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Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

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I’ve been wanting to post this donut recipe for quite a while. I actually came up with the recipe for these back in July, and I’ve been (im)patiently waiting to share them with you. I wanted to create a donut that’s old fashioned, comforting and was abundantly Fall. So when I was planning the recipe for these mulled apple cider cake donuts, I decided to go the traditional route of frying them. They absolutely did not disappoint. These donuts are crispy on the outside, tender and cakey on the inside and made with apple cider, mulling spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves and orange, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Perfect with a cup of coffee on a cool autumn morning.

Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

What are mulling spices?

Apple cider is delicious all on it’s own, but steep some mulling spices in it, and it’s next level amazing. Mulling spices are simply a combination of spices, usually whole, that are used to add flavor to many seasonal autumn and winter drinks, such as mulled wine, apple cider, or wassail. Any combination of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom or star anise can be considered mulling spices. Additionally, fruit is also used as well as a flavoring with mulling spices, such as orange, lemon or cranberries.

I prefer using whole spices – cinnamon sticks, allspice berries and whole cloves to steep in the apple cider. They provide more of a subtle and pure flavor, and I don’t like how much of the ground spices are left behind in the cider.

Choosing an apple cider and steeping the spices

When choosing an apple cider, choose a fresh one, usually found in the produce area or seasonal section of your grocery store. You don’t want to use the one that apple juice from the juice aisle. The best kind of apple cider is opaque with little apple bits at the bottom. This kind of apple cider is more flavorful and has a more concentrated and true apple flavor. Also, note that this is non-alcoholic apple cider.

To get maximum apple flavor, a cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice berries and some orange slices, are steeped in two cups of apple cider that simmers on the stove until the cider is reduced to 1/2 cup. The spices and orange slices are removed and the cider cools to room temperature.

Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

How to make the donuts

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices. In a measuring cup, add the milk, melted butter, vanilla, egg and the warm apple cider. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in the milk/cider mixture. Stir until it’s well mixed, and scoop the dough out onto a parchment lined sheet pan or non-stick baking mat. Give the dough a few gentle kneads to make sure the dough is sticking together. It will look pretty rough and craggy, like biscuit or pie dough. Pat the dough into a disc shape, between 3/8″ to 1/2″. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for an hour, or the freezer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 6 cups of vegetable, canola or peanut oil in a heavy bottom pot. I use my dutch oven for frying, as it is sturdy and conducts heat well. Clip a deep fryer thermometer to the side, making sure the glass isn’t touching the bottom of the pot. I misplaced my thermometer, and used a candy thermometer that worked just as well. You can find the equipment I use under the store tab in my website menu.

Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

Heat the oil over medium heat until the oil reaches 370-375F. This will take some time. As the oil heats up, cut out the donuts. You can make any size you want, but for a standard size donut, use a 2 1/2″ to 3″ round cutter, or biscuit cutter. For the donut holes, you can use a 1 1/2″ round cutter, or as my mom used to do, use a floured soda bottle cap to cut out the centers. Combine the sugar and cinnamon together and whisk to combine. This will be used to roll the donuts in once they’re fried.

Once the oil is to temperature, fry two or three donuts at a time, about a minute/minute and a half on each side, taking care to not overfill the pot with donuts so the oil temperature doesn’t drop. I used a stainless steel frying spider, but you can also use the end of a wooden spoon to flip the donuts and remove from the fryer. Be super careful not to drop the donuts to avoid splashing crazy hot oil all over you.

Let the donuts drip off excess oil on a paper towel lined cooling rack for 20 seconds before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

Serve the donuts warm or at room temperature with your favorite warm beverage.

