Apple and Date Turnover

I want you to come to my kitchen just so I may serve you a steaming hot cuppa and a generous slice of this simply outstanding apple and date turnover. Our mouths will be so full with the sweet, cinnamon-y, apple-y, hint of date flavors that there will not be room for words nor will we want anyone to break into our reverie as we enjoy and savor. 

Apple and Date Turnover

(BBCGoodFood.Com)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour,  plus extra for dusting

375 gram package all-butter puff pastry **
½ tsp cinnamon
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 pitted dates, finely chopped
25 gram (6 1/2 teaspoons) sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten, for brushing
 
If you are using frozen puff pastry, allow time for thawing before proceeding and follow the directions on the back of the box for rolling it out. 
 
Preheat oven to 400*Fahrenheit.  Place a baking sheet in the oven.
 
Lightly flour a work surface and roll the puff pastry into an 8" x 12" rectangle. 
 
In a medium sized bowl, mix the apples and dates, 1 tablespoon flour, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  Spoon over one half of the pastry, leaving a border around the edge.
 
Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the egg.  Fold the other half of the pastry over the filling, pressing the edges of the pastry together, sealing well.  Slash the top with a knife and brush with the remaining egg.
 
Place the turnover in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up the pastry and then carefully lift and place onto the hot baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Drizzle with icing if you wish.
 
**My Notes
Because the puff pastry has to go into the freezer before baking, I used a sheet of parchment paper, floured, as my work surface. By doing so, I was able to move it from the counter, to freezer, to baking sheet.
 
This recipe is pretty forgiving.  The puff pastry I used came in a 495 gram box (so my rolled out pastry was larger than 8 x 12; I didn't measure it, but the length equaled the length of my cookie sheet) so I increased the filling amounts.  I used 5 apples (using a mixture of 3 Granny Smith and 2 MacIntosh; my apples were smallish), and increased the number of dates to 8.  I also increased the flour to 2 tablespoons, and the cinnamon to 1 rounded teaspoon.  After sealing the edges, I trimmed them with a knife to neaten it up. 
 
I used a simple confectionery sugar glaze:
Mix together:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
 
Gradually add
1 tablespoon milk, a teaspoon at a time
Continually stirring until desired consistency is achieved.

 
 

Parsnip, Apple and Thyme Soup

 

When I was youngster, creamed corn was about the only vegetable I'd ever eat.  I never grew tired of it  and when entreated to try something new, I would practically convulse at the thought. And heaven knows I'd never eat parsnips or even try them. Never. Parsnips were something that my grandmother ate (she also ate tripe and pickled pig's feet, so, in my mind, she was not exactly a reliable taste tester).

Time passed, I've made a conscious effort to "grow up" my taste buds and  I have learned to appreciate the cruciferous vegetables, greens, gourds, root vegetables, but parsnips escaped me until much later.  And now?  Well, I've acquired a taste for them, and quite frankly they'll never be a favorite, but they are so good for you that I keep trying them.  If you've never tried them, they look a lot like carrots in shape, though they're creamy white.  To me they taste somewhere between a carrot and a turnip--they have a natural sweetness like a carrot but have a more assertive flavor akin to a turnip.  

One of my favorite blogs is The English Kitchen.  Marie is a transplanted Canadian now residing in England, and she is discovering English cooking and sharing her delicious results and discoveries.  Her blog is beautifully photographed and written; everything she prepares looks delicious.  And it was there that I found this recipe for parsnip, apple and thyme soup.  I hope you take some time to peruse her blog and maybe even try this soup. It reminds me of the soups I've tried from Campbell's Select soups.

Parsnip, Apple and Thyme Soup

(from The English Kitchen)

1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon medium curry powder
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
3 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 large cooking apple, peeled and chopped (I used 3 small Granny Smiths)
5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
extra virgin olive, croutons and some fresh thyme leaves as garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and curry powder. Cook and stir over medium low heat until the onion softens.

Stir in the parsnips, apple and thyme sprig. Cook and stir to coat in the oil and spice. (You may need to add a bit more oil). Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the apple and parsnip is quite soft.

Puree until smooth with a stick blender or in a blender in small batches, taking care to cover the blender so you don't get burned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to the pot and stir in the cream and heat through.

