I love apples! It is that time of the year that apples are plentiful and generally a little cheaper. There are so many varieties to choose from - from super sweet and juicy to tart and crisp. There is no limits wo what one can do with apples. Breads, cookies, cakes, sauces, jellies, fresh, you name it!!!!!!
I am a huge fan of fried apples. A little butter in a pan, peeled and sliced apples, a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar and cook until softened. YUM! I love fresh apples with salt or peanut butter. Apples and peanut butter are a favorite treat or snack.
You can make several things that would make lovely Christmas gifts from apples. Super easy to make and can. Here are a couple ideas.
APPLE BUTTER
Super easy - place it in the pot and let it go. Water bath.
APPLE SCRAP JELLY
Waste not and want not! Use those peels for making jelly. Really easy to do and super yummy.
APPLE ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE
I do believe this will go in my holiday baskets this year. That is my plan! It sounds so yummy - I am imaging this with hot biscuits! Probably not the idea they originally had - but it sounds good to me!
Apples are easy to get, yummy to taste, and healthy. So many uses.
Give me apple desserts any day - forget the pumpkin stuff for me - just give me apples.
Now is the time to make up some fun and yummy goodies for the holiday gifts and eating.
Have an apple and keep that doc away!!!!!!!
A friend gave me excess apples from her tree last week and they were turned into pie for dinner guests last Fri. Then I made 2 cherry pies, one for the neighbors & one for the caregivers at the lodge where my mom lives. And still there's pie dough! so I made a cheeseburger pie (kind of like a tortiere). One of my favorite apples is honeycrisp followed by honeybee. They're usually higher in price but an ode to a trip to Nova Scotia/Cape Breton many years ago. Love a snack of apple slices with cheddar cheese.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to be gifted apples. Your pies all sound so good. Cherry is my favorite fruit pie. Mmmmm cheeseburger pie sounds tasty too!
DeleteI like several types - Gala, Fuji and Braeburn are favs. I like sweet, crisp and tart all together.
I was blessed to grow up in a fruit growing area, where apples were prevalent. Lots of different varieties to choose from, too. I'm going apple picking with a group in a week, but will also pick up some when I am in Michigan tomorrow. I found a fruit stand near my mom's, upon recommendation from a high school friend, and when I asked the owner what apples would make the best applesauce, she put together a mixed bag of how she makes here -- no sugar needed, but the apples and a little lemon juice to keep the sauce lighter in color. Absolutely the best, and I have no idea what her blend was. Hoping she's there tomorrow, so I can get another bag!
ReplyDeleteOh yum. I usually don't put sugar in my applesauce either. I just love the natural sweetness. A mixed bag sounds perfect. Have a nice little trip and enjoy your apple adventures.
DeleteWe love our apples in this house! We normally get Gala for eating, but Honey crisp is my favorite. It's usually twice the price as Gala tho. I have a few Grannies that I wanna dip in caramel. I love love caramel apples!! I might make those for dessert tonight. 😁.
ReplyDeleteWe used to make something we called 'Walking Salads' in Girl Scouts. We took them on hikes. We'd core apples, but keep the top and bottom piece for plugs, if you will. We'd mix PB, sunflower seeds, raisins, and anything else and then stuff that into the core, and put in the top and bottom pieces. Then wrap the whole thing in foil. It made a filling and delicious snack.
I am a Gala fan as well. Honeycrisp is pretty tasty too. Funny how some always cost more than others.
DeleteCaramel apples with nuts!!!!!! YUM
That sounds pretty neat and a very nutritious snack!
Good morning! Cheryl, I don't think I've ever met an apple I didn't like. Hubs prefers Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp. I'll eat 'em all. And this week's Safeway flier has some Gala and Granny Smith apples (as well as a LOT more produce) priced at 99 cents per pound. Today is Senior day at Safeway, so an extra 10% off. Guess where I'm going this morning?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recipes! The apple spice cake I made last week might appeal to some of the group here and is easy. I confess to using mixes. Other than bread, my from scratch baking is iffy. Anyway... you'll need a box of spice cake mix, 2 peeled, cored and finely diced apples (I used red delicious) and some cinnamon sugar. Prepare the cake mix as directed. toss the diced apple in a little flour (keeps the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake). fold into the batter, pour into a 9 X 13, greased baking dish, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake according to box instructions. It makes a moist, light cake. No frosting needed.
Apples are so good for snacking and keep quite a long time in the fridge. I even use them for dinners, especially our favorite smoked sausage, potato and apple skillet dinner. --Elise
P.S. The best creamy carrot soup I ever made used carrots, an apple, onion, tomato and just a bit of orange (or red) bell pepper. I added a tiny bit of curry powder for seasoning. Simmer it all in a pot of chicken broth until veggies are tender, then blend with a little sweetened, condensed milk.
DeleteSame here - I just love apples. Any kind.
