Apple Walnut Pull Apart Bread

Apple Walnut Pull Apart Bread

Whatever happened to all things fall? I mean now it's just pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. No  squash, no apples, no pears. When did pumpkin become the only flavor available while you enjoy the changing leaves and crisp, cool air? I am not here to say that I do not love pumpkin, I am quite a devoted fan on the contrary. But my taste buds enjoy more than one flavor, especially in a world that is bursting with them. So I simply cannot enjoy fall properly without apples, squash, and pears. And frankly, if you claim to be a lover of the fall, that it is absolutely your favorite season, that you wish it was nearly year round, you can hardly make that claim while only supporting the big, orange gourd. Perhaps now you feel that you have only been half heartedly in love with fall now that you have discovered you've left out the other produce delights it has to offer. But do not despair, there is an entire month of fall left to relish it whole, not just in pumpkin.

Ingredients

24 frozen dinner rolls thawed
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
1 Gala apple, diced
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. walnuts finely chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 T. butter, melted

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan with butter

-Mix together the chopped apples, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon until well combined.

-Using a pair of clean kitchen scissors, cut each roll into thirds.

-Place a third of the cut roll pieces in the bottom of the bundt pan. Drizzle about a third of the melted butter on top of the roll pieces. Then top with a third of the apple mixture. Repeat layers two more times, until ingredients are all used up.

-Let rise in a warm place for about an hour (or until rolls have doubled in size).

-Bake for 30-35 minutes, until tops are golden brown and the middle rolls are done (I baked for 35 just to make sure the middle and bottom weren't doughy any longer).

I drizzled some dulce de leche I had left over from my clearance score at Williams Sonoma but you could easily leave this part out, make your own caramel, or make a glaze of powder sugar and milk.


Life is better homemade!
-LL

Cinnamon S'more Party Mix

I heart snickerdoodle cookies. I love how they are so unpretentious and simple but so satisfying with just the right amount of sweetness. I also fancy a perfectly toasted brown, gooey marshmallow smashed between a hunk of chocolate and crunchy graham crackers. I am not a fan of the caloric havoc these treats bring about, so how do I get those flavors without the fat?

Chex.

You know the cereal nearly everyone passes up because it’s boring and bland. But look at that picture up there; does it look boring and bland to you? Absolutely not! That’s because Chex happens to be the perfect little vessel to carry whatever flavor you desire, transforming into a new delicious mix each time you add a different topping.

I know you’re sitting there, one eyebrow cocked up in suspicion, wondering how in the world some rice cereal could possibly taste like a snickerdoodle and a s’more. Well, ok, obviously it doesn’t taste EXACTLY like either one, but it tastes remarkably similar and equally delicious. A handful will not be enough I’m telling you.

Go ahead, whip up a batch and try to prove me wrong. I’ll wait.

 

 

Cinnamon S'more Party Mix

Adapted from Chex

1/4 c melted butter

2 c chcolate Chex

2 c cinnamon Chex

4 c popcorn

1/4 sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c chocolate chips

1/2 c mini marshmallows

 

Mix the Chex and popcorn together in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish for about 30-40 seconds. Pour the butter over the mix and stir together until evenly coated. Microwave the mix for 2 minutes, stiring after 1 minute.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and spinkle half over the mix and stir. Sprinkle the rest over the mix and stir again. Microwave for another minute. Remove from the microwave and add the chocolate chips and marshmallows and stir.

Pour the mix onto wax paper or paper towels to cool. Store in an air tight container if you are not going to eat it right away.

 

Enjoy life homemade!

~LL