Serve hot, ladled into heated bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil, some croutons and some thyme leaves.

Apple Turnovers

Ever have a fear that was seemingly so overwhelming that you thought you'd never be able to face it down and when you finally do, you have to wonder what all the confounded flap was about?  That was me and frozen puff pastry.  For years I was afraid of trying it. They said that puff pastry was difficult to work with.  Now, I don't recall exactly who they are but they are grossly overstating puff pastry finickiness.  This was no more difficult than working with frozen pie crust.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  I'm going to go out and buy a carton of this stuff. 

Vrinda, my friend on Sankeerthanam, made these the other day and after seeing how golden and flaky they were, I could not resist.  I love turnovers and up until now have only made them at home using pie crust.  After this, it's puff pastry every time!

This is an Ina Garten recipe, and is very very good.  Personally, the next time I make these I'm going to omit the dried cherries (although they do add a nice burst of flavor and color; it's just I'm more of a purist) and add a nice drizzle of glaze.

These work up quickly, if you remember to take the puff pastry out to defrost ~ memo to self ~ before you need it.

Apple Turnovers

(Ina Garten of the Food Network)

1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted.  Preheat oven to 400*F. 

1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith ( about 3 smallish apples)
3 tablespoons dried cherries
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour **
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon **
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg **
Pinch kosher salt


1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Follow the directions on the back of the box to defrost the puff pastry, planning on a good 40 to 60 minutes for the pastry to defrost.

Wash and dry the outside of the orange and then zest the orange part of the peel into a medium bowl.  Add the orange juice and then add the dried cherries to rehydrate them.

Peel and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square.

Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture  to make a tricorner and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Trim any uneven edges with a sharp knife. 

Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

**My apples looked a little juicy and upped the flour to 2 tablespoons.  Worked perfectly.
**C'mon 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon?  I added 1/2 teaspoon!
**I use freshly grated nutmeg, which tends to be stronger and more vibrant in flavor than the the pre-grated spice, but even eyeballing it, I probably had a good 1/4 teaspoon.  Go easy on this one though this is a spice that can easily become overpowering. 

Now to make puff pastry from scratch.  Someday....right now that's a bugaboo...

Easy Baked Stuffed Pork Chops and Carmelized Apples

Now this is a recipe I made way back when, maybe 30 years ago or so. It used to be on the back of the Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing bag, has since been removed, but I still make this from time to time, and it's still a favorite. It makes a nice presentation and one that I prepare when I was something just a little extra special for the family.

I've pretty much used the stuffing recipe that's on the Pepperidge Farm website with a couple of changes indicated in parenthesis.

Easy Baked Stuffed Pork Chops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 inch x 5 inch loaf pan, set aside.

Lightly brown 6 pork chops (bone in, boneless, loin, center cut, your choice), in butter or oil, not cooking all the way through. You're looking just to give it some color. Place chops in prepared loaf pan, standing the pork chops in a rows down the length of the loaf pan.

Prepare stuffing mix.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) chicken broth (you may not need the entire amount)
4 cups herb seasoned stuffing
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
A good pinch of Bell's Seasoning (optional)

Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet or a deep sauce pan over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the broth and heat to a boil. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the stuffing mix and apples, stirring until well combined. Taste for seasoning. I like to add a little extra Bell's Seasoning because I like the flavor of sage, and I think the pork chops can use the little added flavor. The other note I'd like to make here is that you may not not need all that broth. The last time I did this, the stuffing was way too wet; I would go with half the amount, but that's personal preference.



Now, with a spoon (and probably your hands), lightly pack the stuffing in between the rows of pork chops, so that you'll have stuffing, pork chop, stuffing, pork chop, stuffing, etc. The stuffing will expand so don't pack it in too firmly.

Bake at 350F for one hour or until done, depending on how thick your chops are. When ready to serve, scoop out a pork chop with the stuffing.

I often serve pork with apples; the two flavors just seem to go together so well. This time I made a simple caramelized apple.

Caramelized Apple

Really, this is just too easy, not a recipe per se, but a method. A friend of mine from Kentucky shared her family's recipe with me.

