big tart pan or in mini tart pans.

You can make it into a pie or into a tart, but whatever you do, do save some of the dough and give it a little decorative splash.  Use your favorite cookie cutters and have fun.

When buying pumpkins, I avoid grocery stores and look for places that offer a wide assortment.  We bought our decorative pumpkins back in September.

I was a little worried about them rotting in our warm weather, but it was suggested to wipe them down with bleach and not put them directly on the ground. Six weeks later, pumpkins are still looking as good as new.

I love Cinderella Pumpkins.

These are called peanut pumpkins. Odd aren’t they?

This was last year’s pumpkin tart. I’ve made it prettier this year, but look at those gorgeous apple pies drizzled with homemade blackberry syrup.

More Pumpkin Recipes

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tart (No Egg Recipe)

A pumpkin cream tart, using cream cheese instead of eggs for a silky smooth delicious pumpkin pie or tart.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/2 cup 1 stick of butter, cold, cut into small pieces, frozen
• 2 tablespoons of ice cold water

Pumpkin Filling

• 4-6 ounces of cream cheese softened
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix homemade recipe here
• 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 can 14 ounces of pumpkin puree
• 1 can 12 ounces evaporated milk

Instructions

Pie Dough

• Pulse flour, salt, sugar in food processor. Add frozen butter pieces. Pulse for 10 seconds or until mixture is crumbly. Add in ice cold water. Dough may not seem like it will come together. Form into disc and wrap in plastic for one hour or over night.
• Roll out to fit tart pan or pie pan. Take the extras for the decorative shapes. Set decorative shapes aside in refrigerator. (Those are added after 20 minutes of baking

Pie Filling

• Use softened cream cheese and whip for a few minutes before adding brown sugar, spices and sea salt in a mixer until smooth.
• Add pumpkin puree, mix until combined, then evaporated milk and mix together until completely smooth.
• Poke pie crust with fork all over before pouring mixture in.
• .Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Add decorative cut outs. Bake for another 20-35 minutes depending on height of tart or pie.

The post Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tart (No Egg Recipe) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I’ve been making this razzleberry pie recipe for years, only I didn’t know it. How in the world did I not know what a razzleberry pie was?

Well, truth be truth there is no such thing as a razzleberry. It gets it name from a combination of raspberries and blackberries.

As time has gone on, people add other berries to the mix and I do too, because they add a little more sweetener or in the case of strawberries, pectin which helps thicken the filling.

You Can Make Razzleberry Pie Recipe with Fresh or Frozen Fruit

You can make this razzleberry pie your very own by deciding for yourself which berries you want to use, perfect when berry season overlaps. If you want to make razzleberry pie all year long, do what I like to do, and buy an extra large bag of mixed berries. I was able to find a mix of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.

If you do decide to just use raspberries and blackberries, keep in mind that as these berries bake, they lose sweetness and they aren’t that sweet to begin with. You will need to add a lot of sugar to avoid having a sour pie.

I like to make decorative pie crusts because it’s fun, but you can cover the pie with a normal topping. I think turning this razzleberry pie into a razzleberry crumb pie using this recipe would also work very well.

You might also like this recipe for my Scarlett O’Hara Raspberry Pie.



You can make this pie gluten free with this gluten free pie crust option.

What a week of cake and pie making, as we had Easter and two birthdays. If you follow me on instagram, you would have seen the cake we made for Doug that was an almost replica of one of his favorite pictures. It was a fun surprise. Be sure to follow me because the stories showcase all the recipes before they ever make it here.

More Pie Recipes from Spinach Tiger

All-Purpose Perfect Pie Crust

Gluten Free Pie Crust

Disclosure: This site contains Amazon Affiiate links which earn a small commission which aids in operation costs and does not raise any prices.

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Razzleberry Pie Recipe

Razzelberry pie, a mix of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Razzleberry Filling Ingredients
• 6 cups of frozen or fresh mixed berries strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant tapioca
• I pie crust recipe
• Regular pie recipe here
• Gluten free pie crust recipehere

Instructions

• Mix together berries, sugar, lemon juice, tapioca. Allow to sit in bowl for about 30 to 60 minutes.
• Make Pie Doug.
• Refrigerate pie dough for 30 minutes.
• Take pie dough out 10 minutes before rolling out.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Divide pie dough into two sections, about 2/3 and 1/3 (for top).
• Roll out into circle larger than pie pan. Use fork to jab holes on bottom;
• Fill and top with second rolled out round. Make sure to slash top of pie to allow for steam to escape.
• You can do what I do and use cookie cutters to make fun tops. Or you can do a lattice top.
• Here is a great tool from Amazon, which is adjustable.
• Bake at 350 for 90 minutes. Check your pie at 60 minutes. If it's browning too much on top, place foil over it.