I hope that you enjoy these mulled apple cider cake donuts as much as I do! If you make them, let me know and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more autumn recipes, check out these posts:

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

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Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Chilling1 hr
Total Time1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12 donuts

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (480ml) apple cider
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 whole allspice berries
  • 2 orange slices, optional
  • 3 ¼` cups (410g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 6 cups vegetable, canola or peanut oil
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Stirring occasionally, simmer the apple cider, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice and orange slices, if using, in a small saucepan over low heat until the cider is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Start checking at 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc until you have 1/2 cup (120ml).
  • Remove the apple cider from the heat, and remove the spices and orange slices. Pour the cider into a measuring cup, and let it cool until warm or room temperature.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • To the room temperature cider, whisk in the whole milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla.
  • Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the cider/milk mixture in the center of the well and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.
  • Scoop out the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Give the dough a few light kneads to ensure everything is sticking together. The dough will be craggy.
  • Pat the dough to 3/8" - 1/2" thick and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or freeze for 15 minutes.
  • In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 370-375 degrees F.
  • Once the dough is chilled, cut out donuts with a 2 1/2" - 3" round, biscuit or donut cutter. Use a 1 1/2" round cutter to cut out the centers.
  • Working in batches to not overcrowd the oil, carefully add donuts to the oil and cook until evenly golden and crispy, 1 minute per side. I use a stainless steel spider to drop in the donuts and remove them from the oil. You can also use the handle of a wooden spoon.
  • Transfer the donuts to a paper towel-lined cooling rack for 20 seconds; then roll warm donuts in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Serve warm.

Notes

The donuts can be stored for up to four or five days in an airtight container. Note that the outside will soften a bit and won't be as crispy.

Blackberry Pie Bars

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Blackberries are easily the prettiest berry in my opinion, but strangely the most under utilized berry in my house. We don’t eat them enough, and it’s a shame because they’re so, so good.  This past weekend when I was in the mood for a sweet treat, with blackberries on my mind, I made these blackberry pie bars. Ripe, juicy blackberries sit  on top of a buttery shortbread style crust, topped with an almond crumb topping, and baked until golden brown and bubbly. Buttery, and crumbly, with a deep sweet tart blackberry flavor, these bars are super delicious and highly addictive.

Blackberry Pie Bars

The crust

The crust for the blackberry pie bars is similar to a shortbread crust. The flour, sugars, salt, lemon zest and butter are combined in the food processor to make a crumbly dough. The dough will stick together if you remove a handful of the mixture out and give it a light squeeze. That’s how you know your butter is cut in properly, and the dough can be pressed into the pan. Before pressing the dough into the pan, reserve a cup of the flour/butter mixture for the topping.

I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press in my dough. Once it’s evenly distributed, I use an offset spatula to make it super neat and level. I can’t help myself, I like to make a pretty crust before baking. It’s just one of  my baking quirks. The crust gets baked until it’s golden brown, then cooled before adding the blackberry filling.

Blackberry Pie Bars

The topping

Remember that cup of the flour mixture we reserved when making the crust? That is also being used as the topping. Add a little bit of spice by adding some cinnamon, then use your fingertips to work the mixture together a bit to form some larger clumps. You can toss in the toasted almonds at this point, or wait to just sprinkle on after sprinkling on the crumb topping.

Blackberry Pie Bars

The blackberry filling

While the crust is baked, and is cooling, make the blackberry filling. I like to macerate the berries for just a little bit while the crust cools so that the filling is a bit more jammy. I used fresh blackberries, but you can use frozen. Defrost and drain them before using. Cut the berries into halves, or quarters if they’re huge, toss them with a bit of sugar, and lemon juice and let them rest, stirring occasionally. When the crust has cooled, and is just warm, combine the cornstarch with the berries and pour onto the crust. Bake the bars until the blackberries are bubbling around the edges and the topping has baked to golden brown.

Blackberry Pie Bars

The blackberries create this thick and juicy deep purple jam when they bake. The crust is buttery, crumbly, and a bit caramel-y from the brown sugar. The blackberries make the crust around edges of the bars sticky and chewy from the juices seeping down the sides before setting up – easily my favorite part. So, so good. And that almond crumb topping just makes these bars. Buttery and crunchy, with a hint of spice, these bars are the perfect way to use up those summer blackberries.

