What is your favorite thing to do with fall apples?

[marshcl]

Hi. I have found one Cooking Light recipe that I adore for using apples. It's the Old-Fashioned Cider-Gingerbread Bundt Cake. With apple season approaching, I'm wondering what other lip-smacking compliment-grabbing recipes you all swear by. I need ideas of what to do with tons of apples that I intend to bring back from apple picking in the upcoming weeks.

Thanks in advance.
Cathryn

[newbiker2003]

We eat em, make applesauce, apple bread (i use my zuch brd recipe and sub apples-i've tried others and this is my fav), apple crisp, baked apples...
I'm always looking for suggestions and in fact plan to make my first picking expedition this weekend...

[heavy hedonist]

I know I speak for many when I rave about the Cinnamon Apple cake from CL Oct. '97. It's one of the best cakes, period, tender & plenty appley.
That's why it made it to the Back to the Best feature; I'm pretty sure it's still up in the website, if not, let me know & I'll post it in. I'm looking for a good apple french toast, an overnight thing, that my man makes sometimes, and when i find it I'll post it here. --mari

[2HUNGRY!]

I just found out that the DH brought me home 15# of baking apples from the farm stand. I plan on canning some applesauce, but will watch this thread for other ideas.

There was an apple butter recipe sometime last year that I just loved.

I have been looking all over for a canning recipe that includes apples and cinnamon red hots (the candy). Does anyone have anything like that? It sounds so good to me.

[bobmark226]

RosieOne's Mulled Cider Compote:

Mulled Cider Compote

1/2 cup apple cider
3 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup mulling spices (orange and lemon peel, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, star anise etc...), wrap in coffee filter, tied with string
1/2 cup dried cherries
4 large apples, peeled and sliced
2 large pears, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup fig jam or spread
1/4 cup brown sugar
Splash of Brandy (optional)

1. Everything in crockpot, cook on low for at least 6 hours.

2. Before serving, transfer mixture into a medium sized heavy saucepan and simmer stovetop until juices thicken and reduce to a glaze.

3. Freezes well.

Bob Note: just about any jam or spread you have around works.

[heavy hedonist]

Oh, Bobmark, that cider compote looks good!

I just remembered my favorite roast chicken from my carnivore days-- a wonderful tasty chicken stuffed with spiced apples. It was my standby dinner intimate dinner party recipe-- never failed with anyone. From Madhur Jaffrey's Cookbook. It's written for two smaller chickens; I always made just one, but sauteed or baked the extra stuffing to serve alongside-- I'll give it as written.

ROAST CHICKENS STUFFED with SPICED APPLES

For the chickens: 2 chickens, 3 1/2 to 4lbs. each
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
salt& freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cayenne pepper

For the stuffing: 4 medium-sized hard, tart apples
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp EACH cayenne, thyme & cinnamon

Remove the innards from the chickens and pat dry. Mix oil and paprika in small bowl and brush onto chickens. Dust chickens with salt, lots of black pepper, cayenne and thyme, set aside.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F./230 C.
Peel the apples, core, and chop them into 1/4 inch dice. Put into a bowl, add all the other stuffing ingredients and toss to blend. Stuff inside the chickens, close cavities by overlapping skin and sticking toothpicks in it. Place chickens on a rack set over a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.**
Turn heat to 325 F/170 C, and bake for another 40-50 minutes, or until the legs move easily in their sockets, basting a few times with pan juices while baking. Let the chickens rest for 15 minutes before carving, remnove toothpicks. Serve stuffing along with the chicken.

**I never did the rack thing, just started the bird breast side down in a roasting pan and turned it when I turned down the oven temp. It's better with rice than potatoes, but mashed potatoes aren't bad, either.

[runningkitcat]

I like this CL recipe, though I often skip making the streusel. Good luck! - Wendy

Apple Muffins w/Walnut Streusel

Muffins:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups chopped Granny Smith apple ( 1 large)
1/2 cup golden raisins
Cooking spray

Streusel:
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 T chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare muffins, lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, flaxseed, and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine milk, orange juice, melted butter, vanilla, and eggs, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in apple and raisins. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

To prepare streusel, combine walnuts, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and chilled butter in a small bowl, stirring with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pans immediately; place on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 167(27% from fat); FAT 5g(sat 1.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 3.8g; CHOLESTEROL 27mg; CALCIUM 54mg; SODIUM 148mg; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.9g

Melissa B. Williams
Cooking Light, MAY 2005

[marshcl]

thank you all SO much for your suggestions... they all look so good. this will definitely get me started.