The post Razzleberry Pie Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I just baked a few special apple pies in the last few weeks, and posted them to instagram.  As I was looking over my recipes, I could see that I tend to favor apple pie, and there is no one way to bake it.

The latest pie is the Cranberry Apple Pie, perfect for Christmas time, but put a heart cuttout in this baby and you stretch it’s appeal (apple appeal).

I am still working on my varied lattice top. You can only really do this with a tool like this.

Holiday Apple Pie. You can use any kind of cookie cutters to make your pie. Sometimes I use a berry jelly for the apples, but for this I used leftover cranberry sauce. The addition of nutmeg and cinnamon ensures those holiday flavors.

Caramelized Apple Tart. This tart is probably my favorite when I really want to go all out. The apples are made stove top with lot of brown sugar.

Bourbon Caramelized Apple Hand Pies (Do I really need to sell these to you).

Apple Pie from Scratch with Cinnamon, Lemon and Love and a Video

Apple Sweet Potato Pie. This is the most unique of the apples pies is diabetic friendly.

Iron Skillet Apple Pie is a Heart Warming Presentation

Not a cake. Not really a pie Swedish Apple Dessert.

If making pie crust makes you nervous, this is the dessert where you can shine!

You can also make the Swedish Apple Dessert in a Jar!

You can order these jars here. 

Apple Rosemary Galette for a rustic approach.

Apple Berry Pie Dessert from my Favorite Chefs. We threw in freshly picked blueberries and strawberries.

Apple Grape Tart which ushers in Fall and stays through Winter. This is a favorite of my apple desserts when I want something elegant.

You can order small pie pans here.

You can order a tart pan here. 

Apple Galette with Rosemary is one of the best apple desserts when you want to go rustic.

Apple Hand Pies is one of the best apple desserts for kids. They love these.

You can order Apple pie cutouts here.

Apple Dutch Baby which is not really dessert, but more of a brunch item, but it’s also one of my most popular posts.

I have 13 cast iron pans. You can order my favorite here. 

For the Gluten Free crowd, we have  Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Pandowdy made with my gluten free pie crust recipe. This is one of my best apple desserts using a gluten free flour.

As I make more apple desserts, I’ll be back to add them in. Right now I’m working on a grain free apple custard pie. Stay tuned. I always post on instagram first and would love to see you there.

More Apple Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Pie Recipes from Spinach Tiger

This post contains affiliate links which earn a small commission for Spinach Tiger.

The post My Best Apple Desserts with Decorative Pie Crusts appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Blueberry crumb pie might be my favorite way to make blueberry pie. It’s the sweet crunch against the tart berry and that little hint of cinnamon that reminds me of coffee cake that makes this so perfectly wonderful.

Three ago I took three children to the blueberry farm behind my house and although the heat was a bit dreadful, we managed to gather four pounds of blueberries and come home and make pies. Everyone had their hands in the rolling, stirring and assembling. We made blueberry crumb pie.

We have gone back every year, a tradition we look forward to. We picked over five pounds today, and I’ve written some tips here for how to have a successful blueberry picking and how to store them.

Baking Blueberry Crumb Pie with Fresh Blueberries

I have a recipe for blueberry pie filling pie filling that requires cooking, but this was made much more simply, just fresh berries, tapioca and a little sugar thrown into a pie crust and

Blueberries are everywhere in my kitchen, as I’ve already been five times to the Golden Bell Blueberry Farm. I also made blueberry buttermilk muffins with cinnamon top,  and a real favorite, my blueberry thyme biscuits

A favorite recent blueberry recipe is this blueberry thyme galette.

I’ve made dessert with blueberries so many times, I’ve created a post dedicated to my seven favorite ways to make blueberry pie. 

Please take a minute and check out all of my blueberry recipes. I’ve posted a few below. Connect with me on instagram for more food pictures and more.

