Baking with Olivia and Caroline

May 2022 Recipe – Apple Pie Enchiladas

By Published On: April 29th, 2022

We first made this recipe years ago when there was some sort of celebration in a Spanish class. My kids were always bringing something into school for some function or another and it was always brought upon me at the last minute to whip something up for them to share. We always had apples on hand as their grandparents had a fruit farm. Apples, cherries, peaches, pears, and grapes. It was such a treat to go into the orchard and pick from the tree or vine whatever was in season.

Do parents still bring in baked goods for functions or is that not a thing anymore? I do recall that as my kids were getting older, the school was encouraging store bought items instead of homemade. I much rather prefer making something from scratch to avoid things like preservatives, artificial flavorings, and unknown ingredients. Plus, if you have kids, it is so nice to spend quality time with them in the kitchen. Two of my three daughters are very good cooks/bakers, and the other is a very good eater who enjoys anything that is prepared for her! She always volunteers to be a taste tester for any recipes we prepare. I think she enjoys the job title of “Chief Taste Tester!”

The best thing is…

What’s great about these apple enchiladas is that they could be enjoyed for not only dessert, but breakfast and brunch as well. This would be a lovely addition to any Mother’s Day brunch table this month.

Here’s a little helpful tip: When we make anything with apples, we always use a variety. Doing so provides a nice depth of flavor. Some of our favorites to bake with are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Macintosh, and Cortland. For this recipe we used: Granny Smith, Cortland, Macintosh and Honeycrisp.

This apple pie enchilada recipe makes eight enchiladas.

Apple pie filling:
3/4 cup of sugar
2 tbs flour
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
6-7 apples peeled and sliced
2 tbs butter
2 tbs apple juice

Add all ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan and cook over medium heat until the apples are softened and the sauce has thickened. 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook. You still want them to have some bite after baking in the oven.

Of course, if you are in a time crunch, you could use canned apple pie filling. But homemade is best. You can control the amount of sugar and apples and there aren’t any preservatives!

Sauce:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan over medium heat whisk together cinnamon, butter, both sugars, and apple juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 3 minutes, remove pan from burner and stir in vanilla.

Assembling the enchiladas:

Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Take eight tortillas and spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of pie filling evenly down the tortilla. Place it slightly off center closest to you. Roll tortillas up without tucking in edges and place seam side down in the baking dish. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp of cinnamon on top.

Pour the sauce over enchiladas and let stand for 30-45 minutes. (Don’t skip this step). Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until golden. Baste them a few times while baking to ensure a nice caramelized tortilla with no dry spots.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. If you really want to indulge, add some homemade caramel sauce to it too!

Olivia and Caroline are enthusiastic foodies and bakers who are constantly in the kitchen, as well as explorers who create their own adventures in our area – and did we mention they are mother and daughter? Follow Olivia on Instagram to see her many creations at @oliviawvalentine.