Four apples, peeled, cored, and sliced as if for a pie. (Granny Smiths are good for this as they stand up to cooking.) Add a quarter cup of brown sugar, two tablespoons of butter. Put all into a frying pan and heat through over medium heat. The butter and the brown sugar will melt, making a wonderful caramel coating for the apples. Cook, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon if you want. It's really that simple. This makes a nice change from applesauce and a delicious way to use up apples.

Apple Pie

I think anyone who loves apple pie probably has a favorite, and really, is there any such thing as a bad apple pie? There are some that are better than others, without question, but even apple pies made by novices have a certain appeal (one that comes to mind must have had a quarter cup of cinnamon in it. I ate it, enjoyed it, told the cook how wonderful it was.). And then there's Mom's apple pie. I have seen far-away looks of people who fondly recall their Mom's apple pie, and none will ever be as good as the ones in their memory.

I have a couple of cookbooks that I love so much that I own duplicates of them, with the second copy being stored away for safe keeping if the first one should ever wear out and become unusable. Jim Fobel's Old Fashioned Baking Book is one example. One of my two favorite apple pie recipes and my favorite cheesecake recipe are between those hallowed covers. This cookbook has been so well loved that it's even been brought back from being out of print and reprinted. I've made this recipe countless times, have served it to a number of friends and family who have declared this to be "the best." In all humility, I don't know if this can be crowed "the best" but I do know it's mighty, mighty fine.

I had to take these photos under fluorescent lighting as we've had a steady rain and no natural light to speak of. The red coloring is a bit too saturated (to compensate for the green of the fluorescent, I think). Also I do not know how to make a beautiful pie crust edge. Oh, well, what lies between the pastry is beautiful!

Apple Pie
(Jim Fobel's Old Fashioned Baking Book)

2 1/2 pounds (5-7) tart green cooking apples **
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Water or apple cider (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

Pastry for a double crust pie (your own, or store bought)

Glaze (optional, but very nice to give a finished look to the crust)
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Have your rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Have one half of your pastry dough rolled out into a 12-inch circle and ready to be transferred to the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. You can lightly roll it in half onto and over your roller, fold in half, or fold in quarters to transfer. Gently unfold and ease it into the plate, taking care not to tear or stretch the dough, but if you do, just moisten a finger and patch it (no one's going to see the bottom crust anyway). There should be a generous overhang of pastry. Refrigerate the dough until you need it.

Peel the apples and quarter them lengthwise. Core the apples and cut the quarters into wedges about 1/2 inch thick. You should have about seven cups of apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice to retard browning of your freshly cut apples.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the apples and toss well. If your apples seem particularly dry add the tablespoon of water or apple cider. Remove the prepared pastry dough from the fridge, and turn the apple filling into the pan. Mound the apples in the pan, patting them firmly. Dot with butter.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining pastry to a 12-inch circle. Moisten the edge of the crust that's in the pie plate. Lay the newly rolled pastry over the apples and press the two crusts together, all around. Tightly roll the overhanging pastry under all around to make a raised edge. Then using your fingertips or a fork make a decorate edge. Cut three or four vents in the center of your pie to allow steam to escape.

For the glaze, stir together the egg yolk and water. Brush the top crust (but not the fluted edge), twice. Sprinkle with sugar.

Place pie on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes longer or until the pie is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife through a steam vent. Cool on a rack before serving.

Very good with ice cream, but here in New England, it's also served with a wedge of nice cheddar cheese.

**Let me share a secret with you about making some of the best apple pie ever. Most recipes just say 5-7 cooking apples and may make a suggestion of Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Pippin, Braeburn, etc. Let me say that they are half right. To have the absolute best apple pie, you have to mix the apple varieties, at least two different kinds. Personally, I use Granny Smith and McIntosh. Granny Smith holds their shape while baking, but the McIntosh tends to cook down, filling in any gaps that might be caused by an uneven layering of the Granny Smiths. I probably use 5 Granny Smiths and 3 McIntosh apples, see how it looks in the pie plate and add or subtract apples depending on whim, fancy, size of the apple, and ability to resist snacking on sugar-cinnamon coated apple wedges, grins.

