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From the title of this article, you may have already guessed where I stand on the great “apple versus pumpkin” fall debate. Given the choice, I am going to pick any apple dish I can get my hands on before I’ll even consider pumpkin. With that being said, check out these apple-based recipes for some incredible fall treats!
Old Fashioned Easy Apple Crisp
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients Cinnamon Oat Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
Ingredients Apple Filling:
5 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 4 large apples)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add all of the ingredients for the topping, except for the butter, to a medium sized bowl and stir to combine. Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and comes together. Set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the apples and stir together so that the apples are well coated, then pour the mixture into an 8 or 9 inch square dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the topping is golden around the edges and the apples are tender. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes prior to serving.
Start to finish: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Pie-Cake:
6 to 8 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups superfine white sugar (see NOTES below)
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients Topping:
1 1/4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 1/2 to 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and then spray again. Layer the apple slices in the pan until they come about 2/3 of the way up the side. (I went a little higher than that and it worked out fine). Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the apples. Prepare the batter by beating the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the oil, applesauce and vanilla and beat well, then stir in the flour. Pour the batter on top of the apples, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar on top. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to allow the batter to sink down and around the apples. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. If you try to remove the cake from the pan while it is still warm, it will tend to break apart. I refrigerated my cake before slicing, and that worked out well. Serve slices with ice cream (warm individual slices in the microwave, if desired).
Notes:
You want "caster sugar" for this recipe: It is a finer grind than table sugar, but not as fine as powdered. Look for "Baker's Sugar" at the store, or simply put regular white sugar in your food processor and give it a few whirls to create superfine sugar.
Start to finish: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 16
Ingredients:
Apples – Fresh apples are an absolute must. I like to go to the market to pick out a variety of different apples of all different colors. Feel free to use just one type or a variety.
Oranges – Oranges add a nice citrus flavor and is characteristic to apple cider. Add an extra orange slice or two with each warm cup of cider for a little extra sweetness.
Spices – Spices add an extra depth of flavor and complexity setting it apart from simple apple juice. I like to add whole cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries.
Sweetener – Adding sweetener is completely optional. I like to add a touch of sweetener, but not so much that I can no longer taste the fresh apple flavor or warming spices. My favorite sweetener is brown sugar, but feel free to add maple syrup, agave, granulated sugar, or honey.
Water – The cider base.
Directions:
Prepare. Prepare all ingredients and transfer to a large, oversized stockpot. Don’t worry about peeling or seeding the apples, the solids will be separated later.
Simmer. Cover and allow the pot to come to a low boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to low and maintain a simmer for approximately 1-2 hours, or until apples are completely soft and mushy. Stir occasionally.
Mash. Remove pot from heat and use a potato masher to mash the apples and oranges, together with the spices, releasing their flavors into the liquid as they break apart.
Simmer. Cover stockpot and return to a simmer over low heat. Continue to cook for an additional 1-2 hours.
Strain. Remove from heat and allow apple cider to cool slightly before straining then use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to separate the solids (mushed up apples and oranges) from the liquid. When a backup of solids starts to collect, use a large wooden spoon to press the solids against the side of the strainer, releasing the final bit of their juices. Discard the solids.
Sweeten, to taste. If desired, stir in additional sweetener.
Serve. Serve warm as is or garnished with an orange slice and cinnamon stick.
Apple Fries with Caramel Cream Dip
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients for the apples:
4 to 5 tart apples, we used Pink Ladies
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 cup Wondra flour
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup cinnamon
Ingredients for the dip:
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces Cool Whip or 1 cup whipping cream with 1/2 cup sugar- whipped until stiff
1 cup caramel sauce
Directions for the apples:
In a frying pan, or deep fryer, heat vegetable oil for frying. Mix together the buttermilk and sugar in a medium size bowl. Peel and slice apples and add them to the buttermilk mixture as you go to prevent browning. In a shallow dish, put a layer of wonder flour. Pull the apples out of the buttermilk mix, one at a time and lightly coat all sides in the flour. When oil is nice and hot, gently place coated apples into the oil so they are not touching, when the bottom side begins to turn golden, flip over and brown the second side. Quickly remove to a tray lined with paper towels to soak up excess grease and cool. Sprinkle immediately with cinnamon and sugar while they are hot.
Directions for the dip:
Mix together the cream cheese and Cool Whip until completely blended then stir in the caramel sauce. Place into a bowl for dipping and drizzle a little extra caramel sauce over the top.
Start to finish: 58 minutes
Servings: 24
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 medium apple peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla, making sure to mix well after each ingredient. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the oats, then the chopped apple until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and scoop two tablespoon-sized pieces of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Whether you pick apples yourself on an orchard adventure or buy a bag at the store, you’re sure to love the outcome of any one of these recipes. Hot, cold, or á la mode, there’s no wrong way to eat your apples this fall!