[deniseannsc]

I love to make the Overnight Apple Butter from CL using my crockpot.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Overnight Apple Butter

Recipe By omenica Marchetti "Apple Appelations"
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Crockpot

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
10 medium apples -- peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Combine all ingredients in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 10 hours or until apples are very tender.

Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; spoon one-third of apple mixture into sieve. Press mixture through sieve using the back of a spoon or ladle. Discard pulp. Repeat procedure with remaining apple mixture. Return apple mixture to slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon into a bowl; cover and chill up to a week.

Serving size: 1/4 cup.

Stovetop variation: Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 1 hour or until apples are very tender, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve as recipe instructs in Step 2. Return mixture to pan. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.

CALORIES 132 (0% from fat); FAT 0g; PROTEIN 0.1g; CARB 35.3g; FIBER 3.1g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 6mg; CALC 18mg

Source:
"Cooking Light Magazine, October 2004, page 129"
S(Formatted by):
"B. Zanzig"
Copyright:
"© 2004 by Southern Living, Inc."
Yield:
"4 cups"

NOTES : A mixture of apple varieties, rather than just one type, will produce apple butter with rich, complex flavor in this slow cooker recipe. Good choices include Esopus Spitzenburg, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Northern Spy, Rome, Stayman, Winesap, and York. Enjoy the apple butter over toast or English muffins, or serve it with pork chops or chicken.

[mrswaz]

Here 2Hungry!- I found this in the Ball Blue Book.

Apple Wedges in Cinnamon Red Hot Syrup

8 to 10 pounds apples
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon red hot candies
2 sticks cinnamon
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups vinegar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons red food coloring (optional)

Wash, core and peel apples. Cut apples lengthwise into eights. Treat to prevent darkening. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepot and bring slowly to a boil. Drain apple wedges. Add apple wedges to syrup mixture; cover and simmer 4 minutes. Pack hot apples into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup over apples, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Yield: about 6 pints

[Missi]

I love making homemade applesauce in the crockpot. I start this at night, let it cook while we are sleeping, and then serve it the next morning for breakfast with potato pancakes.

mmmmmm.......I HAVE to go pick some apples soon!

[Meg O'C]

Great thread - apples are about the only sign of fall I'm welcoming right now (I'm a summer girl!).

I know I speak for many when I rave about the Cinnamon Apple cake from CL Oct. '97. It's one of the best cakes, period, tender & plenty appley.
That's why it made it to the Back to the Best feature; I'm pretty sure it's still up in the website, if not, let me know & I'll post it in. I'm looking for a good apple french toast, an overnight thing, that my man makes sometimes, and when i find it I'll post it here. --mari

It is on the website - I hadn't made this in a couple of years, but made it last Sunday and brought it to work Monday for a colleague's birthday. It was a huge hit so I copied it from the site to e-mail to folks before the day was over.

Funny side note - my VP printed it out and brought it home to his wife thinking she might want to make it. He said she asked him, "Don't you have anything better to do at work?" I thought that was pretty funny.

Can't wait to try some of these other recipes - thanks for sharing all!

[2HUNGRY!]

Thank you so much Mrswaz! I don't know why I am craving these, but you know how it is once you get an idea in your head!

[heavy hedonist]

Not to overload this thread with my faves, but this is a perennial favorite here since G-man first made it to court me. In fact, I just suckered him into making it for me tomorrow for our 8th anniversary!

OVERNIGHT APPLE FRENCH TOAST


1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 lrg. tart apples, peeled & sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 eggs
1 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
9 slices day-old french bread bread (3/4-inch thick)

SYRUP:
1 C applesauce
1 10 oz. jar apple jelly
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

In a small saucepan, cook brown sugar, butter & corn syrup till thick, about 5-7 minutes. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 baking pan; arrange apples on top.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk & vanilla. Dip bread slices into into egg mixture for 1 minute; place over apples in a single layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before baking; bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 35-40 minutes, until hot and golden and just cooked through.
Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan, cook and stir over medium heat until hot. Serve over French toast. 3-4 servings.

[LLR]

Yesterday I made 2 apple recipes for a dinner party, one being an old favorite here on the CLBB, but a first for me, Warm Apple-Buttermilk Custard Pie, this was very good as I expected, definitely a repeat here.