Blackberry Pie Bars

For more summer treats, check out these posts:

Brown Butter Stone Fruit Tart

Strawberry Rose Buttermilk Cake

Honey Cardamom Peach Galettes

Blackberry Pie Bars
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Blackberry Pie Bars

Ripe, juicy blackberries are baked on top of a buttery shortbread style crust, topped with an almond crumb topping, until golden brown and bubbly.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 2x2 squares

Ingredients

Crust and Topping

  • 2 ¼ cup (312g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (32g) sliced almonds, toasted

Blackberry Filling

  • 2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries, halved
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½-2 tablespoons cornstarch, use the higher amount if the berries are really juicy

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 375F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Pulse to combine.
  • Add the butter cubes to the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture starts to clump together but is still sandy.
  • Remove 1 cup of the mixture, and turn out the remaining mixture into the prepared pan.
  • Lightly press the dough evenly into the pan. Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown.
  • Add the cinnamon to the reserved 1 cup of the flour mixture and combine. Use the tips of your fingers to squeeze the dough together to make clumps for the topping. You don't want this part to be sandy.
  • Add the almonds (or you can wait to sprinkle them on at the before baking), and place the crumbs into the refrigerator to keep chilled.
  • Place the blackberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Let the blackberries sit and macerate while the crust cools.
  • When the crust is just warm, add the cornstarch to the blackberry mixture and mix until combined.
  • Pour the blackberry filling onto the crust.
  • Evenly sprinkle the crumbs and almonds on top of the blackberry filling.
  • Bake the bars for 35-45 minutes, until the blackberries and juices are bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
  • Allow the bars to cool completely before serving.

 

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

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I have been making these overnight cinnamon rolls with brown butter cream cheese frosting, and variations of these rolls for my family for many years. I’ve always sort of viewed cinnamon rolls as a special baked treat reserved for holiday mornings, or for big breakfasts when guests are over, but since we have all been at home these past several weeks, I have been making these often. My kiddos LOVE them. They are crazy delicious.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

There’s nothing more disappointing than biting into a warm, gooey cinnamon roll only to find that the dough is tough or crumbly. Cinnamon rolls should be soft and fluffy, with a sweet brown sugar cinnamon filling, no skimping on the cinnamon, with a cream cheese frosting that drips into the rolls making those gooey centers that might be the absolute best part of the cinnamon roll.

I use a buttery, soft and fluffy brioche dough for my cinnamon rolls that I adapted from Joanne Chang’s book Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe.  Brioche is a buttery and tender enriched dough that is perfect for all sorts of sweet and savory shaped and filled breads, buns, rolls, and more. This is my go-to recipe when making any sort of brioche pastries.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

How to make brioche

Brioche is fairly straightforward to make, albeit a bit time consuming due to the mixing and kneading. Luckily, most of the tedious work of making brioche takes place on a stand mixer. I do not recommend making this brioche by hand, or with a hand mixer. It needs a powerful mixer to be able to knead it properly, and it would take substantially longer to knead by hand. Bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk and eggs are placed into the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients for the best and consistent results, and it’ll be a one bowl wonder dough.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

The dough is mixed together for several minutes, and then the softened butter is added. Do not rush these first few steps of mixing before the butter addition. Once the butter is added, gluten formation is slowed down, which is why mixing times are longer for enriched doughs (doughs with a high fat content and contains butter, eggs, etc.) and also why gluten formation needs to occur in these first couple steps. No gluten strands = tough, dense and crumbly rolls. Softened butter is then added a piece at a time, and set to mix for a good amount of time until the dough has pulled away from the bowl, and has mixed into a smooth, shiny and elastic dough. Pop the brioche into the fridge to deepen its flavors and cold proof overnight.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

In the morning, remove the brioche from the fridge, then make the filling. Mix the softened butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt into a smooth paste. This filling is so good and I think of the amazing cinnamon sugar toast it would make. YUM. But back to the recipe….Roll out the cold dough into a 18×12 rectangle and spread the filling over the dough, leaving about 1/4″ border around the edges. Tightly roll up the dough, cut off 1/4″ off both ends and cut into 12 equal size rolls.

At this point, you can freeze the rolls. I do this often to only bake what we will need. Once you are ready to bake them, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then leave them to proof a couple hours before baking.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

How to make the brown butter cream cheese frosting

While the rolls are baking, prep the brown butter cream cheese frosting. We love lots of frosting so this recipe makes just the right amount for us. If you like less frosting, you can cut the recipe in half. Brown the butter in a saucepan until deeply browned, but not burned. It will be more browned than what you are probably used to, but trust me on this, the browner the better. Let the brown butter cool to room temperature. Mix the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, salt together then add the brown butter. Whip until fluffy. Those flecks in the frosting are from the brown butter and vanilla bean paste. You will want to eat the whole bowl with a spoon, but… you should frost the cinnamon rolls with the brown butter cream cheese frosting while they are still warm.