You Might Love this:

Blueberry Peach Slab Pie

More Pie Recipes from Spinach Tiger

A Million Ways to Make Blueberry Pie

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Blueberry Crumb Pie with Freshly Picked Blueberries

Freshly picked berries with a crumb topping makes a great summer pie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Pie Dough

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 brown sugar or raw sugar
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Blueberry Fillling

• 6 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup tapioca
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Pie Dough

• Make pie dough according to instructions. You won't use all of it. Use remaining for hand pies or to make two pies or instead of making crumb, use to top pies.

Crumb Topping

• Mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt together. Mix with butter.

Blueberry Filling

• Wash blueberries. Drain. Mix gently with lemon, zest, sugar, tapioca.

Assembly

• Roll out pie dough in circle. Put in pie pan. Fork holes in bottom. Pour in blueberries. Top with crumb topping.
• Bake for 40 -50 minutes at 400 degrees.

The post World’s Best Blueberry Crumb Pie Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you’re like me, you’re still thinking about what to serve on Christmas and you’re in need of stocking gifts.

I love the looks (and taste) of this Christmas Apple Pie. I’ve taken my original recipe and spiced it up a bit with a berry jelly, and a few Christmas cookie cutters.

But, first I want to show you this knife sharpener, which will fit perfectly in a stocking for your favorite cook.

How to Make a Beautiful Christmas Apple Pie

When I make an apple pie, I really like to play around with the dough and make the dessert look really special. All you need for this is Christmas Tree cookie cutters, and a bit of bright red jam or jelly. You could even sprinkle colored sugar on the top.

You may also like these apple pies.

Caramelized Apple Tart

Autumn Apple Pie

Apple Grape Tart

More Pie from Spinach Tiger

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Christmas Apple Pie

Festive take on apple pie, adding berry jelly and decorative pie crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• !Pie Dough
• 8 cups sliced granny smith apples
• 1/2 cup sugar
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons instant tapioca
• 1/2 cup berry jelly or 1/2 cup homemade cranberry sauce
• 1 tablespoon milk
• raw sugar or colored sugar for garnish

Instructions

• Prepare pie crust, wrap in plastic, refrigerate for one hour.
• Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves together.
• Peel, slice apples.
• Toss apples in lemon juice.
• Sprinkle with the flavored sugar. Toss and mix well. Allow to sit out for 30 minutes.
• Toss with jelly.If you have time, refrigerate overnight.
• Roll out pie dough and put bottom in pie pan. Use a fork to pierce bottom in several places.
• Put in freezer while making the decorative cut outs.
• Roll remaining pie dough. Cut out Christmas tree shapes.
• Freeze for ten minutes. This is not necessary, but makes placement easier.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Assemble:
• Put apples into pie pan. Cover with Christmas trees.
• Brush with milk,
• Sprinkle raw sugar or colored sugar.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes at 400 degrees F.

The post Christmas Apple Pie appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I made pumpkin pop tarts today, which are really pumpkin hand pies.

I expected a baking failure. I thought it would be something that sounded fun in theory, but not really be good in execution.

I was wrong.

Pumpkin pop tarts may be better than pumpkin pie, if you love pastry dough.

It’s not the same as pumpkin pie; it’s more like a pastry.

I was afraid the pumpkin would get dry and it would be off balance, but it was just right.

The secret to this pie dough is that I left it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic for three days. I got busy and just couldn’t get to it, but I think it made it even better than usual.

I referred back to this pumpkin cream cheese tart that didn’t use eggs and I left out the evaporated milk because that would have been too liquidy. The cream cheese was just

You can make these into these pumpkin pie hand pies. Go here to see the gluten free version.

The filling only has four ingredients. Pumpkin, cream cheese, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. There is no evaporated milk and no eggs.

This might be my last pumpkin recipe this season. So far this month, I’ve given you homemade pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin spiced latte, pumpkin brownies, and now pumpkin pie pop tarts. I think I may head to more savory pumpkin dishes for November.

I’m hoping to bring lots of good recipes to you over the next few weeks as we gear up for the Holidays. Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook as I bring back some old favorites.

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Pumpkin Pop Tarts

Pumpkin pop tarts or pumpkin hand pies, a surprisingly good pumpkin pastry.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 recipe for pie dough

Pumpkin Pop Tarts Filling

• 28 ounces pumpkin puree
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cups white sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice more if you want
• milk to brush on pop tarts
• raw sugar for garnish

Instructions

• Make pie dough for a two-crust pie. See Notes
• Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using, preferably longer.
• Mix cream cheese in food processor until very smooth. Add in pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice. Adjust sugar and spice to your own liking.
• Roll out pie dough into a long rectangle and cut out desired shapes of pop tarts. The idea size is about 2 x 4 inches, but you can make them the size you prefer. I actually varied my sizes.
• Cut out each rectangle. Put just enough pumpkin filling, (about a tablespoon) in middle. Brush milk on inside edges and press together.
• Brush milk on top. Cut a few slits on top.
• Sprinkle with raw sugar.
• Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

Make Pie Dough using this recipe.

