Fall into apples with these tasty recipes

Apples, like pumpkins, remind me of fall — couple them with nuts and caramel and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, and you know the holiday season isn’t far off.

Cooking with apples is easy, especially once you know what varieties are best for baking, saucing and frying.

When baking a pie, use a firm, sweet-tart type such as jonagold, Fuji, honeycrisp, Jonathan or Rome. Gala and golden delicious are too soft.

Braeburn apples are a popular eating apple. They are also great as a baked apple and are often used in desserts.

Applesauce is best made with gala and Fuji apples but the following varieties work well also: pink lady, golden and red delicious, and Jonathan.

Granny Smith apples are too tart for applesauce, especially for most people’s palate. If you like a tart apple, they are good for eating raw, in pies (although you’d need to add more sugar) and frying.

They work well as an all-purpose apple and their flavor can be enhanced by combining them with other varieties. Granny Smiths also make wonderful apple dumplings and baked apples.
And remember that adage, “An apple a day will keep the doctor away?”  Apples are filled with fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. If you choose not to bake with them, throw a handful into your favorite salad, eat them plain for a snack or dehydrate them.

Great salad apples include winesap, red and golden delicious, gala and pink lady. To dehydrate, use firm apples such as Fuji, honeycrisp, Jonagold and gala.

Taffy Apple Pizza

(from the Pampered Chef)

1 package (18-ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened

1 package (8-ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Ground cinnamon

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Shape dough into a ball. Place in center of 15-inch baking stone (see Cook’s Notes); flatten slightly with palm of hand. Using lightly floured roller, roll out dough to a 14-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Bake 16 to18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from stone using serrated bread knife. Cool completely.

Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Spread mixture evenly over top of cookie.

Peel, core and slice apples. Dip apples in lemon-lime soda or lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange apples over cream cheese mixture; sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

Heat caramel topping in microwave on high 30-45 seconds or until warm; drizzle over apples. Chop peanuts and sprinkle over apples. Cut with pizza cutter.

Yield: 16 servings; 230 calories/11 grams of fat each.

Cook’s Notes: Best if eaten fairly soon after making (definitely same day is best); it’s great for get-togethers or sharing part with a neighbor!

If you don’t own a baking stone, I would assume that a round pizza pan would work; just be careful of the cookie sticking.

Recipe contributed by Melany Satnan

Apple pecan cake

Apple pecan cake is made with butter, brown sugar, and apples and pecans.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped apple

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

Cream together butter, shortening, 1/2-cup brown sugar, and the granulated sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with the 1 cup milk. Fold in chopped apple. 

 
Pour batter into a generously buttered and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Combine 1/2 cup chopped pecans with 1/2 cup brown sugar; sprinkle over top of cake.
Bake at 350° for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until done. Cake will bounce back when lightly touched in center.

Recipe source: southernfood.about.com/od/applecakes/r/bl40320s.htm

Sautéed apples

1/4 cup butter

4 large tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced about 1/4-inch thick

   (I used unpeeled Jonathan apples — I liked the red color and texture of the peel — Faith Bemiss)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large skillet, melt butter, add apples, and cook stirring constantly until apples are almost tender (about six-seven minutes). Dissolve cornstarch in the water; add to apples.

 
Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon; boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & serve warm.

Note: Great for breakfast or you can serve it over waffles, pancakes and ice cream

Recipe contributed by Mary Schumaker, of Sedalia.

Apple dessert

Make crust to fit 15-by-10-by-one-inch baking sheet.  Press evenly into ungreased pan. (You’ll also need a top crust).  I just use the Pillsbury boxed crusts...there are two in each box.  I overlap the two slightly and roll them out for the bottom crust, and then do the same with the second box for the top crust. Takes two boxes.

Filling:

7 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

Toss all together and spread over bottom crust.  Put top crust on and brush with milk.

Bake at 375-dregrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack; drizzle with the following glaze when cool.

Glaze

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Yield: About two dozen squares or however many you cut it into!

Recipe contributed by Barbara Ruff, of Warrensburg.