Also I found a new recipe from Southern Living I wanted to try and these were delicious as well, I didn't make the full recipe, I cut it in half, both the muffins and the frosting, as I had 2 desserts, but wanted to have a choice selection of the two, being children were dining with us as well I decided to make muffin size desserts for them.

Caramel-Apple Muffins

1 (3-pound) bag small apples (12 to 14 apples)
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and divided
Quick Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)

Peel, core, and cut 4 apples into 24 (1/4-inch-thick) rings. Sauté apple
rings, in batches, in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat 1 to 2
minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet, and
place 1 apple ring in the bottom of each of 24 lightly greased muffin pan
cups.

Peel and finely chop enough remaining apples to equal 3 cups. Set aside.

Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to sugar mixture, stirring
just until blended. (Batter will be stiff.) Fold in finely chopped apples
and 1 cup pecans.

Spoon batter evenly over apple rings in muffin pan cups, filling cups
three-quarters full.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes
out clean. Remove muffins from pan, and cool, apple rings up, on a wire
rack.

Press the handle of a wooden spoon gently into the center of each apple
ring, forming a 1-inch-deep indentation in the muffins. Spoon warm Quick
Caramel Frosting evenly over muffins, filling indentations. Sprinkle evenly
with remaining 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.

Caramel-Apple Coffee Cakes: Omit apple rings, and prepare apple muffin
batter as directed. Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured
8-inch round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a
wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans, and cool
on wire racks. Spoon warm Quick Caramel Frosting evenly over coffee cakes;
sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/2 cups pecans. Makes 16 servings. Prep:
20 min., Bake: 50 min.

Apple Bread: Omit apple rings, Quick Caramel Frosting, and 1 1/2 cups
pecans on top. Prepare apple muffin batter as directed. Divide batter
evenly between 2 greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350°
for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks. Makes 2 (9-inch) loaves. Prep: 20
min., Bake: 1 hr.


Quick Caramel Frosting

Prep: 5 min., Cook: 10 min.

This recipe goes with Caramel-Apple Muffins

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan; bring to a boil,
stirring constantly, over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 to
5 minutes or until mixture reaches a pudding-like thickness. Remove from
heat.

Quick Caramel-Pecan Frosting: Prepare Quick Caramel Frosting as directed;
remove from heat, and stir in 1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans.

Quick Caramel-Coconut-Pecan Frosting: Prepare Quick Caramel Frosting as
directed; stir in 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut and 1 1/2 cups
chopped toasted pecans.


Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups

Contributor: Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2005

Yield: 2 dozen muffins

[stefania4]

Cranberry Applesauce! It's such a pretty red color; this year I plan to can some (since I learned how to can this year) for Christmas gifts.

[Luvinglife2001]

this is a very moist yummy cake and very easy to make

4 cups apples, chopped
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (nuts are optional)

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. While cake is baking, boil the following ingredients in a saucepan for 1 minute.

Icing:
1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour over hot cake.

[Angela]

Oh how I love autumn and making foods with apples in them...the kitchen always smells wonderful!

While I love tons of desserts with apples, my favorite to make (and eat!) is Barefoot Contessa's Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp (it's actually in the oven as I type)

5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun Apples
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x14x2 inch oval baking dish.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumble and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and back for one hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. serve warm.

[heavy hedonist]

I'm so glad to get a review of that APPLE BUTTERMILK CUSTARD PIE. i've been meaning to make it, mabye today is the Day!!! Thanks, mari

[Luvinglife2001]

4 cups (4 medium) apples, cubed
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained, halved
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons raisins
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup whipped cream, whipped (I use cool whip sometimes)

In large bowl, mix all ingredients except whipped cream; mix well. Gently fold in whipped cream. Cover; refrigerate.

10 (1/2 cup) servings

[kima]

I love making homemade applesauce in the crockpot. I start this at night, let it cook while we are sleeping, and then serve it the next morning for breakfast with potato pancakes.

mmmmmm.......I HAVE to go pick some apples soon!

Could you give me a few more details on how you do this?

Sounds great!

[HealthyinMN]

Last night I posted on the blog about some Caramel apple bars I made yesterday. They were very good!

[Missi]

Sorry, Maureen, just saw your post about the applesauce. I'm at work and the recipe is at home, so I will post it later today. It is SOOOO good and SOOO easy!

[olchik]

Most of all I like to do with the apples following: cut them on small pieces, put them on the paper and leave them for 2-3 days. We get dried apples after that, very yummy.......!