Martin's Hillside Orchard

Explore the Orchard

Easy Apple Tart

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This tart is beyond simple to make but it looks very sophisticated and it tastes divine. I seriously can’t believe I just made this! No, really, I keep looking in the fridge to make sure it is still there and I didn’t imagine it. What is going on?

Yes, that’s the theme of this season’s recipes – Easy. But surprisingly, just because it is quick to make doesn’t necessarily lessen the taste or plate appeal. Thanks to The Pioneer Woman!

The recipe basics: Slice the apples; toss in sugar with a bit of salt; place on puff pastry sheet; bake; and most, importantly, Enjoy!  Yes, that’s really all there is to it.

I think we are now going to start keeping a package or two of puff pastry sheets in the freezer. A person could do this with peaches. Or maybe, a peach/raspberry combination. Would be delish!

 

Raspberry Shrub

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Want a cool refreshing drink that is perfect for a hot day? Start with a raspberry shrub (a mix of berries, sugar and vinegar) add ice and sparkling water. Kick it up a notch with your favorite liqueur if you like

Below are some photos of the shrub-making process. Super easy, just need to work ahead and definitely worthwhile having some cheese cloth on hand.

 

Adding sugar to the crushed berries
Here is a pic of the shrub as a finished product – had to act quick before we used it all up in cool drinks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cream Pie

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We decided to try out another “Pioneer Woman” recipe. You can pretty much rely on her to deliver something scrumptious and fairly buttery 😉 And, this recipe does not disappoint.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Unintended Short-cut: We  could only find instant pudding in the little country store in our town, so we went with that. On the upside, that substitution allowed us to skip the cooking process. We just mixed the instant pudding with the half-and-half/whipping cream and added the canned pumpkin. The texture seemed just fine and it saved a few steps.

My that homemade graham cracker crust is just delicious!

And, who doesn’t love adorning with crushed grahams?

We probably should have added a dollop of whipped cream on top for the photo-op. Next time, next time.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

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This scrumptious offering is from the Food Network’s “Pioneer Woman”. The cake is super moist and the cream cheese frosting is divine. The finished product is almost candy-like.

If you are looking for something that comes together quickly but still tastes fantastic, you should give this a try!

FYI – The sheet pan Ree references is 18 x 13 inches. If you don’t have anything that particular size, a 9 x 13 baking dish would work. You’d just need to plan on baking it a bit longer.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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Can you say “homemade dough”? Yes, that’s what we are talking about. Not something to do every day but if you have some extra time, say on a rainy weekend, it is worth a go.

Making this recipe required several trips to the store due to lack of planning on the part of said “test kitchen”. I find it frustrating when you think to get the special ingredients but assume the staples are in ready supply back at home, only to find out they are NOT.

Please forgive the missing piece in the back left of this photo. We just couldn’t wait for the camera shot to try a bite. Tasty. Love the pumpkin spice flavor and the gorgeous color!