Tortilla Cups (with Cinnamon Apples)

The Hubs & I spent the weekend at our lake house in deep East Texas (more commonly referred to as The Piney Woods). Its in the middle of nowhere, on the most beautiful lake in all of Texas. When we pull into town, it seems like life slows down a bit. People ride around in golf carts & 4 wheelers while discussing the best fishing spots & latest town gossip. We've gotten to know the guy who sells us minnows & worms at the "Needmore Tackle Store" and the lady that owns "The Dam Liquor Store."

In that area your dining options include a place called "The Stump" (restaurant by day, bar by night), pizza from the Valero or BBQ being served out of a trailer by a woman wearing a bikini. (I kid you not...I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. I won't even get into how good the people watching is in this area). Needless to say, we make most of our meals at the house (although Bikini Lady does make a good BBQ sandwich).

Last week, while thumbing through my magazines and trying to put together a list of what The Hubs and I would eat throughout the weekend, I came across a recipe for Tortilla Cups from Martha. Basically, you take a tortilla, press it down into a muffin cup, bake it until it's crisp and fill with whatever your heart desires. This weekend, I made my own variation (filled with cinnamon apples & Cool Whip) and they turned out so tasty!

Tortilla Cup Ingredients:

* 4 Flour Tortillas (6-inch)
* Butter or Margarine
* 1/4 Cup Sugar
* 1 Tbsp Cinnamon

Apple Filling Ingredients (for 4 Tortilla Cups) :

* 1 Large Apple
* 2 Tbsp Cinnamon Sugar Mixture, left over from above
* 1 Tbsp Butter
* Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1 Tbsp. cinnamon & pour onto a plate.


3. Lightly butter both sides of a tortilla.


4. Press the tortilla into the cinnamon sugar. Flip & press the other side into the cinnamon sugar.


5. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

6. Lay the tortillas over a muffin tin (tortillas will overlap) and bake for 3 minutes, until tortillas are soft & pliable.



7. Remove from oven & gently press each tortilla into a muffin cup so that the sides fold up & form a cup. You may want to use a glass to help you press the tortillas into the cups.



8. Bake until tortillas are crisp and edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from muffin cups immediately & set aside to cool.


9. Fill with desired topping. In this case, that would be cinnamon apples...

10. To make cinnamon apples, thinly slice your apples & toss with cinnamon sugar.



11. Melt butter in a saute pan & add the apples.


12. Cook, stirring often, until apples are tender & the sauce is bubbly.


13. To serve, place a dollop of Cool Whip in each Tortilla Cup, top with Cinnamon Apples and another dollop of whip cream!


My Tid-Bits:

* There are endless possibilities for filling the Tortilla Cups: ice cream, whip cream, yogurt, berries, peaches, chopped candies, nuts, etc.

* Leave the cinnamon sugar out of the recipe & make cups for mini taco salads, chicken salad, chili, appetizers, etc.

* You can vary your tortilla cup size by using smaller or larger muffin tins. Use a 3" round cookie cutter & mini muffin tin to make bite sized appetizers & desserts.

* These are perfect for a party because the cups can be made in advance. Store in an airtight container & fill when you are ready to serve them.

Enjoy!!

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