From the 'Burg to Your Kitchen

‘Tis the season for the best time of the year in my opinion. Fall is here! Time for football, hoodies and leaves! Fall also brings around a new slew of tasty recipes from my family’s kitchen to yours.

Apple Spiced Pancakes

Next week at Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center, my preschoolers will be starting to learn about A – for apple. I think that besides pumpkins, that apples are quintessential fall food.

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon, divided

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

4 Tbsp. butter, divided

1 large egg, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/4 cup milk

4 large apples; peeled, cored and finely chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder, 1 tsp. cinnamon, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter. In a large bowl, whisk to combine egg yolk, vanilla, milk and melted butter. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, then fold in 1-1/2 cups chopped apple.

In another medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter gently with a spatula.

Make apple topping: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter, add remaining apples, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 cup water. Cook until apples have softened, 10-15 minutes.

In a frying pan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Pour about 1/4 cup pancake batter into pan, flip until both sides are golden. Serve pancakes topped with apple mixture.

Apple Cider Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 apples sliced

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary

Kosher salt, black pepper

6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

2/3 cups apple cider

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. grainy mustard

1 Tbsp. butter

3 rosemary sprigs, for skillet

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, add potatoes, apples and chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss.

In a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining olive oil. Add chicken and sear, skin side down until golden, about 2 minutes.

Remove chicken from heat while you make glaze. In the same skillet, add apple cider, honey, and grainy mustard. Bring mixture to a rapid simmer and cook until mixture has reduced and then whisk in butter.

Return chicken to the skillet, skin side up, and scatter sweet potato mixture and rosemary sprigs around the chicken, turn off heat and transfer the entire skillet to the oven.

Bake until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve with pan drippings.