5 Spice Apple Hand Pies

Think light, delicious, crispy little individual apples you can hold in your hands.  

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced small
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice powder – go with me on this
• Pinch Kosher salt 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup caramel sauce
• Turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Put apples, lemon juice, sugar 5 spice & salt in a bowl – mix well to combine
3. Breathe it in, it smells uhmazing
4. Unfold pastry and roll out until slightly larger all around 
5. Using a cooking cutter or a glass, cut out an even amount of 4 inch circles - you should get 8-10 from each sheet
6. Line a baking tray with parchment or use a silpat and lay down ½ of the circles
7. Top with a some of the apple, being sure to leave a border at the edges
8. Add about a teaspoon of caramel to each pile of apples, and top with remaining pastry
9. Use a fork to seal the edges, brush top with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar
10. Bake until gorgeous, golden brown and crispy.

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Watch me make 'em...

Butter Tarts

The quintessential Canadian dessert? Yes or no, it’s still crazy delicious… eh.  

Makes approximately 12

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pre-made pie crusts, rolled out to approximately 14 inches in diameter
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup softened Finlandia butter*
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pecan halves
• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cut pie dough into 3 ½ inch circles, and fit into cups in amuffin pan
3. Put remaining ingredients in a bowl, except pecans and mix very well to combine – then stir in pecans
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full and bake approximately 20 minutes
5. Let them cool in the pan about 10 minutes before carefully removing and eating…if you can wait the 10 min

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WATCH HOW EASY THEY ARE TO MAKE...

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*Finlandia Butter can be found at Vons, Albertsons and Safeway. Finlandia Cheeses are also available, in Southern California at Costco and other fine retailers.

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(Faux) Ginger Creme Brûlée

Ok, here's the deal. Creme Brûlée is a pain in the ass to make - no doubt about it. My version is not a pain at all. It doesn't exactly replace the real thing - but it's pretty darn close.

Ingredients

• One 3.5 Kraft Vanilla Snack Pack Pudding, well chilled
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Sugar

Directions

1. Mix pudding and ginger well in a small bowl
2. Fill a small ramekin about 2/3 full with pudding and smooth over the top, refrigerate at least 1 hour
3. Remove from fridge, sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top
4. Using a plumbers torch or small culinary torch, burn the top to a golden brown
5. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes
6. Serve...knowing some of your friends will think you worked your ass off making it

WATCH HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE...