For the topping:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter (melted)

Directions:

1. Using small sharp knife, slice open vanilla bean and scrape seeds into the granulated sugar.
2. Toss the apples with the sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, apple cider, and 2 T. flour.
3. Mix the 1 1/2 c. flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter together.
4. Place the apple mixture into a 9×13 baking dish and add the topping.
5. Bake at 350 until it is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/VANILLA-BEAN-APPLE-CRISP-106340

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cloves

3/4 t. cinnamon

2 t. ginger

1/4 t. ground white pepper

Turbinado sugar or granulated sugar (for rolling)

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg, mixing until just incorporated, then mix in molasses. Whisk together dry ingredients and add, mixing just to combine. Chill dough about 1 hour. Scoop into balls and roll each ball in sugar. Flatten balls slightly with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Bake at 350 on parchment-lined baking sheets 11-13 minutes or until set. Let cool on pan 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.

Optional Icing Recipe:

Whisk together:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 T. powdered egg white or meringue powder

1 T. milk

minced zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

Spread a little icing on each cookie and allow to harden.

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

3 cups oats (not instant)

1 cup dried cranberries

6 oz. good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350, line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture; stir until completely blended. Fold the oats, cranberries and white chocolate into the dough. Using large cookie scoop, drop onto baking sheets about 2″ apart. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden but still a little moist. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a rack. If desired, dip bottom of cookies in melted white chocolate.

12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Mousse:

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons water

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground toasted hazelnuts

2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur

1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

If making plain chocolate mousse without hazelnuts, substitute vanilla extract for hazelnut liqueur.

For Cups:

Line mini muffin tin with paper liners.

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each paper liner. Using pastry brush, brush chocolate over bottom and up sides of liners to coat evenly. Freeze until chocolate firms, about 30 minutes

Remelt chocolate; add 1 tablespoon to each cup and brush over bottom and up sides, forming second coat. Freeze until completely set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)

For Mousse:

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool briefly.

Meanwhile, combine water, yolks and powdered sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over simmering water in base of double boiler and whisk until mixture is frothy and candy thermometer registers 160°F, about 6 minutes. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat until thick and cool, about 3 minutes. Fold cooled chocolate, then ground hazelnuts and Frangelico into yolk mixture. Beat cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture in 3 additions.

Peel paper liner from each chocolate cup. Arrange cups on platter. Pipe mousse into cups. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over. Serve immediately or chill up to 1 day.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat to 325 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan evenly with cooking spray. Process crackers and spices for crust in food processor (or crush crackers with a rolling pin and stir in spices. Drizzle melted butter over crackers/spices mixture and stir. Press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the greased springform pan. A flat bottomed measuring cup works well for doing this evenly. Bake in heated oven until fragrant, 12 – 15 minutes. Cool to room temp (about 20 minutes). Once cool, wrap the outside of the pan with two large pieces of heavy duty foil so that it is covered all the way up the sides.

Filling:
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 t. salt
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 Tbls. vanilla extract
1 Tbls. lemon juice
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Top layer:
16oz sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla

Bring about 4 qts. water to simmer in a stockpot. While the crust is cooling, whisk the sugar, spices and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Line a baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels. Spread the pumpkin on the towels and cover with a second triple layer of towels. Press firmly until the towels are saturated, this will remove unwanted excess moisture from the pumpkin. Peel back the top layer of towels and discard. Set aside pumpkin.

Beat the cream cheese at medium speed to break up and soften, about 1 minute. Scrape the beater and sides of bowl. Add about a third of the sugar mixture and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute; scrape the bowl and add the remaining sugar in two additions, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat at medium speed until combined, about 45 seconds; scrape the bowl. Add 3 of the eggs and beat at medium-low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute; scrape the bowl. Add the remaining 2 eggs and beat until incorporated, about 45 seconds, scrape the bowl. Add the heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and give a final stir by hand.