Then eat them. It will be hard to eat just one. But, eat at as many as you want. No judgement here.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

For more breakfast recipes, check these out:

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
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Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

These cinnamon rolls are soft, buttery and tender filled with a brown sugar and cinnamon filling and topped with a brown butter vanilla cream cheese frosting that is deeply flavorful and delicious.
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time1 hr 35 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Brioche Dough:

  • 2 1/4 cups (315g) all purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cups (340g) bread flour
  • 3 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (82g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup (120g) cold milk Any kind of milk will work. I use 2%.
  • 1 cup + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature cut into 10 pieces

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces (224g) block cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups (210g) confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, milk, and eggs.
  • Fit the dough hook attachment to the mixer. Miix the ingredients on low speed for 3-4 minutes until the ingredients are thoroughly combined, and pockets of dry flour have been fully incorporated.
  • Mix for an additional 3-4 minutes. The dough will be stiff and dry.
  • Add the butter, a piece at a time, mixing after each addition until each piece is mixed into the dough.
  • Mix on low speed for 10 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl every so often to fully incorporate the butter. The dough will look like a gooey mess, but that's ok.
  • Once the butter has been completely incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 15-18 minutes. The dough will go from gooey and shaggy to smooth and cohesive.
  • Turn up the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes. You should hear the dough making a slapping sound against the sides of the bowl.
  • The dough should have a little bit of stretch and should be able to be picked up in one piece. If the dough breaks when you pull at it, mix on medium speed for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the dough so that it doesn't form a skin.
  • Proof the dough in the fridge overnight.
  • In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and set aside so you can prepare the cinnamon sugar filling.
  • Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix into a smooth paste. Set aside.
  • On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 18x12 rectangle.
  • Make sure the long side is facing you. Starting on the long side of the dough closest to you, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Pinch the seams together so that the log doesn't become unrolled when cutting into rolls.
  • Trim 1/4" off of each end of the log. Cut the dough using a sharp knife, a bench scraper, or unflavored dental floss into rolls, about 1 1/2" wide.
  • Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Place the rolls evenly in the pan, leaving space between each roll.
  • Cover the pan with plastic wrap and proof in a warm spot for two hours, until the dough has risen, is puffy and the rolls are touching each other.
  • Heat the oven to 350F. Remove the plastic wrap from the rolls. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 190F.
  • While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. Place the butter in a light-colored sauce pan over medium-low heat. Once melted, the butter will begin to pop and sizzle around the edges. In about 5-8 minutes from when you started, the butter will turn dark golden brown. The majority of the popping will subside and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will be a dark toasty brown. It will smell buttery and nutty, but not burned. Let the butter cool to room temperature.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in the room temperature browned butter and mix to combine. When all the ingredients are combined, turn the speed up to medium. Whip until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Once the rolls are out of the oven, let them cool for about 5 minutes before adding the frosting. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve.

Notes

Brioche recipe adapted from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang.
 

 

 

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

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I love, love, love apple pie.  There’s never a Thanksgiving when I don’t make an apple pie. It’s a Thanksgiving dessert staple. I’m always experimenting and creating new variations on the classic apple pie and this chai spiced apple cranberry pie does not disappoint. It is just SO GOOD.

Chai Spice Apple Cranberry Pie

If you’ve read any of my posts, you know that I love my coffee. But, in the fall and winter, I love a good chai tea or chai tea latte. So comforting on a chilly day. This chai spiced apple cranberry pie is perfect chilly weather comfort food, with the perfectly spiced flavors of chai and orange, with sweet and tart apples, and a tart pop of cranberry. I used a variety of warm spices that can be found in chai tea blends – cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Cardamom, to me, is so quintessentially chai and a must-have in this recipe, so definitely don’t skip out on it.

Chai Spice Apple Cranberry Pie

My favorite apple to bake with is granny smith apples, so in this recipe, I used a mixture of granny smith and honey crisp apples. Honey crisps taste amazing – they’re a bit sweeter than granny smith apples and they are great to bake with as they retain their texture well. I used fresh cranberries since they are popping up in stores this time of year, but you can use frozen if you can’t find fresh. The cranberries add a juiciness and tartness to the pie, and they just go so well with apples and the chai spices.

