The holidays are officially here and they aren't going anywhere!

Today I am here to make your mouths water, and get your desert tables ready for Christmas!

And of course, no, I am not a baker..but had so much fun learning from my friend Kendal today who is a beautiful baker. I swear she was a pastry chef in a past life. And her adorable little son Owen—well the apple doesn’t far from the tree.

We really hope you enjoy the pics and the recipes that we used. (all calorie free, of course-HA)

Apple Pie Recipe

FOR THE CRUST:

Ingredients

8 ounces low protein all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal Blue Label (1 2/3 cups; 225g), plus more for dusting
1/2 ounce sugar (1 tablespoon; 15g)
1 teaspoon (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
8 ounces unsalted, American-style butter, straight from the fridge (2 sticks; 225g), cold
4 ounces cold tap water (1/2 cup; 115g)

Directions

For the Dough: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut butter into cubes no smaller than 1/2-inch, and toss with flour mixture to break up the pieces. With your fingertips, smash each cube flat—that's it! No rubbing or cutting. Stir in water, then knead dough against the sides of the bowl until it comes together in a shaggy ball. Dough temperature should register between 65 and 70°F (18 and 21°C); if not, refrigerate briefly before rolling and folding.
Make the Layers: On a generously floured work surface, roll dough into a roughly 10- by 15-inch rectangle. Fold the 10-inch sides to the center, then close the newly formed packet like a book. Fold in half once more, bringing the short sides together to create a thick block. Divide in half with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Dough temperature should still be somewhere between 65 and 70°F (18 and 21°C); if not, refrigerate briefly before proceeding .
For Single-Crusted Pies: Using as much flour as needed, roll one piece into a 14-inch circle; this size allows ample room to line the pie plate, with enough overhang to form a generous border. At smaller sizes, the dough will fall short, making it difficult to shape the edges, and the thicker dough will not crisp as intended. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; the dough should be easy to handle, and will not require any special procedures to move. Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush, using it to nestle dough into the very corners of the pan. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 1/4 inches all around. Fold overhang over itself to create a thick border that sits on the top edge of the pie plate, not below. Crimp or shape crust as desired. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Use as directed in your favorite recipe.
For a Double-Crusted Pie: Using as much flour as needed, roll one piece into a 14-inch circle; this size allows ample room to line the pie plate, with enough overhang to form a generous border. At smaller sizes, the dough will fall short, making it difficult to seal the edges, and the thicker dough will not crisp as intended. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; the dough should be easy to handle, and will not require any special procedures to move. Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush, using it to nestle dough into the very corners of the pan. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 1/4 inches all around. For a solid top crust, roll remaining dough as before; for a lattice-top pie, roll into a 9- by 15-inch rectangle instead. Transfer to a baking sheet or parchment-lined cutting board. (The parchment will prevent dough from absorbing any savory odors from the board.) Wrap both portions in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Use as directed in your favorite recipe; after filling the pie and sealing the crusts together, refrigerate 30 minutes before baking.
For a Blind-Baked Pie: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line chilled pie shell with a large sheet of aluminum foil, pressing so it conforms to the curves of the plate (a second sheet of aluminum may be needed for full coverage). Fill to the brim with sugar, transfer to a half sheet pan, and bake until fully set and golden around the edges, 60 to 75 minutes. Fold long sides of foil toward the middle, gather short sides, and use both hands to carefully transfer sugar to a heat-safe bowl. Let sugar cool to room temperature. If needed, continue baking crust a few minutes more to brown along the bottom.

FOR THE FILLING

Ingredients:

3 1/2 lb.

assorted apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala) cored, peeled, and thinly sliced

2 tbsp.

freshly-squeezed lemon juice

2/3 c.

granulated sugar

2 tbsp.

all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 tsp.

cinnamon

1/2 tsp.

vanilla extract

1/4 tsp.

kosher salt

2 tbsp.

unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1

egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water (egg wash)

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Filling Instructions:

In a large bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Transfer apple mixture into the crust-lined pie dish. Dot all over with butter.

Roll out second disc of dough into a 12” circle and drape over apple filling, trim edges to 1”, tuck overhang up and over itself, and crimp edges. Brush with egg wash and make six 2” slots in the center. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Place pie onto preheated baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375º and bake until golden and bubbly, 40 minutes more. (If edges begin to look dark, cover with foil.)
Let cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours before serving.

Have extra dough to make your leaf shapes!

To make the leaves, we used a pie crust cutter set from Amazon! The cutters are available in several different leaf designs and sizes and the button-top, spring-action design allows you to imprint the dough with the leaf veining. Just position the leaves in a way that bests suits you.

CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE

For the Dough:

1 cup scalded whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
2 large eggs
4+ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt

For the Cinnamon Filling:

1 cup brown-sugar packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

For the Creamy Glaze:

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Set the butter, eggs and cream cheese out to warm to room temperature. Place the milk in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. The moment it reaches a boil, remove from heat. (This process is called scalding, and it ensures the milk doesn't effect the yeast's ability to rise. Don't skip!)
Pour the hot milk into the bowl of an electric mixer and add 1/2 cup butter, to bring the temperature down. Stir and allow the butter to melt completely. Then stir in the sugar. Touch the milk mixture to test the temperature. It should be close to luke warm. If it is not, add 1/2 cup flour and test again. Once it is just above room temperature, stir in the yeast and let it foam for approximately 10 minutes. (Hot liquid can kill yeast.)
Place the bread hook on the mixer and turn on low. Add the eggs, salt, and remaining flour up to 4 cups. Allow the mixer to "knead" the dough until it pulls away from the sides. Run the mixer for approximately 10 minutes to allow the dough to stretch and develop the gluten. If the dough seems too sticky after the first 2-3 minutes add an additional 1/4 cup flour. After 10 minutes, turn the mixer off. Cover the top with plastic, and allow the dough to rise until double in size, approximately 60-90 minutes in a warm kitchen.
For the Cinnamon Filling: Mix the brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.
Dump the inflated dough out on a well-floured work surface. Fold into thirds and press flat. Then turn and fold into thirds again and press into a rectangle. Roll the rectangle out into a large 16 X 20 inch sheet.
Using a large flat spreader, spread the cinnamon filling over the sheet into a thin layer. Leave 1 1/2 inches bare (cinnamon-free) on one long edge. Be careful not to gouge holes in the dough. Starting at the cinnamon-covered long edge, roll the dough sheet tightly toward the uncovered edge to form a long tight log. Place a piece of parchment paper in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Then cut the log into 12 equal rolls. Tuck the loose end under each roll to secure it, and place them in the baking dish to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Allow the rolls to rise for at least 30 minutes while the oven heats. Then bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are barely golden and the center of each roll is puffed high up.
For the Creamy Glaze: While the rolls are in the oven, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until completely smooth. The moment the rolls come out of the oven, gently spread half the glaze over the tops and allow it to seep down into the cracks. Five minutes later, add more glaze if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

And I promise to share Kendal’s famous oatmeal cookie recipe soon too!!!