The Bountiful Hive—

Making The Most Of The Apple Harvest

By Meg Maher-Soto

With fall definitely here, it’s time to check cookbooks and other recipe collections for some of the most comforting desserts that can be made with one of this season’s largest harvests: apples. It is best to use fresh, hard, tart apples for the following recipes because they will yield the best results. Harder apples will soften while cooking, but do not turn mushy. Try Macintosh, Macoun and Granny Smith for the following recipes.

Fresh Apple Cake

(Serves 9)

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups cored, peeled and diced apples

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Confectioners sugar for dusting.

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together dry ingredients. Place apples in a medium-sized bowl and place egg over apples. Add oil, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts. Blend well.

Stir dry mixture into apple mixture just until flour is moist. The mixture will seem dry. Spread in a greased 8-inch square pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until cake is springy to the touch and golden brown.  Let stand in pan for 15 minutes.

Remove to wire rack to cool completely and dust lightly with the confectioners sugar.

Simple Apple Crisp

(Serves 4-6)

2 ½ lbs apples (about 6-7), peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges

1 cup raisins or currants

2 Tbs sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1 Tbs butter

For crumb topping:

½ cup flour

½ cup oatmeal

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves (optional)

4 Tbs butter, melted

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss the apples and raisins with the sugar and cinnamon. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with the butter. Arrange the apple mixture evenly in the pan.

In the same bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Blend well. Stir in the melted butter and chopped nuts, until the mixture is coarse. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the apples are tender and the topping has browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a delicious apple experience.

Heavenly Baked Apples

(Serves 6-8)

Use a large-sized apple for this recipe (fresh and tart is still the best here).

8-10 large apples, cored just to the base

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8-10 cubes

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and each piece, cut into four (8 pieces)

1 tsp dark brown sugar for each apple

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Arrange the apples snugly into a roasting pan. Place one cube of butter, one piece of vanilla bean and one teaspoon brown sugar into each apple. Bake the apples for 50 minutes, while basting them regularly, until their skin starts to split.

Raise the oven temperature to 450° and bake the apples an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Classic Apple Brown Betty

(Serves 6)

2 cups fresh dry bread crumbs

5 Tbs melted butter

2 lbs. tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch slices

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 2-quart casserole with a lid or an 8-inch baking dish. Lightly toss crumbs and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Spread about one-third of the crumb mixture in the baking dish.

Combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Fan out half the apple mixture over crumbs. Add another layer of crumbs, a layer of the remaining apples, and a final layer of crumbs. Pour in one cup hot water. Cover with a lid or with foil, and bake for 25 minutes.

Uncover and bake 20 minutes more. Serve warm with heavy cream.  (Cream can also be whipped, instead.)

For other heart-warming apple recipes, please email me at_megandorlandos@ yahoo.com. Happy Autumn!

 

(Newtown resident Meg Maher-Soto has worked most of her life in the culinary arts. She currently operates a home-based business with her husband called The Cook and The Baker. Naturally, she is married to a chef.)