Guess who’s back! (“Welcome Back Kotter” theme song plays.)
Sorry for the long break, I was having disagreements with my editor. She wanted Kitchen 101 to be sexier. I told her I was more than a piece of meat, I’ve got tasty side dishes too!
I’m an idiot.
This week I’ve put Michigan in a biscuit and served it au jus. That is, I’ve wrapped apple pie in a biscuit and drizzled it in a buttery cinnamon sugar reduction. It was cheap and easy but if you serve it to the right person you might be looking at a marriage proposal. Even my fratty, U of M student roommate had to shake my hand (he’s not an emotionally deep person).
I know this may seem like a dessert decadence so fancy you need two monocles just to read the recipe. But it’s really just a couple basic – albeit uncommon – techniques used in concert with a short list of simple and complimentary ingredients.
Although it’s easy, some people may have trouble with the bun form or simply want a mini-pie shape. In that case, you can follow the same procedure but simply place your stretched crust into an increased cupcake or muffin tin. A bunch of ceramic mugs could work, they’d be good in the microwave.
One last thing: Let’s talk apples. Last year, I would have told you that the type of apple wouldn’t matter. I was more incorrect than everyone on Fox News about everything ever.
Listen up kiddies, the type of apple matters a great deal to the end product of this here dish. You’re going to want to stick to varieties like gala, braeburn and golden delicious. Don’t be afraid to mix, you’ll get great flavor and texture that way. Also, try to get local ones because they’re the best, duh.
DETAILS
Prep time – 15 minutes
Cook time – 1 hour
Servings – 8
Serving size – 1 bun
Calories per serving – 601
Net carbs per serving – 98.7
Note: The calorie and carb counts include equal divisions of the dipping syrup. Cut a lot of calories and carbs by using less.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 stick butter (softened)
8 Pillsbury Grands Honey Butter Biscuits
6 tsp cinnamon
6 apples
2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup spiced rum (optional)
1. Peel, quarter and core your apples.
2. Place them in a large pot with cold water that covers them by about an inch.
3. To the pot, add 1 cup of each sugar, 3 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg (opt), rum (opt), 1/2 stick of butter and vanilla.
4. Simmer over medium high heat until apples are pliable.
5. Turn off heat and let sit until cool.
6. Remove apples from sauce and set aside.
7. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat until it coats the back of a spoon. The mixture will begin to bubble before this happens, don’t be alarmed. If you smell burning sugar, you’ve cooked it too long. Once it’s done, remove it from heat and let it come to room temperature.
8. While the sauce becomes a syrup stretch out your eight biscuits into disks that are about 5-inch in diameter.
9. Combine the remaining sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
10. Spread softened butter in a 3-inch circle on the biscuit circle and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.
11. Place three apple quarters on each biscuit.
12. Pull the biscuit dough over the apple and pinch to seal.
13. Place bun on ungreased cookie sheet or in a muffin tin.
14. Melt the remaining butter and brush onto buns then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
15. Bake at 350 F until golden brown. Serve dipping syrup.
