On Autumn and Appling

Now that we are creeping into the cooler weather of fall, you might be looking for more indoor activities to partake in. Cooking is one of the best! Apples seem to be one of the best things about fall and there are so many delicious things you can do with them. It seems that many apple related foods are also comfort foods which is nice on the chilly days to come. Last week I got a bunch of really tasty MacIntosh apples from a friend's apple tree and had some time to play around with them.

One of my favorite apple memories from growing up is homemade applesauce. It is so easy and tasty, I think everyone should try it at least once! All you have to do is quarter the apples, cut off the stem and blossom ends, and cook the apples until they are soft. Then just run the apples through a food mill, (if you don't have a food mill, peel and core the apples also before cooking) add a little sugar and cinnamon, and you are set! You can enjoy the applesauce with a little Greek yogurt, or on waffles or pancakes for breakfast, or just by itself. You can make a bunch and freeze it for later enjoyment!

You can also turn some of the apple sauce into apple butter very easily. Just put some in a pot, add extra sugar and spices, then cook it down until it is thick and spreadable. (It will also darken quite a bit) Very tasty on toast or a scone! Makes a really nice gift also-put it in a cute jar and tie a nice ribbon around it.

Another apple basic is, of course, the pie. I like to make a crumb topping for mine instead of 2 layers of crust, but you could put crust on top if you prefer. I peel, core, and slice the apples into a bowl, mix them with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of ginger, a dash of cloves, and a sprinkle of vanilla. I let those sit for a little while while I put the crust in the pan. (I usually use Pillsbury already made rolled up crust but if you are so inspired to make your own crust, go for it!)

The crumble topping I make is butter, oats, brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. Just mix everything in a bowl with your fingers and crumble it over the top of the pie just before you put it in the oven.

I made an apple ginger ice cream that was delicious on top of the warm pie, but good old vanilla is always yummy too.

One last apple recipe I would like to share is a nice easy fall dessert. Baked apples are nice for dinner parties because everyone gets their own! All you have to do is core the apple, sprinkle cinnamon and any other spices you want inside the apple, fill it with walnuts and maybe raisins, top the apple with some brown sugar and a little liquid-apple cider, brandy, or bourbon all work pretty well. Bake the apple at 350 until it is tender and enjoy alone or with some ice cream.

I hope you enjoy some of these comforting apple-y recipes! Try some variations on your own, and Chop On!