As promised..Apple Pie "Cupcakes" and another sweet surprise

As most people probably already know, I like to cook, but I absolutely LOVE baking!   I love trying new recipes as well as some old favorites.  This week, I did one of each!  Apple Pie "Cupcakes" and one of my old favorites, Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Caramel Cookie Bars!  If anyone is a fan of Sandra Lee from the Food Network (I LOVE her!) then you will want to know both of these recipes definitely qualify as "semi-homemade."


When we first moved to LA, I started my cake decorating class.  For the first several weeks, we had to bake a cake, or cupcakes, to practice our decorating on.  Well, instead of letting the cupcakes go to waste, or even worse having them sit here for E and I to eat them, I would just send them to work with E on Fridays.  Well, one week we didn't need a baked good for class, and therefore I sent NOTHING on Friday to work...and boy did I hear about that!!  A lot of E's friends were pretty disappointed to not have a sweet treat on Friday ;o) Luckily for them, baking makes me happy!  So I have made it a routine to try to send something for them every week; they are like my guinea pigs to test out a new recipe!  And thats where these Apple Pie "Cupcakes" came in.  Everyone said they were delicious!  Without anymore delay, here is the much anticipated recipe

Apple Pie "Cupcakes"

**This recipe will only make 8 cupcakes. 
Apple Pie Filling
2 Tbsp butter
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
4 tsp lemon juice

Topping
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts

Base
1 can refrigerated cinnamon rolls

Instructions
Heat oven to 400.
Spray 8 cupcake cups with cooking spray

In a skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat.  Cook apples in butter for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with 2 tbsp brown sugar, the cinnamon and the salt.  Continue to cook about another 5 minutes, until the apples are tender.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

In a small bowl mix all the topping ingredients until crumbly. 

Separate the cinnamon roll dough into 8 rolls.  Flatten each roll, and place in the cupcake pan as your "crust" for your apple pies. Put some of the apple pie filling into each roll, and sprinkle with the topping.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until bubbly. Cool completely and garnish with whipped cream and caramel syrup. (In this case, I used store bought whipped frosting) 

I think these would be best served warm out of the oven, but a lot of the guys ate them without warming them up and still loved them.  They are A LOT messier than a cupcake, so they used plates and forks with these babies!

Today we are heading to Baton Rouge to have dinner with some friends.  I decided to bring a dessert (go figure!)  and pulled out one of my old favorite recipes.  These are super yummy and SO easy.

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Caramel Cookie Bars

Ingredients
1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 cup oats
2/3 cup caramel syrup
5 Tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350
Set aside 1/2 cup of the cookie dough
In a small bowl, mix the caramel, flour and vanilla. Set aside

Knead the oats into the remaining cookie dough, and press into a 9 in sq pan.

Bake 10-12 minutes until the dough starts to puff.

Sprinkle the walnuts and chocolate chips over the crust.  Top with the caramel mixture.  Crumble the reserved cookie dough on top. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely and cut into square cookie bars.

As Sandra would say... "Keep it simple, keep it smart, and always keep it semi-homemade."