Pour the filling into the springform pan (that has been wrapped in foil) and smooth the surface. Set the springform pan in a roasting pan. Set the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water to come about half-way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the center of the cake is slightly wobbly when the pan is shaken and the center reads 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours.

Top layer:

While cake is baking, combine 16oz sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Once the cake has reached the 150 degrees, spread the sour cream mixture over the top and smooth. This is a little bit tricky with the water bath but works if you pull out the oven rack just far enough to pour the topping on and smooth. Bake cake about 6-8 minutes longer; the topping will look just set, it doesn’t become firm.

Remove the cake from the oven, still in the roasting pan, and set on a wire rack to cool until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil, and set on a wire rack to cool until barely warm, about 3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 1/2 T. milk
(Mix together thoroughly)

For the strudel:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, pour the bourbon or apple juice over the raisins and microwave on high 45 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Combine the raisins, apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, pecans, and butter in a large bowl.
Remove the phyllo dough from the box, unfold and cover with a damp towel. Place 1 sheet phyllo on the work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets, brushing each with melted butter, stacking when done, being sure to keep the unbuttered phyllo covered so it does not dry out.

Place the apple mixture on the nearest third of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border. Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Pour over the glaze and sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar. Serve with warm caramel sauce.

I’ve also made a Cherry Cheese Strudel with cherry pie filling and a mixture of cream cheese, eggs and sugar. Spread the cream cheese mixture generously on 1/3 of phyllo stack (same as instructions for apple)
and then place several spoonfuls of cherry pie filling over the top. The phyllo will have to be folded up and over the filling and a few extra sheets buttered and placed over the top and tucked in underneath to seal in the filling.

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup peanut butter

Combine flour, soda, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. In separate bowl mix egg and vanilla then gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in peanut butter, blend thoroughly. Stir in dry ingredients. Chill30 minutes. Drop onto baking sheet and smash with fork. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Don’t over-bake or they won’t be soft and chewy.

2 cups (10oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2oz) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
16 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
10 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed (10.5oz) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3.5oz) granulated sugar
12-16 oz assortment of milk, semisweet and white chocolate chips

You will also need to have Parchment paper on hand to achieve the best results with these cookies.

Important!
Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear under baked at first but will firm up as they cool.

1. Sift together flour, cocoa,  baking powder and salt and set aside.

2. Melt the 16oz chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of almost simmering water. If using the microwave, heat 30seconds at a time stirring in between until smooth. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla lightly with a fork, sprinkle the coffee powder over to dissolve, and set aside.

3. Beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in the sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; the mixture will look granular. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the melted chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape the bowl with rubber spatula. With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overbeat. Add assorted chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp until the consistency is scoop-able and fudge-like, about 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a 1 3/4 – inch ice cream scoop, spacing the moungs of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets about 10 minutes, slide the parchment with cookies onto wire racks, and cool to room temp. Cover cooled baking sheets with a new piece of parchment paper and scoop remaining dough onto sheets, bake, and cool as directed.

These cookies are awesome fresh from the oven but they also will last several days and still be soft and chewy. It makes a rather large batch so I typically bake some up, then make the rest into balls and freeze them for future use. You can put them directly from the freezer onto parchment-lined baking sheets and let sit at room temp for a little while (at least while the oven pre-heats). Bake according to directions, it will take a minute or two longer depending on how cool the dough was before going into the oven but just look for the same thing as with the fresh cookies, set edges but soft in the middle.

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, morsels and nuts; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 12 to 13 minutes for crispy cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Crust:
1 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour

Filling:
5 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
5 T. flour
2 BIG lemons, or 3 little, juice and zest
1-2 tsp vanilla

Mix crust and press into pan. Bake crust at 350 for 15-20 minutes. You want the crust cooked but not yet golden.

Blend filling ingredients. Pour onto baked crust and bake another 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

**Tip- serve middle pieces to everyone else and hoard the corners for yourself! The corners are the best!