Apple Crumble with Berries

If you are ever in Vancouver, British Columbia during UBC Apple Fest you MUST go! This year visitors could buy more than 60 varieties of apples and learn about another 140 types! They expected to sell almost 30,000 lbs over two days to approximately 14,000 visitors.


My kids loved the Johnny Apple Seed Kids Area where they had their faces painted, made apple blossom rings our of tissue paper and learned more about apples than I thought possible.


We bought 2 types of apples that we had never tried before. The first was a bag of Winter Banana apples. Winter Banana apples are an heirloom variety. Winter Banana Apples are pale yellow with faint pink blush. The flavor is a nice combination of sweet and mild, with a definite banana aroma and a crisp texture.


The second was a bag of Topaz apples. The Topaz is a sharper-tasting apple and is medium-large in size. The skin colour is yellow, almost completely overlaid with red and crimson flush. The flesh is crisp. I preferred the Topaz to the Winter Banana but both taste wonderful.





Although both varieties were great straight out of the bag, I also used them in this apple crumble. This is a quick dessert using apples, frozen berries, and instant oatmeal (I ran out of my usual long cooking oats). Quick. Simple. Delicious.



Ingredients
4-5 large apples, peeled and sliced  (1/4 inch)
1 cup mixed berries - frozen or fresh
juice of one lemon
2 tbsp rum
1 tbsp flour
1/4 - 1/3 cup brown sugar (depending on how tart apples and berries are)
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg


Topping
3 packs instant brown sugar oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter cut into small pieces


What to do
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the first 8 ingredients in a 1.5 quart baking.
3. In another small bowl place topping ingredients together. With hands, quickly rub butter into oatmeal and cinnamon until crumbly.
4. Sprinkle over top of apple mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until juices bubbles and top browns.
6. Enjoy!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars

I have been making these bars for quite a few years now. I think the original recipes came from Martha Stewart or maybe Gourmet but over the years I have made my own changes and additions. I often add pine nuts to the short bread crust and almond extract to the cream cheese filling. If you add pine nuts use up to 1/3 cup in the base. And don't feel bound to the blueberries - pretty much any jam or preserves you have will work in this decadent dessert bar.


Ingredients - Base
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)


What to Do:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Cut butter into smaller pieces.
2. In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until mixture begins to form small clumps.
3. Sprinkle mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and with a metal spatula or a flat bottom cup press evenly to flatten.
4. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

Note: While shortbread is baking, prepare topping.

Ingredients - Topping
16 oz (2 packs) cream cheese
3/4 cup berry sugar (or regular granulated)
2 eggs, large
1 tsp almond extract (can substitute vanilla, if desired)
1 cup blueberry jam


What to Do:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. In a bowl whisk cream cheese until smooth.
2. Whisk in eggs, sugar, and almond extract into the cream cheese.
3. Evenly spread jam over hot shortbread base and pour cream cheese mixture over it.
4. Bake until slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.
5. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars.


Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, 3 days.

Creamy Lemon Berry Tart

Creamy Lemon Berry Tart


Estimated Times: Preparation - 20 min
Cooling Time - 2 hrs refrigerating or can be frozen
Yields - 8 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup seedless red raspberry jam
1  package (150 g)of shortbread (such as Walker's or about 12 cookies)
1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp melted butter
1.5 cups fresh raspberries or blackberries, divided
5 ozs. cream cheese, softened
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 pkg (about 3.4 oz. each) lemon instant pudding
1 cup lemon curd
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided (could use whipped cream if desired)
Additional grated lemon peel (optional)

Directions

In food processor, pulse 150 g of short bread cookies (like Walker's - I found  lemon shortbread cookies from Australia that were delcious) and 1 cup graham cracker wafer crumbs with 3 tbsp melted butter.

Press into 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Press crumbs up the side (about an inch).

Bake in oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely.

Tart Filling

Spread raspberry jam over bottom of crust. Place 3/4 cup raspberries over jam.

Beat cream cheese in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually add evaporated milk, pudding mix, lemon curd and lemon peel. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in half of whipped topping. Spoon into crust; top with remaining whipped topping.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Garnish with remaining berries and additional lemon zest, if desired, just before serving.

Note: This freezes well, though I recommend not putting on whipped cream or topping. Let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving. Add whipped cream before serving or leave off and just add a few extra berries.