Apples-In-A-Blanket

The kiddo and I recently went apple picking with a bunch of friends. We came home with a great stash, which means we had more apples then we would ever be able to eat before they went bad. This usually means apple sauce and apple pie galore! But the kiddo is over anything pureed, and the hubby and I don't need to split an apple pie, especially with the holidays right around the corner (eek!). Which means I needed to come up with something that was handheld and freezable. I thought mini apple pies, but I couldn't bring myself to make an apple pie without all the sugary deliciousness, plus they would probably resemble the pot pie that I made (and those were deemed uneatable by the kiddo). Then it hit me - apples in a blanket!
Simple, handheld, and lightly sweetened! With a bonus cinnamon flavored dough! I thought about putting some cheese slices in there too, to make them almost dinner appropriate, but I got lazy.
I hope these are a hit for your family!

What you need:

Dough :
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 stick Butter
3-6 Tbsp Ice Water

4 Apples
1/8 cup Sugar
Egg (For egg wash)

Food Processor
Apple Cutter
Small bowl
Rolling Pin
Pizza Cutter

Let's Bake:

- The dough needs to chill so be sure to make it first
- You will be using your food processor to make the dough (Or your store by picking up your favorite pre-made dough)
- Add your flour, cinnamon*, salt, and butter (sliced up) to your food processor
*The cinnamon in the dough does give it a brown coloring, so if you have a picky eater, skip the cinnamon in the dough, and maybe put it on your apples.

- Pulse until the ingredients come together

- Then add one tablespoon of water at a time until your dough becomes a ball ( I needed to add 6 tablespoons) 

- Remove the dough from your food processor 

- Kneed the dough into a ball, and form the ball into a disk 

- Wrap the disk in plastic wrap, and let it chill for 10 minutes minimum - I did it for about 30 mins 

- While the dough is chilling use your apple cutter to slice up your 4 apples* (you can obviously just cut your apples as well)

*I didn't peel my apples, because I wanted my kiddo to recognize the apple and want to eat it, but please feel free to peel your apples as well. I probably will next time around, because the skin is hard to bite though for little teeth

- I ended up with 40 slices of apples

- Toss the apple slices in 1/8 cup sugar. Feel free to add more or less sugar to your liking. I was making mine kid friendly, so I wanted it sweetened, but not overly sugary.

- Pre heat your oven to 350

- Once your dough is chilled, remove it from its plastic wrap and place it on a floured surface 

- Roll your dough out as thin as you can get it (I really need to invest in those rubber bands that go on your rolling pin) 

- Using your apple as a guide take your pizza cutter and cut a strip in the dough.

- Cut that strip in half, and then wrap up your apple piece

- Trim your strips as you see fit

- Each strip I had could cover two apples

- Using your egg wash, gently cover each apple in a blanket 

- Place in your 350 oven for 25 mins, or until your dough is nice and browned 

- Try not to eat all of them at once!

Enjoy! 

Granola Bars

I love granola bars. The chewy one preferably. The crunchy ones are just one mistake away from being granola, and then I'm going to need yogurt or milk, and that is a whole thing. Especially for a kiddo. So soft and chewy granola bars are the way to go for us!

I do have to confess. The first time I made these I made the mistake of putting the oats in first, then my wet ingredients. And I over estimated the amount of oats that I needed, so I was stuck playing catch up with my wet ingredients, and I just ended up with a crunchy granola bar. While my kiddo could have cared less, and loved eating his granola bar, I had a huge mess on my hands. I needed to find a way to keep this snack intact - for my own sanity, and so more than a crumb got in my kiddos mouth at a time.

Here is my final recipe. I am much happier with it, and my kiddo can't get enough of them! They keep fantastic in a plastic bag, and freeze even better. My kiddo even eats them frozen (which gives me more than two seconds before he needs a second one!)

What you need:

Small sauce pan
Large Bowl
3 quart Corning ware baking pan (that's what the bottom says)
Parchment Paper
Pizza Cutter
2 cups Oats
1 cup Peanut butter
1/2 cup Date Paste (or honey if your kiddo is old enough)
2 TBSP water

Let's Bake

- Set oven to 350
- Into a large bowl measure out 1 cup of your oats and set aside.
- Scoop out your second cup of oats, but DO NOT add it to the bowl.
- In a small sauce pan, and your 1/2 cup of date paste and your cup of peanut butter and melt on medium heat.

- Constantly stir the mixture. You will be stirring for longer than you think necessary. This is when you add in your water slowly if you feel that they mixture is seizing. I added in one tablespoon at a time.

- You are looking for the two to combine, and then for the oils in your peanut butter to start to come out. Since we aren't using honey the texture is going to be a little thicker. I hope the picture helps

- When you have reached your desired consistency scoop it into your bowl with your one cup of oats

- Incorporate your mixture with the oats, then add more oats until your dough comes together completely*. 

*This means that all the oats stay in the mixture AND your dough stays together when you grasp it in your hand. 2 cups was enough when I did the recipe, but always be prepared for surprises. You can always add more oats - you can't take them out :(

- Once you have your dough, press it into a parchment lined dish - smaller dish for thicker granola bars

- I pressed raisins into mine, but they all fell out after. Maybe I will mix them in next time.

- You can go no bake with these and let them sit in the fridge before serving, but I cooked mine for about 20 mins to have them come together. 

- Let them cool, then pull the parchment paper out of the dish and cut with a pizza cutter!

- The finished product! I hope you enjoy them. My kiddo did! 

Date Paste

So I've been meaning to try this recipe out for a long time. I saw it a long time ago on Pinterest, and in true Pinterest fashion, I pinned it, and never looked back.

Then the other day I wanted to make the kiddo a granola bar. All the recipes called for honey. As we all know honey is a hard no until kiddos are at least one. You know botulism.

So it got me thinking, what can I use as a honey substitute? This wasn't an easy task. Honey is unique. It is sticky and creamy all at the same time. It can be melted down and it can be hardened. I knew that whatever I came up with, wouldn't hold a candle to honey, but I was going to try.

This seemed like the perfect time to try out date paste. I figured that the dates would simulate the sweetness of honey, but I wasn't sure about the stickiness.

Turns out that this date paste is delicious! I've used it in yogurt to sweeten it for the kiddo, and I even have plans to make a cinnamon roll! However, the granola bar is to die for and I will be posting that soon.

But first, the date paste!

Date Paste 

What you need:
16 Dates
2 Cups Water
Bowl
Food Processor
Tablespoon

Let's Bake:

So this recipe is great, because you can make it and forget about it. The recipe I worked off of said over night is best, but my life got a little busy, and well it sat for longer than that oops. I'm sure no one can relate.

- Pit your 16 dates and place them in a bowl

- Add 2 cups of water to you dates
- Cover and let sit

Are you back with me? I hope that you have found so free time to get to the second part of this recipe!

- Place JUST your dates into your food processor

- DON'T DISCARD THE WATER THEY WERE SITTING IN
- Using your tablespoon slowly add in water until you reach your desired consistency

With no added water 

-Mine was 8 TBSP

After adding 8 TBSP of water

Enjoy! Let me know all the ways you decide to use date paste!