Cherry-Cheese Galette and Cherished Memories

My mom, hands down is one of the most great pie makers out there.  In fact everyone I know in Alaska (excluding me) knows how to make great pies.  My friends Felicia and Toni are incredible bakers and can whip out any kind of pie out there.  I never picked up the knack for it, and through the years have take the "semi-homemade" approach when it comes to pies.

My fondest memory of my mom making pies is the leftover pie dough.  She would gather all the extra dough pieces, let nothing ever go to waste and put them together in a little crust dessert for me.  My mom would shape it like a calzone, fill it with butter and sprinkled it all over with her special cinnamon/sugar blend.  She would bake it off and I couldn't wait to eat it.  Did your mom or grandma ever make this? 

This dessert (which my husband is now debating with and telling me that it should be served as a breakfast pastry) brings the warmth and goodness of my mom's cherry pie and blends it with my favorite...cheesecake.  So, whether you have it with breakfast or as a dessert, I hope you enjoy the comfort that it gives me.

Cherry-Cheese Galette

(1) refrigerated ready-made pie crust (like Pillsbury)

1/2 can cherry pie filling

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

pinch of grated nutmeg

Cinnamon/Sugar Blend

1 part - cinnamon

3 part - granulated sugar

(Put both ingredients in a resealable container, like Tupperware and shake well, until completely mixed). You will have leftover blend, depending on your proportions.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. 

To make the filling, whisk the cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar and nutmeg in a bowl.  Set aside.

Roll out the pie crust on the parchment paper into a 12-inch round. 

 Spread 3/4 of the cream cheese filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border.

Top with the cherry pie filling.  

Fold the edge of the dough over the filling.

Drizzle the remaining cream cheese filling over the cherries.

Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons of the cinnamon/sugar mixture, 

all over the crust, cherries and cream cheese topping.

Put an inverted baking sheet in the lower third of the oven.  Put the baking sheet with the galette directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven.  Bake until the crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm.

One Year Ago: Pasta E Fagioli Soup

Apple Of My Eye Dumplings

Fall is here...no wait, winter is here...no, now fall is back.  Once again our unpredictable Colorado weather served a whopping quick storm through here this week.  We woke up Friday morning to the biggest snowflakes I have ever seen.

The mornings are so crisp and there is a light layer of frost on the grass and farmlands.  The squirrels are feverishly trying to gather everything they possibly can, including my remaining garden items, thank you very much.  They are running around all over our yard, jumping from tree to tree and getting ready for the winter.

Not to worry though, the sun has burned off much of the frost and husband is playing in the season's last golf tournament this morning.  One teenager has slept in and the other early bird teen got up and wanted to cook together.

When fall sets in, I always go into my nesting mode, just like my friendly squirrels.  I want warmth and comfort aromas running through the house at all times.  I bake, bake and try to find fall harvest dishes to warm our bodies.

When the kitchen is not going full throttle, we build fires.  Last night we even had our first fire in our brick lined fireplace.  As my husband puts it though, he says I like a nice "bonfire" going all night.  Well perhaps I do go a little bit overboard on the logs and flames.  (You should see me when we go camping...you could land a plane with our campfires by the light that they give off).

This morning we made these wonderful buttery apple dumplings.  A little challenging for the teenager as the biscuit dough can get a little sticky, but she did great and they tasted amazing.  This dish is perfect for a brunch or overnight company.

Roll apple into blanket of biscuit.

Start lining up these little bundles.

Pour the vanilla-butter sauce.

Add a kiss of sugar and cinnamon.

Makes you forget the chill outside.

Apple Dumplings
Adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Lemon
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter
1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
8 Canned Buttermilk Biscuits
4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Peel, core and slice the apples vertically into 8 slices each.  Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of water and add the apple slices to keep from turning brown.

In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the butter and vanilla.  Bring the sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat, so it thickens to a nice sauce.

Separate each biscuit into 2 layers.  Wrap a biscuit layer around a slice of apple, stretching the biscuit slightly to overlap and seal on the bottom.  Place the wrapped slices, sealed-side down in a 9x12x2 casserole dish.  Pour the hot sugar-butter mixture over the apple slices.  Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the tops of the wrapped apples.  Bake until golden brown, approximately 35 minutes.