Awesome Apple Pie

I can't believe no one has ever posted an apple pie recipe! I make mine with Suncrisp or Fuji apples because I like a sweeter pie. I'm only posting the filling because I know everyone has their own personal pie crust recipe. I use my Grandma Hubbs'. I'll gladly share if anyone is interested.

Apple Pie Filling:

8 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tblsp. butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. water

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to apples and toss. Pour into crust and then dot with butter. Place top crust, seal the edges and cut slits on top. Beat egg yolk and water and brush over pie. Sprinkle with extra sugar and be generous! Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 35-40 more minutes or until crust is golden. Serve warm ... and with vanilla bean ice cream!!

Gertrude's Cinnamon Rolls

Oh my, oh my! A sweet old lady at my mom and dad's church makes these for almost every church function. The first time I had them, I demanded the recipe. It makes A LOT of cinnamon rolls, but I just use the full recipe and freeze the ones we don't eat.

1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cup instant potatoes (yep)

1 1/2 cup scalded milk
3-4 packages dry yeast
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable oil
8 cups flour
cinnamon
softened butter

Whisk together the water and potato flakes.

Mix in the dry yeast and flour. Mix all the other ingredients together and add in. This requires a strong mixer!

Dust table with flour. Roll out dough. Spread butter on dough. Add sugar. Add cinnamon. Roll this sucker up and pop into the freezer to chill for about 10-15 minutes. I place mine on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 375.

Remove dough from freezer and cut into slices. Make them as thick or thin as you want. Bake 15-20 minutes on the parchment-lined cookie sheet.

* you could also add in raisins or walnuts

Pepperoni Bread

I grew up in West Virginia, home of the pepperoni roll. Coalminers took them in their lunches. I took them in my school lunches. And as an adult, I still love them. There is a great bakery near my parents that makes pepperoni rolls and my parents ship them to us by the dozen. Since I'll never get that recipe, I've tried my own variations. I refuse to make my own dough (that is probably the secret!) so these are fairly simple.

1 can refrigerated French bread dough
1 package sliced provolone cheese
sliced pepperoni
1 clove mashed garlic
4 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet.

Unroll dough and flatten slightly. Spread on half the butter with a pastry brush. Spread mashed garlic. Add cheese slices. Add pepperoni. Roll up the dough like you would a pumpkin roll. Cut a few slits on top of the roll. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Add the rest of the melted butter on top (makes it glisten). Let it stand for about 10 minutes before trying to slice it.

SECOND VERSION

1 can biscuits (I use Pillsbury butter flavored - DO NOT USE THE LAYERED KIND)
1 bag shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
pepperoni
* marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 8x8 glass dish and set aside.

Flatten each biscuit with your hands. Top with cheese and then add a few slices of pepperoni. Pull the dough around the filling and pinch the edges to form a ball. Place the balls in the dish ... they'll be a little snug.

Bake about 10 minutes until light golden brown. Then cover with foil and bake another 5-10 minutes.

* You can serve these warm and with marinara if you like. You could also add sauce into the dough, but that's not how we "roll" in West Virginia!!