Virtual Thanksgiving

(source)

This year, I get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice!

Why is that you ask? Well, because I’m participating in The Food Network’s  first Virtual Thanksgiving which will take place on November 16th at 12:00 EST.

The general idea is simple; a group of bloggers will come together online to share their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Aside from being fun, this is a great tool for anyone who is charged with bringing a dish or …*gah*… hosting dinner!

If you are one of those lucky folks, and don’t know what to make, check back with me tomorrow for scroll down to see a list of all the participants. If you can’t wait a day, you can check out my favorite holiday dessert, Swedish Apple Pie, today.

Yes, I know, I’ve done this one before. Don’t judge.

In all fairness, I chose to share this dish because it is a true representation of what I will be bringing to share with family and friends next Thursday.  Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this as much as we do!

(Please excuse the over exposed picture: this whole daylight savings thing is killing me and my point & shoot)

Swedish Apple Pie

Set your oven to 375 degrees and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. This will produce approximately 6 people and contains about 660 calories per serving (I use Calorie Count for this information)

The Topping:

• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup walnuts
• cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

The Apples:

• approximately 1 lb of peeled apples.
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 sugar
• cinnamon & nutmeg to taste

Directions:

Peel and slice your apples so that the pieces are roughly 1 inch cubes. Add apples to a casserole dish, or deep dish apple pie mold. Pour the 1/2 cup of sugar on top and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix the ingredients together and then slice the 1/2 stick of butter and place pats onto of mixture. I usually decrease this by half or omit completely because I find that the apples are juicy enough not to need the added fat.

Once your apple mixture is set, get to work on the batter. Mix the 1 stick of butter, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup walnuts and cinnamon and nutmeg together to form a batter that has a paste like consistency. Spread this on top of your apples, but do not mix into them.

Cook your dish at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. You can determine whether the pie is done by the color of the crust. A golden brown crust indicates a finished product. However, if you’re unsure of cooking times, insert a knife into the pie; if the apples are soft, the pie is finished. Take out, cool for 10-15 minutes and serve a la mode.

**Apple pies and crisps are notorious for boiling over. I recommend placing a baking pan under your dish to avoid spills in the oven.

The Food Network Virtual Thanksgiving Table

Cocktails, Appetizers, Soups and Salads:
Eat Be Mary: She’s Mulling It Over Wine
Cookistry: Bread With Ancient Grains
Celebrity Chefs and Their Gardens: The American Hotel Peconic Clam Chowder
Picky Eater Blog: Butternut Squash Soup With Thyme and Parmesan
Good Food Good Friends: Mushroom Soup

Mains:
Examiner.com: Grilled Quail with a Warm Beet, Frisée, and Pistachio Salad
She Wears Many Hats: Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey

Sides:
Living Mostly Meatless: Vegan-Friendly Corn Casserole
Healthy Green Kitchen: Red Kuri Squash Pie
The Naptime Chef: Crispy Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes
Gluten-Free Blondie: Apple and Cranberry Studded Stuffing
Eat Drink Man Woman Dogs Cat: Blue Cheese and Rosemary Celebration Potatoes
Burnt Lumpia: Turkey, Sweet Potato and Cranberry Empanadas
Panfusine: Pan Fried Polenta Seasoned With Cumin, Ginger & Black Pepper
Homemade Cravings: Warm Brussels Sprouts and Cranberry Slaw
Bakeaholic Mama: Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Crispy Prosciutto
Show Food Chef: Beer-Braised Brussels Sprouts
T’s Tasty Bits: Sweet Empanadas with Pumpkin and Lupini Beans Filling
The Amused Bouche Blog: Braised Kale
The Little Kitchen: How to Make the Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Desserts:
The Macaron Queen: Macaron Tower
Poet In The Pantry: Amaretto Apple Crisp
Farm Girl Gourmet: Pumpkin Coconut Panna Cotta
That’s Forking Good: Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Blondies
Out of the Box Food: Out of the Box Food Maple Pumpkin Pie
Cake Baker 35: Orange Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Lisa Michele: Pumpkin, Pecan, Cheesecake Pie
Food For My Family: Buttermilk Custard Pear Pie
Simple Bites: Black-Bottom Maple Pumpkin Pie
A Cooks Nook: Swedish Apple Pie
Yakima Herald: Pretzel Jell-O Salad
How Does She: Three of Our Favorite Desserts
Dollhouse Bake Shoppe: Thanksgiving Candy Bar Name Plates
Sweet Fry: Pumpkin Latte
Tasty Trials: Spiced Apple Panna Cotta With Caramelized Apples and Caramel Sauce
An Uneducated Palate: Puff Pastry Apple Tart
Frugal Front Porch: Mini Cheaty Cheesecakes

Even more:
Kitchen Courses: Thanksgiving for Six People Under $60
A Curious Palate: The Communal Table