Mini Apple Pie Tarts

Melissa Ranglack in Accounting....here you go!*

I made this on a whim. I have quarts and quarts of apple pie preserves and I need to use them up before fall! (Well I don't have to use them up...but it's a little ridiculous how much my mom and I canned this fall...and I need the cabinet space!)

makes 12 apple pie tarts

Crust (slightly adapted from Martha Stewart):
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick cold butter, cut in cubes
1 1/2 T ice water
1 1/2 T vodka (if you're not keen on using vodka, just sub ice water, but it really ups the flaky factor and the alcohol cooks out!)

Filling:
Use your favorite. I used apple pie preserves, but this one from the NY Times looks great, too. Or this appleberry pie...

Topping: 
1/2 c four
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c oats
pinch salt
1/2 stick cold butter

Crust:
In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, butter and combine well. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, add ice water and vodka, pulse just until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. Do not overmix. If the dough isn't holding together well when squeezed, add a splash more water or vodka. Don't wash the food processor...you still need to make the topping. 

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, roll dough out, using knife or dough scraper cut 5x5 inch squares and press into muffin tin. The edges will look rough - but that is just fine. Re-roll the scraps and repeat. The number of tart shells you get depends entirely on how thick you roll the dough - I aimed for 1/4 inch (I made this recipe 2x and got 12 tarts the first time and 11 the second time). Freeze tart shells for at least 1 hour before filling and baking. 

Topping:
Combine all ingredients in food processor, pulse until thoroughly mixed. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove tart shells from freezer, spoon in filling, top with desired amount of crumble topping. Place in oven, lower temp to 375 and bake for 20-30 min. Keep an eye on the topping, if it is browning too quickly, tent with foil for remaining time. enjoy! (I've had one for breakfast the last 3 days...these do a body good!)

*you can make these into 'hand pies' if you wish, however you won't get 12, probably more like 6 large hand pies. Just roll out the dough, cut into a 6x6 square or use a large round cookie cutter, fill with filling, fold over, seal and crimp with fork, cut a slit in the top, freeze for 1 hour or so, brush with egg wash and bake as directed above. 

My Healthy Mac n' Cheese

The great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the cheese sauce to suite your taste. I prefer a moderately cheesy mac n' cheese, but feel free to double or even triple the cheese sauce if you like yours very cheesy. 

Filling:
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c diced onion
1 tsp salt
3 c diced cabbage
1 c diced carrot
2 c diced broccoli
2 c diced, packed kale
4-6 cloves minced garlic (depending on your taste)
3/4 lb rotini pasta

Cheese sauce: (if you like a very cheesy mac n' cheese, double or even triple it!)
1 1/2 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 T half n' half or heavy cream or whole milk
1 c milk
1 c cottage cheese (I used 2%)
2 c cheese (I used a mixture of extra sharp cheddar and mozzerella)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper

Topping:
1 c bread crumbs, seasoned or unseasoned, either one works

Do things in the following order and you'll have dinner ready in under 40 min:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Put pasta water on to boil, add 1 T salt
2. Pour oil in to pan (med heat) for sauteing veggies; dice onion and cabbage, when oil is hot add to pan along with salt
3. Continue to dice carrot, broccoli, kale and garlic
4. When onion and cabbage are lightly brown and wilted, add broccoli and carrot. Stir well, if mixture begins to brown too quickly or sticks to pan, add a couple tablespoons of water, when broccoli/carrot are lightly browned, add kale and garlic, cook for 2 min., stir well and remove from heat. The residual heat from the pan will lightly cook them. 
5. When pasta water boils, add pasta, stir, set timer - rotini usually takes about 11 min. Cook and drain, set aside. Noodles should be al dente
6. For cheese sauce, place butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet over med/low heat. When butter has melted, add flour and salt and whisk well (see pic). You are making a roux, so cooking the flour for a couple minutes is essential
7. Add milk and half n' half to flour mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisk well ensuring there are no lumps. Whisk in cottage cheese
8. When mixture begins to thicken a bit, add cheese and spices. The cheese sauce is done when it thickens and thoroughly coats the back of a spoon.  You want it to be thick enough that it will adhere to the noodles
9. Combine cheese sauce, noodles and veggies in a large bowl, stir to incorporate and place in an oiled 9 x 13 pan, or 14 inch cast iron skillet.
10. Top with bread crumbs (I put a large slice of bread in the blender and chopped it up like that, but if you have seasoned bread crumbs, they would be delicious)
11. Bake approx. 15-20 min until top is nicely browned. enjoy!

Roux example (step 6 above)

Step 9 above

(I topped mine with a fried egg and ate it for breakfast.....yum)

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie EVER

Perhaps you've already heard about the best kept secret (make the dough today, and bake it 3-5 days later!) for creating the perfect chocolate chip cookie. If so, then please excuse my late entry to the game. I usually only post recipes that I've created or re-created, but I didn't mess with this one. So here it is.

This is by far, the most delicious chocolate chip cookie that I've ever had. 

Hands

down.

Now what are you waiting for? 

Get baking...