I was looking for something sweet, but not too sweet – chocolate was preferable. I had some chocolate chips in the pantry and some puff pastry in the freezer – it was a perfect marriage!
I used some of the flour to roll out the pastry
After letting the puff pastry thaw (it takes about 30-40 minutes at room temperature), I rolled it out a bit and cut it into rectangles.
For each rectangle, I added a few chocolate chips and rolled the pastry up.
I placed the rolled pastries on parchment paper on a sheet pan. I put a simple egg wash on the pastries and baked them in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.
After taking them out of oven, I sifted some powdered sugar over top. They were very similar to a chocolate croissant.
This couldn’t be an easier, or more tasty, quick dessert or snack!
I’ve mentioned the delicious seasonal spreadable cheeses from Alouette that I’ve found at Aldi. One of them, and perhaps my favorite, is the caramel apple flavor.
I decided to make a quick breakfast for my daughter this morning, using the spreadable cheese, apple and puff pastry – enter Caramel Apple Pinwheels.
No real recipe here – but, just take your thawed puff pastry and lay it out flat.
Spread some of the caramel apple spreadable cheese on top of the pastry.
I wanted to add some very thinly sliced apples to the pastry, so I used my mandolin to ensure that I got thin slices.
I added the apples on top of the caramel apple cheese spread and sprinkled with a little cinnamon.
Then rolled the pastry. This is why you want thinly sliced apples, so that it isn’t too difficult to roll up.
Then slice it into 9 rolls.
Bake in a 425 degree oven (my oven runs a little cooler, so you may want to do 400 degrees) for 23 minutes.
Once the pinwheels were done, I drizzled on some melted Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Spread over top.
I would feel silly acting as though this is a recipe – it’s not difficult enough to be a recipe – so, let’s just call it ‘the sharing of an idea’, shall we?
As I mentioned before, in this post for my Apple and Pumpkin Spice Strudel, I found some Alouette Pumpkin Spice spreadable cheese at my local Aldi. I decided to use it with some refrigerated crescent rolls and a simple glaze.
All that I did was to unroll the pastries, add in the pumpkin spice spread, rolled up the rolls – and baked per the instructions on the can of crescent rolls.
While the rolls were baking, I made a simple powdered sugar glaze (no measurements – I just added heavy cream to a small amount of powdered sugar, until it was the correct consistency.
When the rolls came out of the oven, I immediately put the glaze over them, so it was melty (is that a word? it should be!) and delicious!
A week or so ago, I found the Pumpkin Spice Alouette Spreadable Cheese in my local Aldi. Since then, I’ve been trying to think of how I might use this cheese in recipe – did I want to try for something savory (the cheese is sweet on it’s own) or do a dessert of sweet dish.
This morning, I decided – sweet – and I wanted to pair it with apples. Yes, yes, I know – I’ve been on a huge apple kick lately – my oldest child reminded me of this – but, it is apple season, after all! I have no shame about it, at all!
I started by slicing 4 -5 small apples (I combined a couple honey crisp with whatever ‘baking apples’ that Walmart had on sale, in a bag, last week), thinly.
In a large bowl, I combined the apples with cinnamon, white sugar, brown sugar and flour.
After mixing well, I let the apple mixture sit while I prepped the rest of the strudel.
I used a store bought, refrigerated, pie crust. I just rolled it out on parchment paper, then added 2 tbsp of the Alouette Pumpkin Spice Spreadable Cheese to the center of the pie crust.
I topped the cheese, with the apple mixture.
Then, I closed up the strudel. You can do a full closure by just folding over the pie crust (and put a couple slits to vent the strudel) – or do what I did, and do small slices on either side of the apples and the overlap the slices, in the center.
I then topped the strudel with an egg wash and sprinkled on some sugar. I placed the strudel (with the parchment paper) onto a baking pan and baked in a 425 degree oven, for approximately 30 minutes. Once your pie crust is golden brown, you’ll know you’re good to go!
After removing the strudel from the oven, I let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then, I topped it with melted Cinnamon Bun Spread from Trader Joe’s.
Easy Apple and Pumpkin Spice Strudel
1 refrigerated pie crust 3-4 apples (sliced thin) 2 tbsp Pumpkin Spice Alouette Cheese 1/4 cup sugar (+ 1/2 tbsp for top of strudel) 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour 1/2 tbsp cinnamon Juice of 1 small lemon (or 1/2 larger lemon) 2 tbsp Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Spread
Slice apples thin
Mix apples with sugars, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice – set aside
Roll out room temperature pie crust
Put room temperature Pumpkin Spice Alouette Cheese onto middle of pie crust
Top Alouette Cheese with apple mixture
Close pie crust, as you wish (I did small slices on each side and tried to overlap them at the center – I left the ends open, for a more rustic appearance)
Brush top of strudel with an egg wash
Sprinkle sugar over top
Bake in 425 degree oven, for 30 minutes (or until the pie crust is golden brown)
In microwave, melt 2 tbsp of the Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Spread and drizzle over top of strudel, prior to serving.
I have been on a bit of an apple kick – but, I also recently bought some peaches when I was at the grocery store, so I thought that I’d do something with the peaches and one of the apples that I had on hand. Originally, I thought about a traditional pie – but, decided to do a rustic tart, instead.
In addition to the peaches and the apples, I had some delicious peach jam that I decided to use in this recipe – just 2 tablespoons, but it made such a huge impact in the flavor!
I started by slicing up the peaches and the apples (pretty thinly) and then tossing them with the cinnamon, sugar and corn starch. I set the mixture aside, to let it macerate while I prepped the rest of the tart.
I heated up the peach jam, in the microwave, just to thin it out a bit.
After rolling out the pie crust (you’ll want to let it get about to room temperature, to make it easier to work with), I added a bit of the peach jam to the bottom, then piled on the fruit mixture, topped with the remaining peach jam (it’s thin enough to just pour over, after microwaving for a few seconds) turning the edges of the pie crust up over the fruit. As a finishing touch, I applied an egg wash (just a whisked egg, with a bit of water) to the edges of the tart and topped with about 1 tbsp sugar – spreading the sugar over the edges of the tart and the exposed fruit.
I baked the tart in a 400 degree oven, for about 30 minutes – or until the pie crust was golden brown.
Rustic Peach and Apple Tart
3 peaches, sliced 1 large granny smith apple, sliced 1 refrigerated pie crust, let sit out until it is at room temperature 1/4 cup sugar (+ 1 tbsp for top of tart) 1/2 tbsp cinnamon 1/2 tbsp corn starch 2 tbsp peach jam Egg wash
Slice peaches and apple
Add 1/4 cup sugar, corn starch and cinnamon to a bowl, with the fruit and stir well – sit aside
Heat up peach jam in microwave, just to thin it out a bit
Roll out pie crust, on baking pan (I put it on some parchment paper for easier clean up)
Put a little of the thinned peach jam in the middle of the pie crust (leaving about 2 inches on outside of crust) – keep remainder!
Pile fruit into the center of the pie crust, keeping the same 2 inches on outside of crust
Pour remaining
Fold up the edges of the pie crust, around the fruit
Apply egg wash to folded up edges, and sprinkle sugar over entire tart
Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until pie crust is golden brown
Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into the tart
Michelle Can Cook! 