Note: You may have pumpkin puree left over.

The post Pumpkin Pop Tarts, Way Better than Pumpkin PIe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I had a dream of having carrara marble counter tops long before they became trendy, long  before anyone cared about carrara marble.  I was offered an opportunity to work with PAM Cooking Spray right as the counter tops were installed. I knew immediately that I was going to have make pie dough on the marble, and I wanted to make a dessert that was easy and fabulous enough for you to serve at your holiday dinner.

The marble slabs we chose were so unique that even the expert from the marble company isn’t quite sure they are carrara marble and he’s been to the carrara quary in Italy. We feel blessed to have found those.

I said carrara marble was trendy, but in truth it’s timeless and classic, just like apple pie is to us Americans, and it’s fitting that the first thing I made was this Caramelized Apple Tart.

This is no ordinary apple pie. The apples are cooked halfway on top of the stove in a caramelizing brown sugar and butter mixture. The aroma of that (with a little added cinnamon) will get everyone in the house to run into the kitchen with their tongues hanging open. You will have some extra sauce, which you save, heat up and pour over vanilla ice cream.

The only issue you could have with caramelizing apples and baking them on pie dough is that the pie dough could stick to the pan. The caramel sauce will run over and down the pan, causing the tart crust to stick to the pan. PAM Cooking Spray will solve that problem.

Although I used tart pans with removable bottoms, the issue is the sides. Just spray with PAM and you will be able to easily lift the tart or tarts out of the pans for your beautiful presentation. Most bakers only use cooking or baking sprays for cakes, but when you have sticky fillings, like this apple tart or sticky almond tart,  you want to be assured that you can remove the tart and present your dessert on serving dish the way it deserves to without falling apart or breaking off.

This recipe made one large tart and four small tarts. I always make enough for a tester tart, but to my joy, this recipe will give you four tarts and you’ll be extra happy.

If you decide to make only small tarts, they freeze well and they could be the best little breakfast that your guests ever had.

I used the Original PAM Cooking Spray, because it’s so versatile, but I am especially happy with how it aids me when baking.

“PAM Cooking Spray leaves *99% less residue than margarine or bargain-brand cooking sprays too. (* vs. leading cooking sprays (except olive oil), after spraying on glass bakeware, baking at 400°F for 30 min, cooling, and then washing in standard home dishwasher with detergent and repeating 4 times).

You can find more ways to cook with PAM Cooking Spray at their Pinterest Page and Facebook Page. You can also visit PAM Cooking Spray’s website.

This is a sponsored post in partnership with TapInfluence and PAM Cooking and it’s my hope to share my personal baking tip with you to make your upcoming holidays as easy and joyful as possible.

You can find more Spinach Tiger Holiday ideas by following my Pinterest Boards. 

You might be interested in the pies and cakes I make every holiday.

Pumpkin Cream Tart

Autumn Apple Pie

Maple Cake

Almond Tart

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

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Caramelized Apple Tart Made Easy with Pam Cooking Spray

Apple Tart made with caramelizing apples on the stove first.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Pie Dough recipe here.
• Pam Cooking Spray
• 8 cups sliced Granny Smith apples
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant tapioca
• 2 tablespoon milk or cream for brushing over pie before baking
• raw sugar for dusting top of pie

Instructions

• Prepare pie dough. Refrigerate.
• Peel and slice apples. Use at least 80% granny smith apples, as you need the tartness to balance the sweetness.
• Toss apples with lemon juice and cinnamon. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a pan large enough to hold the apples.
• Once the butter is bubbling, add the brown sugar, stir into a sauce, and add apples Cook apples until softened, about five minutes.
• Cool down the apple mixture before baking.
• Take dough out of the refrigerator and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
• Roll out half of the dough in rounds to fit your tart pans.
• Before you put the pie dough on the pans, spray with Pam cooking spray, making sure to spray the sides of the pan.
• Using a fork, puncture the bottom. Refrigerate the tart pans until ready for baking, at least 20 minutes.
• Refrigerate any remaining dough.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Once the apples are cool, use a slotted spoon to put the apples into tart pans. You will have some remaining sauce left over, which you can use to top the tart or top ice cream. Use the remaining dough to top the tarts. Cut out shapes or use a cookie or biscuit cutter.
• Brush milk over the tops and sprinkle with raw sugar.
• Line a baking sheet with foil. Place tart pans on baking sheets.
• Large tarts will bake from 40-50 minutes. Check at 35 minutes.
• Small tarts will bake from 25-30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes.
• Once the apples are cool,

