Topsy-Turvy Apple Pie and Upside Down Cake Martini for the Birthday Boy

Husband's birthday, done and checked off the December list.  His special day was finally here.  He is very low key about his birthday, especially since he shares it with Christmas and our twins' birthday all in the same month...but always a good sport about it.  I am quite jealous of him though, I have known him for twenty years and he hasn't aged a bit.  All the while I am dealing with more "highlights", wrinkles and sagging where I never did - just not fair, is it!!

My guy, back in the day...

After getting up before our coffee time I of course prepped and started his annual Puttanesca dish. (Nothing like the aroma of onions, garlic and anchovies before my eyes are completely open).  Later in the morning I surprised him at work with a pastry and coffee from our Romanian Bakery and we were lucky enough that our schedules afforded us to have lunch in Boulder at his Firehouse Subs.

...and here he is today.

After a hectic day I thought I would have fun with the cocktails and dessert.  He is not much of a cake guy (cheesecake excluded), so I found these fun play-on-words recipes with an upside down cocktail and apple pie.  At any age, it's still fun to be a kid and play with your food, right?

Upside Down Cake Martini

2 oz SMIRNOFF Iced Cake

1 oz orange juice

1 oz pineapple juice

Top off with club soda

Mix first 3 ingredients in martini shaker with ice - shake well.  Pour into chilled (and sprinkle rimmed) glass.  Top off with club soda and add a cherry and an orange slice.  Cheers!!

Topsy-Turvy Apple Pie
Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest Winner, 1951

Glaze and Crust:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® pecan halves
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (4 medium)

Topping

Whipped cream or french vanilla ice cream, if desired      

 

Heat oven to 425°F. In 9-inch glass pie plate, mix brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Spread evenly in bottom of pie plate. Arrange pecans over mixture. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie, placing bottom crust over mixture in pan.

In small bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon. Arrange half of apple slices in crust-lined pie plate. Sprinkle with half of sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining apple slices and sugar mixture. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

Place pie on sheet of foil on middle oven rack in oven; bake 8 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Immediately run knife around edge of pie to loosen. Place serving plate upside down over pie; turn serving plate and pie plate over. Remove pie plate. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream or ice cream.