Happy Fall!

Today it officially the first day of Fall. I love Fall, not the winter that comes after it but Fall is the best part of the year. A few of my Fall favorites are cider mills, apple picking, pumpkin patches, apple cider, lame haunted houses, fall baking!, caramel apples, the smell of burning leaves, watching the leaves change and of course HALLOWEEN!

Some apple recipes:

Fried Apples

• 6 to 8 mediium apples - peeled and sliced into wedges

• 2 T. butter or margarine

• 2 to 3 T. water

• 1/3 cup brown sugar - more if using very tart apples

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• dash  of nutmeg (optional)

Preparation -
Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add the sliced apples and saute over medium heat, for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the apples are barely tender. (The apples should be barely fork tender.... do not overcook or you'll have apple sauce.)

Over medium-high heat... stir in the water and brown sugar to caramelize the apples. Stir gently, just until the apples are coated. Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg (if using).

Serve warm as a side dish in place of a vegetable, or serve over ice cream as a dessert.

note - Cooking time and the amount of brown sugar and water needed varies according to the variety of apple you are using. You can use any variety, but fried apples are best when made with a firm apple like red or yellow delicious.

Dutch Apple Cake

• 5 medium apples - sliced thin

• 5 T. sugar

• 2 tsp. cinnamon

• 3 cups flour

• 5 tsp. baking powder

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preparation -

Mix the first three ingredients together; set aside. Generously grease and flour a large tube cake pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center; add the the beaten eggs, oil, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat well for 2 to 3 minutes. Layer the cake batter & apple mixture in the prepared tube cake pan, beginning & ending with with the batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 350º for 70 minutes. After removing it from oven, run a thin knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to release the cake from the pan. Cool the cake in the pan, upright, on a wire rack. When cool, turn the cake over onto a plate. 

Apple Butter

This is a crockpot apple butter recipe.

• 3 quarts unsweetened applesauce

• 2 lbs. granulated sugar

• 1 lb. brown sugar

• 1/2 cup apple cider

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp. allspice

• 3/4 tsp. ground cloves

• 3 tsp. cinnamon

Preparation -
Mix the applesauce, sugars, and cider together in a slow cooker. Cook on the low setting for about 3 hours. Add the spices and cook for about 3 to 4 more hours until thickened. Depending on the consistency of the applesauce being used, it might be necessary to remove the crockpot lid and cook on high for at least the last half hour of cooking time to help thicken the apple butter. To prevent scorching, stir occasionally while cooking on high.

Savory stuffed baked apples

Ingredients

• For the filling

• 3 slices bread, crust removed and torn into small pieces

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1 pound ground pork, beef or veal, or a combination

• 2 slices bacon, minced

• 1 small onion, minced

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• Chopped parsley

• Salt to taste

• Stuffed apples

• 6 large baking apples, like McIntosh or Empire, cored

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• Meat filling

• Olive oil

• 1 tablespoon oloroso sherry

• Salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a paring knife, expand the opening in each apple. Rub cored apples with lemon juice to keep from browning. Soak the bread in milk until well saturated, about 10 minutes. Combine the soaked bread with the meat, onion, parsley, cinnamon and salt. Generously stuff each apple with the meat mixture. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and oloroso sherry. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 35 minutes in an oven-safe baking dish.