PAM Cooking Spray sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Caramelized Apple Tart with Stove Top Apple Filling appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The hit Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, just presented its third season. It’s as addictive as a bag of chips and hot sauce. Binge watching at its best, once you start, you can’t stop. (Spoiler Alert: There are some details from Season Three).

Each season, I have a favorite character and this season, it’s Red, brilliantly played by Kate Mulgrew, and recognized as the leader of the white girls, and not someone you insult, made very clear in Season One.

One of my most favorite moments of Season Three was watching Red cook a special dinner for hand selected inmates. When the grateful ladies of Litchfield prison sat down to eat, she comforted them, loved them, soothed them with a special treat of corn and leek quiche with a crispy sage leaf as a gourmet bonus. I nearly wept, thinking about how special that bite of quiche was because this season the prison food took a real dive.

Galina “Red” Reznikov, a middle aged Russian woman, who got herself a long prison sentence for some kind of Russian mob activity,  was master chef  in season 1, running her kitchen with an iron fist, yet soft enough that she attracted a few very loyal daughter figures. Unlike some prison leaders, she is anti-drug, and you root for her and feel sad when she loses her kitchen for all of Season Two. (I hated that).

Red has clout, and knows how to maneuver things enough to get herself back in the kitchen this season, only to heartbreakingly come under new bureaucratic regime and all the food is delivered in big plastic bags, in heat, serve and barf style.

Red is devastated because this hits her inner pride, and she repeatedly tells the inmates she didn’t cook the food.

No to be defeated, she decides to hold special vegetable dinners (from the garden she planted in Season Two) in part to restore her own sense of identity.

One of the dinners surrounds the most precious of jewels, real corn on the cob, but things take a dicey turn, when the corn is eaten by another gang of women. Then something wonderful happens.

Red discovers a new batch of delivered corn, and you’d think she’d just gotten her release papers. She hugs that corn as if it were gold. There is nothing like real food, when one has been deprived of this most basic right.

The ladies show up for their very coveted invitation,  and she serves them corn and leek quiche. Then she shows them she has added a crispy sage leaf, a moment that showed me how we on the outside can take all our food blessings for granted.

That little crispy sage leaf  on top of the corn and leek quiche stole my heart. Sage is one of my favorite herbs and I grow it all year, yet it had never had the supporting role that Red gave it.

Sometimes a bite of food is powerful and full of pizazz like a marching band. Other times, it’s quiet, like a violin solo, more romantic than adrenalin flowing, sublet and comforting. That is how I see a corn and leek quiche. It’s a quiet comfort food with a little surprise of flavor added by the leeks and sweetness from the corn. The buttery pie crust holds it all together and the crispy sage leaf assures that this cook doesn’t fool around.

There are two ways you can go. You can make a traditional quiche with pastry crust, my favorite if I have the time. Or you can make a quiche with a tortilla. It’s quick, easy and surprisingly works. You can make small 4 inch quiches, or one big quiche. (see notes on that).

So tell me, do you watch Orange is the New Black? Who is your favorite character?

More Quiche from Spinach Tiger

Print

Corn and Leek Quiche

Corn and Leek Quiche inspired from Orange is the New Black TV Show

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 18 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

1/2 recipe Pie Crust

Quiche Filling

• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1-2 ounces grated medium cheddar cheese
• 1 large ear of corns
• 2 leeks
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Prepare Pie Crust (1/2 of recipe)
• Butter each quiche pan.
• Put pie crust in each individual pan. You can use one large pan to make one quiche instead of individual. In that case, double your filling ingredients.
• Clean leeks. Cut off stem, slice thinly.
• Saute leeks in butter just until softened, not browned.
• Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
• Wrap the corn in wet paper towel. Microwave for two minutes. Cool. Cut corn off cob.
• Beat eggs with cream, salt, pepper. Add in cheese.
• Pour eggs into each pie shell. Add corn and leeks evenly.
• Bake for 15-20 mins until light golden brown.

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