Happy memories of eating at The Pie in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's a dank underground hang-out that makes some of the best pizza in the United States.  Spend some time there and you'll find yourself writing on the walls, choosing some music from the jukebox, and wishing someone (especially that cute guy in the corner) would just look back. Always order a smaller pizza than you intended so you have some room for their delicious Cinn-A-Part dessert pizza. It is heaven where heaven would never dare tread. Or come to my house and I'll make you my version - I call them Cinnamon Twists. They're reminiscent of your visit to The Pie and you'll be glad you came by for a visit.  But please don't write on the walls.

Cinnamon Twists
Dough:
1 C             Warm Water
2  t             Yeast (If you use yeast cakes - use one cake)
1½  T         Sugar
2  T            Oil
1 t              Salt
2 ½ - 3 C   Flour

Mix the water, yeast, and sugar. Let it set until the yeast activates (5 minutes).  Using a mixer with a dough hook, add oil, salt, and 1 C flour. Mix well. Add flour ½ cup at a time until the dough is slightly sticky and no longer clings to the bowl.  No need to let it rise.  Roll the dough thin into a rectangle shape. Cut the dough into ½ inch strips.

Do the Twist:
¾  C    Sugar
1   T    Cinnamon
½  C  Butter

Preheat oven to 375°.  Melt the butter in a shallow bowl.  Mix the sugar and cinnamon on a large plate.  Dredge a dough strip in the butter. Coat it well in the cinnamon mixture.  Fold the strip in half (I stretch it a little) and twist it.  Place on  a parchment-lined cookie sheet (you can skip the parchment if you’d like but it helps with clean up).  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.  Cook for 40 minutes. They will still look a little pale but the edges and tails will be golden.

Icing

While the twists are cooking, mix:
1  C      Powdered sugar
1½  T Milk
½ t      Vanilla
with a fork.  When the twists come out of the oven, drizzle the icing over them and enjoy!




                                                                                                                                             Makes 10-12 twists.

Berry Cobbler Recipe

4 cups Fresh or Frozen Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Rhubarb
1/4 C softened Butter
1 1/2 C Sugar - divided
1/2 C Milk
1 C Flour
2 t. Baking Powder
Dash  Salt
1 t. Vanilla extract
1/2 C  Warm Water

Batter:

 Mix butter, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla with a fork.

Assembly:

Line an 8 inch or 9 inch baking dish with raspberries. Spread batter evenly over fruit. Mix 1 C sugar and water and pour over batter.

Bake:

1 hour@ 350 degrees
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Serves 8-9

I love this season!  With autumn, comes the falling leaves, clear blue skies, comfy sweaters and the feeling of settling into home and hearth. I cherish memories of hiking with my daughters and collecting brilliantly hued leaves while talking about love, life, and good books. After a long hike we would often head home and make some apple dumplings for a before-dinner treat (yes, we often cheat and eat dessert first). Oh, what happy memories: the warm spicy smell of cinnamon and baked apples wafting through the air; the laughter as we worked together to simultaneously prepare the crust, sauce, and apples; the rush of heat when we opened out the oven to claim our treasures. Apple Dumplings with vanilla ice cream is a treat that is easy to make and oh so delicious. You should give it a try today! 

Apple Dumplings
Ingredients:
6 apples*
1 C. sugar
2 ¼ C. water
3 Tbs butter
3/8 tsp. cinnamon
3 C. flour
1 ½ C. lard or shortening
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ C. iced water
2/3 C sugar
1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions:
Sauce:  Boil 1 C. sugar, 2 ¼ C water, 3 Tbs butter, and 3/8 tsp. cinnamon in a small saucepan, and then set aside. 

Cinnamon/Sugar Mixture:  mix 2/3 C sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.

Crust:  In a medium mixing bowl mix together the flour and salt and then cut in the shortening. Add the iced water and mix it together then roll and cut it into 6 thick crusts (sized to wrap one apple per crust). 

Assemble:  Peel and core the apples.  Then take one apple and place it in the center of a crust and wrap the crust tightly around it, leaving the top unsealed.  Fill the apple center with the cinnamon/sugar mixture and put a pat of butter on the top (make sure you leave space for the butter inside the apple).  Then seal the top of the crust around the apple.  Place the dumpling in a baking dish and repeat with the other five apples, making sure their sides aren’t touching in the dish. Pour the Sauce over the prepared apples, letting it pool in the bottom of the pan. Bake immediately at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (my grandma always liked it with sweetened condensed milk, but I like ice cream better.)

*If you aren’t sure about the best variety of apple some of the best varieties for the apples are golden delicious, jonathons, or winesaps. Also, select small to medium sized apples for best results