My chai spiced apple cranberry pie starts with a foundation of an amazing tender, flaky and flavorful crust. I used my all butter pie dough for this pie, so for all things pie dough, check out my recipe here. Not up to making your own, or trying to save some time? Store bought works just fine here too.

Chai Spice Apple Cranberry Pie

To optimize the flavor for this pie, I mix the apples with the orange juice, zest, spices, sugars and salt and leave them in a colander over a large bowl to macerate, or drain off the juices for about 40 minutes. This drains the apples of excess liquid, which helps keep the apples from getting too soft and mushy when baking. The reserved liquid gets boiled down to thicken slightly and become more concentrated in flavor. The apples are then mixed together with the concentrated liquid, cornstarch and cranberries before being layered into the pie crust.

Apples tend to shrink a bit when baking, which can leave a gap between the crust and the apples when the pie is cooling. Macerating the apples helps shrink them and reduce their water content which helps with reducing the gap. Layering in the apples with the cranberries also help reduce any excess space. Mounding the apples and overfilling keeps the pie more full once baked.

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

Brushing the pie with a mixture of egg and water helps the crust bake up to be perfectly golden brown. I sprinkle demerara sugar over the crust for extra crunch and sweetness. The best way to tell when a fruit pie is done baking, is to bake until the juices are bubbling. This ensures that the pie is fully cooked and also has activated and cooked the thickening agent.

I like to start baking my fruit pies at a higher temperature first to help “set” the crust. This allows for the pie dough to bake a bit faster, and not become soggy from just stewing in the fruit juices. It also allows for the crust to start to brown as well, so when the pie is finished baking, it’s a deep golden brown. The temperature is then reduced to allow the pie bake the pie fully, without the potential for the crust to burn.

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

When the pie comes out of the oven, the filling will be bubbling and your kitchen will smell incredible. As difficult as it may be, it’s important to let the pie cool for a few hours in order to thicken up and set the filling. The chai spiced apple cranberry pie is best served slightly warm, and as Matt prefers it, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie
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Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

This chai spiced apple cranberry pie is layered with sweet spiced, orange scented apples and tart, juicy cranberries inside a tender and flakey all butter pie crust. 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe, All Butter Pie Dough
  • 8 apples (about 3 lbs), peeled and sliced to 1/4" I used half granny smith and half honeycrisp apples.
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Zest of a orange
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Prepare the pie crust:

  • On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough, keeping the other disk refrigerated. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter.
  • Place the dough onto the pie dish. Ease the dough, without stretching, into the pie dish. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the lattice:

  • On a floured work surface, roll out the second disk of dough, also to a 12" diameter.
  • Cut 10-12 evenly sized strips using a pizza cutter or a knife. Lay the strips on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare the filling:

  • Position the baking rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 425F and place a large baking sheet on the center of the rack.
  • In a large bowl, combine the apples, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and salt and mix to combine.
  • Transfer the apples to a large colander and place over a bowl. Let the apples macerate and release their juices for at least 40 minutes or for as long as two hours. 
  • Pour the drained liquid into a small saucepan along with the butter over medium low heat. Place the apples back into the bowl.
  • Cook the liquid until slightly thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Add the cranberries, cornstarch and liquid to the apples and mix to combine. 

Compile the pie:

  • Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator. Layer the apples and cranberries into the pie crust, creating a mound in the center.
  • Remove the lattice strips from the refrigerator. Lay 5 to 6 strips, evenly spaced over the pie. 
  • Weave the remaining strips over and under, perpendicular to the first set of strips  to create a lattice. Adjust the strips to ensure they are evenly spaced.
  • Trim any excess dough over 2". Fold and tuck the dough on the edges to create an outer ridge and to ensure the lattice and bottom crusts are adhered.
  • Flute the edge, or crimp with a fork.
  • Whisk together the egg and the water. With a pastry brush, brush the lattice top and the edges with a thin layer of the egg wash.
  • Lightly sprinkle demerara sugar over the lattice crust.
  • Place the pie on the baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
  • Let the pie cool for 3 hours to allow the filling to set,  or until just warm. 

