I love apples.
Crisp. Juicy. Flavorful.
Bliss.
God was brilliant for creating apples.
Today's In-Season Swap focuses on apples (in case you hadn't guessed). We are just at the beginning of the apple season, and I'm looking forward to a full season of enjoying apples in their many varieties. These treats are some of my favorite fall foods!
I've been reading a great book - How to Pick a Peach - and the chapter on apples helped me to understand the shift in the apple market over the years. The US used to produce almost entirely Red Delicious apples; this apple now only makes up 1/4 of the apples grown and harvested on US soil. Did you know that Gala and Fuji apples are only 20 years old? Really. The apple market has exploded in the past few decades. With all these new varieties of apples, there are a myriad of different flavors and textures achieved that make some of our favorite fall foods:
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread
Apple Chips
Spiced Country Applesauce
Cherry Apple Crisp
Apple Juice Fruit Cobbler
Apple Chips
Spiced Country Applesauce
Cherry Apple Crisp
Apple Juice Fruit Cobbler
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Crockpot Apple Bacon Pork Chops
Apple Pockets
Crockpot Apple Cake
Apple Crisp
Crockpot Autumn Pork
Apple Granola
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Apple Pie Muffins
Apple Pockets
Crockpot Apple Cake
Apple Crisp
Crockpot Autumn Pork
Apple Granola
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Apple Pie Muffins
In addition to just using apples as the main part in a dish, applesauce makes a great addition to baked goods as a replacement for oil!
Or, for a myriad of other desserts....! Yum.
However, one of my favorite ways to enjoy fall apples is in a simple apple pie!
Mom's Apple Pie - From the kitchen of my mom
Crust*
1 C flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T olive oil
1 T butter, melted
1-3 T cold water
(note: this makes 1 crust, double to make a second)
Filling
~6 apples (any good cooking apple)
1/2 C sugar (or less, depending on the tartness of the apples)
2 T flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
To prepare the crust, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Use a fork to cut in the oil and butter until the dough is crumbly. Slowly add enough cold water to get the dough to hold together in a ball. Roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap to create an 11-inch crust. Freeze for about 10 minutes before using.
While crust sets in the freezer, core, peel and slice your apples. Toss in a large bowl with sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Remove crust from the freezer and carefully form into a 9-inch pie plate. Fill pie crust with apple mixture. Top with remaining crust, sealing to form an edge. Slice a few slits into the top crust, and place pie on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for 45ish minutes, until apples are bubbly and crust is browned. If edges brown too quickly, cover the edges of the crust with tinfoil and continue baking.
Happy Apple-Season :)
Check out what others enjoy making during the fall at URS: Fall Favorites Edition, at Stop and Smell the Chocolates Fall Fruits Festival: Apples and at Our Krazy Kitchen's Fall Season Recipe Round -Up.
*Crust recipe is adapted from Taste of Home's Light and Tasty.
