Copeland's of New Orleans Hot Crab Claws

I went to Copeland's with a friend a while back and we ordered the Hot Crab Claws for our appetizer. I never had them before and boy, I really missed out all these years! They were divine! Doing what I always do when I find a new dish I love, I picked through it figure out what was in it. That evening I looked on the internet and I found Copeland's recipe! It's so easy to make and if you buy enough claws, you can make a meal off this with a nice salad to go with it. If you can't find crab claws, they can be substituted with crawfish or shrimp. Enjoy!

Copeland's of New Orleans Hot Crab Claws

2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
6 ounces fresh crab claws, crawfish tails or shrimp
3 ounces chicken stock
1 ounce Italian dressing

Place seasoning, herbs, garlic and half the butter in a preheated skillet; saute until butter is melted. Add seafood, chicken stock and Italian dressing; increase heat to high and toss until seafood is cooked through. Add remaining butter; swirl into the sauce. Do not boil. Serve immediately with buttered and toasted French Bread slices.

Apple Bread

I love apple bread any time of the year! More importantly, I love the warmth it brings to my home and that wonderful apple cinnamon aroma that lingers for a day after! Through the years, I've tried several recipes until I finally found this one and it's the best I've ever had! This recipe is very moist, wonderfully soft and best enjoyed with a cup of hot tea in the winter or sweet iced tea in the summer.

8 Tbsp butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 apples (Any apple will do, I prefer JonaGold)
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4-6 oz chopped pecans (optional)

Peel and core the apples. Dice into small cubes, set aside. Mix softened butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs and milk, mix well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to the butter and sugar mixture and blending well. Mix in the apples. Lightly mix in the optional pecans. Carefully pour mixture evenly into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 350 F for one hour. Remove from oven and let rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool.

***If your oven runs hot, it's been cooking less than an hour and the bread looks ready, reduce the heat to 300 F or lower and continue cooking for an entire hour or your bread will be raw in the center.