Notes

Pie can be made in advance and left at room temperature for a day. To keep the pie longer, cover the pie tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. 

 

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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Oh hi! Guys, I have been living my best autumn-pumpkin-caramel apple life. Fall is my absolute favorite season. I thrive this time of year, and I’m totally energized by the cool weather, color changing leaves and the smell of warm spices. I’ve been baking a lot (my house smells a-mazing), planning recipes to share on the blog as well as developing my holiday menus for the bakery. Today I’m sharing my first ever pumpkin recipe on my blog (yay!) – my pumpkin cream cheese muffins with cinnamon sugar pepita topping. These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are fluffy, moist and perfectly spiced and filled with lightly sweetened cream cheese and topped with a crunchy pepitas and cinnamon sugar – and I have to say, I think they are so much better than the coffee shop pumpkin muffin.

I’ll admit, I’m not much a fan of the “pumpkin spice” trend. I definitely don’t enjoy in it in my coffee. Locally roasted with a splash of cream for me please. Really, the first signs of fall for me means apple baking season. I’ve not met many (if any) apple bakes or desserts that I didn’t like. Usually, I use pumpkin in savory cooking before I end up baking with it. Some of our faves: Half Baked Harvest’s Smoky Pumpkin Beer and Cheddar Potato soup is so, so delicious and a huge hit in my house. Skinnytaste’s Hearty Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili is also a family favorite. When I start baking with pumpkin, it’s always muffins, bread or cake. So I knew that the first pumpkin recipe I shared on the blog needed to be these pumpkin cream cheese muffins. Delicious, flavorful and cozy.

To roast a pumpkin or used canned pumpkin?

Since I tend to use a lot of pumpkin in the fall, my preferred way to use pumpkin is straight from the can. I don’t find that roasting and making my own  pumpkin puree is really worth it. Canned pumpkin is convenient for use as well as being generally consistent in flavor and texture. I’ve had mixed results with fresh sugar pie pumpkins. Like with any other vegetable, flavor and ripeness of a pumpkin can be a bit of a gamble. I’ve had  pumpkins that were sweet and flavorful, but I’ve also had some that were bland and grainy. Ultimately, it’s your preference. If you use canned, just be sure to use pure pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened and seasoned.

How to make the muffins

The muffins are super easy to make and don’t require a mixer – a definite win. They are made using the traditional muffin method by combining dry ingredients in a bowl and wet ingredients in another, then combine them by pouring the wet into the dry and mixing with a light hand until just combined. I used a combination of spices and chose to use individual spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove) over pumpkin pie spice so that I have more control over the flavor and can adjust the spices to suit my tastes.

How to make the cream cheese filling

The cream cheese filling is quick and simple, combining softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and whisking until smooth. I prefer to place the cream cheese filling in the centers of the muffins to copycat the coffee shop version and also because I love the pop of tangy cream cheese. I have also swirled the cream cheese into the muffin as well with success. For extra crunch and flavor, I sprinkled pepitas, cinnamon and sugar around the edge of the muffins.

When distributing the batter among the liners, you’ll notice that the liners get quite full. No worries though, the batter will not overflow. Notice in the first photo how beautifully they bake up.

I know you guys will love these muffins just as much we we do. If you try these pumpkin cream cheese muffins, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For more muffin recipes, check out these blueberry streusel muffins

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
Print Recipe
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Fluffy and moist spiced pumpkin muffins filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with a cinnamon sugar pepita topping
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time21 mins
Total Time31 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

Pumpkin Muffins:

  • 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
  • 1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

Make the cream cheese filling.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
  • Place the filling into the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Make the muffins.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. 
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and oil. 
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix. Only mix until no pockets of the dry ingredients remain. 
  • Distribute the batter equally into the lined cupcake pan.
  • Distribute the cream cheese filling into the centers, equally among the muffins.
  • Mix together the 1 tablespoon of sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pepitas and the cinnamon sugar mixture around the edge of the muffins. 
  • Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few dry crumbs. Do not check the muffins for doneness by inserting a toothpick through the cream cheese center. I like to check by inserting a toothpick through the muffin at an angle. 
  • Cool the muffins in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a cooling rack. Best served slightly warm.