German Apple Cake

One of my pleasures of fall is abundance of fresh apples. This crunchy, juicy, sweet-tart relative of the rose, is available year 'round, but to me there's just nothing like an apple plucked fresh from branches, bowing heavily, with this wonderful, versatile fruit. Apple pies and cakes, apple butter, cider, jams, apple sauce, apple chutney, tarts, dumplings (and even as an ingredient in my turkey stuffing) ...oh, I love them all!! And yes, in my younger days, I was even seen sipping Boone's Farm apple wine.

To start my apple celebration, I wanted to make you this German Apple Cake. It's one of my beloved recipes from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. Be prepared to dirty up several bowls as ingredients are mixed separately from others and then added, but to me the kitchen clean up is worth the effort. Apple-y, cinnamon-y goodness in a moist cake makes it all worthwhile. So perfect for a weekend breakfast sweet. Stays fresh for a couple of days when it's well covered.

German Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease and flour a tube pan or bundt pan (could even use a spring form pan if you wished) and set aside.

Apple Filling

3 large apples, peeled and sliced as if for a pie
lemon juice (optional, but nice to aid in prohibiting sliced apples from browning)
5 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Batter

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup apple juice (milk can be substituted, but use the apple juice if you have it)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Prepare the apple filling first: Pare and thinly slice the apples (as for an apple pie). Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon but do not add to the apples. Set aside.

Make the batter: Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add the sugar and oil and beat for 2 or 3 minutes, until creamy in appearance.

In another, small bowl, beat the eggs until light. Add the juice (or milk) and the vanilla, mixing well. Add to the sugar and oil and beat thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (but not the apples) and gently fold together.

Putting it all together: Pour one third of the batter into your pan. Add a thick layer of apples and generously sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples. Repeat layers again, ending with a layer of batter. If you really like cinnamon, lightly sprinkle the top with a little more cinnamon.

For a bundt pan or a tube pan, bake for 50-60 minutes.

For the springform pan, bake for 60-70 minutes.

I use a tube pan that has a dark coating, and sometimes my baked goods cook will cook too fast on the outside and the center hasn't had time to catch up. (Dark bakeware can cause heat to absorb too fast on the outside, leaving cakes with an unsightly hump in the middle, which is why I tossed out my dark cake tins and purchased the lighter aluminum alloy. No more humps! However, I haven't made the switch yet on all my baking pans.) I covered with a piece of tinfoil to continue baking without further browning.

Favorite Apple Crisp

I have to laugh at myself. With all the fresh, sweet, luscious berries now available, what do I want? Apple crisp. Apple season is still months away and the apples I purchased were rather sad, but that didn't stop me from wanting to make one of my all time favorite desserts. Gosh, I love apple crisp. I have an unreasonable addiction to this brown sugar, oatmeal, and apple concoction.

The first time I had this, I was in elementary school; the lunch ladies served (what I felt were) stingy portions in little beige-speckled melamine bowls. I would trade my 35-cent hot lunch for someone else's apple crisp. My love affair with this sweet dessert has not waned.

I still don't make apple crisp as good as the school lunch ladies, but so far this is my favorite recipe. Maybe I need to wear a hair net.


Apple Crisp

3/4 cup quick oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (or margarine), plus a little additional for greasing the baking dish
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4-6 apples (Macintosh are terrific if you have them)

Butter an 8 x 8 inch (or 9 x 9 inch) baking dish.

Peel and slice apples as you would for an apple pie.

Combine the other ingredients, but leave the mixture crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples.

Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the cooked apple. Can be served hot with ice cream. Equally delicious cold.

I was talking with a friend of mine about the school cafeteria apple crisp and she gave me a great tip. She said she used to be a lunch lady, and at the school where she worked, they used canned apple pie filling (received from government surplus and provided to schools in support of the hot lunch program). And all this time I thought the lunch ladies were out back peeling all those apples!

Apple Raisin Twist

I have been inspired by the wonderful breads I've seen on other blogs.
And every time I see such splendid pictures and recipes, I immediately begin coveting my neighbor's bread. But coveting is an empty pursuit. So, when I awoke at 5 a.m. this morning, I knew what I must do.

I have been eyeing a recipe in a little cookbook by Marilyn Barbe entitled Great Bread Everytime. SweetiPi bought this book on Ebay for me a year or so ago, and I've read it many times, but I have this ridiculous fear of trying anything that looks too fancy. I read and reread the directions a dozen times, and with trepidation, brought out my mixing bowl and my ingredients.

All I can say now, is Silly Me. As with all yeast breads, this takes time and some additional prep work because of the filling, but it's very doable. This bread is almost fluffy in texture (because of the eggs, I presume) and not too sweet. The best part is that the twist makes an eye-opening presentation!

Apple Raisin Twist

In a one cup measuring cup, heat 1/2 cup of warm water (110-115 F). Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, but do not stir. Slowly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of yeast into the water, making sure that each particle gets wet, but do not stir. (I just dipped my knife in and out of the water several times.) Wait 10 minutes until the yeast is thick and foamy.

While you are waiting, in a separate, large bowl add 1/2 cup warm milk (previously scalded and then cooled), 4 eggs, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, the yeast, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter. Stir well.

Add an additional 3 1/2 cups flour, one cup at a time to make a soft, but not sticky dough. (You make need more or less flour depending on humidity or moisture in the flour.) Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the dough into a grassed bowl, turn to grease the top, and set the bowl in a warm, draft-free area until double in size, about 90 minutes. (You can speed rising time by putting over a pan of warm water and covering the top with plastic wrap.)

After the dough has risen, punch it down and turn out again onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.

Now here you're going to have to make a decision. You can make one or two loaves (I made two.) If you want to make two, divide the dough equally in half, and one at a time, roll into an 8" x 12" rectangle. For one loaf, roll the dough in a 12" x 20" rectangle.

Generously brush the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with filling comprised of 1/2 cup peeled, finely diced apple; 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1 cup of raisins, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. (If making two loaves, divide the filling.)

Roll the dough up jelly roll style, tucking in the ends, and pinching the seam together. Place on a greased baking sheet, (I use parchment paper) seam side down. For two loaves, use two pans.

Cut the roll in half, lengthwise. Slightly twist the halves so the filling is facing you, and twist the two halves together, alternating one side over the other, ensuring sure that the filling is always face up. Let rise until double, about 30 minutes.

Pinch bottom ends together. Bake at 350F. For one loaf, bake 40-45 minutes. For two loaves, bake for 30 minutes.

After the first twenty minutes of baking, remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil to prevent the raisins from burning. When baked, remove immediately to a wire rack to cool. Glaze with icing while twists are still hot.

For a simple glaze, combine 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir until well combined and drizzle using a fork or whisk to get the nice thin ribbons of glaze.

Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole

Certain vegetable dishes make their way to my table regardless of the season or the holiday. I'd like to think it's because I'm a bit of a rebel, but I think it's mostly because I'm not very creative when it comes to serving vegetables in an interesting way. When I find one I like I tend to prepare it for every conceivable occasion. This yam and apple casserole is one of my favorites.

I bought a cute little cookbook at a discount store some years back entitled Autumn at the Farmers Market by Gail Greco. Apparently it's part of a Bed & Breakfast Cookbook Series. Virtually every recipe is one that I want to try.

While I think of sweet potatoes and yams as an autumn vegetable, I love the bright orange color which reminds me of spring. The apple adds a sweet flavor and another texture, and the sherry! Oh, the sherry! You have to try it to see what a difference it makes in the flavor. I cannot think of a more delicious way to prepare and present sweet potatoes.


Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole
2 pounds sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled, cut into chunks, cooked (or you could use two 16-ounce cans, drained)
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry (not cooking sherry)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
2 cooking apples, cored, peeled, and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate or casserole dish.

Combine the sweet potatoes (or yams), 6 tablespoons butter, corn syrup, sugar, sherry, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and puree, or mash with a masher (which makes it chunkier, but I prefer the texture).

Spread half the mixture into your pie plate or casserole dish. Layer half of the apple slices over the mixture. Spread remaining sweet potato mixture over the apples. Add another layer of apple slices, in a decorative pattern, if you wish. Alas, I am not gifted with the art of food decoration and I am aggrieved that I do not know how to make this beautiful for you. (hanging head)

Brush the apple slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

Serves maybe 6 or 8 people, but in our house it only serves one; Ole Sweetie-pi won't go near anything that looks like squash!