DeleteSmoked sausage and potatoes with apples oh yum. Thanks for the cake idea. That sounds pretty darn easy and tasty.
You best go get them deals today!! No one around here does senior days anymore. Sad.
The soup sounds good as well.
Thanks!!
Ooh, spice cake with apples? Yum! We broke with tradition and had a spice wedding cake. You know how there's always extra and the top tier is saved? My mother in law said there wasn't a crumb left!! We only got that one bite!! My mom said everyone at her table got seconds. That was fine with us. Year old cake didn't sound so good. We ordered a mini cake for our first anniversary....a fresh one!
DeleteSpeaking of wedding cake lol, can't pass up this opportunity to tell you all a funny. My friend and I went to a friend's wedding and they had a Cheesecake Factory cake!! 3 big layers of pure ecstasy! We were both single and ended up a table with 4 single guys who were much more interested in the open bar than cheesecake! As we finished our own pieces, we subtly slid our empty plates across the table and each took a new piece!! We ate THREE pieces EACH!! It was so delicious! They were plain, Oreo, and white chocolate. Despite always being someone who had to watch my weight, I didn't gain an ounce. Why? Because I had some freak case of Mono and for roughly 6 months I could eat absolutely anything I wanted and still lost weight through no effort. My friend gained a few, but we still joke that it was the best wedding cake EVER!! We later told my friend what we did (the groom) and he thought it was hilarious. He said his friends were so drunk that they never noticed or cared.
It must have been divine. Well, seriously how could it have been bad! LOL
DeleteI could eat a whole cheesecake if they weren't so rich. I just absolutely love the flavor. Funny story to look back on.
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DeleteWe really scored with discounts today. There was an app only sale on New York strip steaks (max packs) for $4.97 per pound (limit of 2 packages), the butcher went into the back to wrap us up some b/s chicken thighs at $1.97 per pound, as they were about cleaned out already, I got both kinds of 99 cent per pound apples, we had the senior discount of an extra 10% off, and we got an extra $4 off the meat with an app coupon. Oh, happy day! Lots of people in good moods in the store, too, including the district manager, who was bagging groceries. --Elise
DeleteLovely apples! The apple orange cranberry sauce sounds so good. Stores are stocking cranberries so I should get some to have for seasonal recipes. I was reading someone's blog/comments and a lady was saying that she couldn't find canned pumpkin. My daughter and I were in the Meijer at Whitestown yesterday and there was a ton of it. The oldest daughter and the Urban Farmer love tart apples and the youngest daughter and I prefer something a little sweeter.
ReplyDeleteGoing to harvest a few beets to roast for lunch. I may even roast some carrots along with the beets. The Urban Farmer made Italian beef with plenty left over for lunch. Maybe an apple salad made with an Envy apple. Have two hard cooked eggs left so deviled eggs it is!
Yes, I have seen a lot of pumpkin around here as well. Different regions!
DeleteI like sweet/tart and crisp.
Your lunch sounds so tasty. I like some apple in chicken salad - nice for a crunch and fresh taste.
The apple scrap jelly reminds me of something I used to make, speaking of waste not, want not….corn cob jelly. So good!
ReplyDeleteI eat a lot of apples - Gala are my favorite.
Corn cob jelly is the bomb! I love that stuff - tastes like honey to me. Isn't it lovely, that we can take what some think of s 'trash' and make yummy food with it?
DeleteDo you know I had no idea what apple butter was? It's something I've never seen or eaten in my life. It does sound interesting though I probably will stick with peanut butter.
ReplyDeleteMy son enjoys the Gala apples, while I prefer a Macintosh or Granny Smith. Neither of eat many - I like my bananas and berries best, but I do buy them occasionally to make apple crisp.
Enjoy!
You HAVE to try apple butter once in life! It is so good. In the southern part of our state and many places fried biscuits and apple butter are considered a delicacy to beat all! I have even made fried biscuits at home, just for that wonderful tastiness!
DeleteI am an apples and citrus person more than anything. I do like all fruit - but those are my favorites.
I love the Honey Crisp apples and Granny Smith is a favorite too. They are also very good with a slice of cheddar cheese.
ReplyDeleteCrazy as it sounds I have never had cheese and apples together! I know that is very common to many.
DeleteHi Cheryl~ I love apples! I will be going to a friends house to pick some apples from her apple tree this week. I'm not sure what kind of apples they are, but they are delicious. My husband really loves apple butter and asked if I would make a batch, so thanks for your recipe...it sounds delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are getting FREE apples - the best kind!!!! Apple butter in the crock pot is so easy. I hope you both enjoy!!!!
DeleteHi Cheryl- We live near the apple capital of Pennsylvania so lots of orchards and varieties to choose from. I hope you got a chance to look up the English muffin recipe. My favorite way to make applesauce is with Jona golds, golden supreme and red delicious and golden delicious. I just put up 9 pints. Here's a recipe we love that I found in a spice catalog years ago. So simple. As a matter of fact I made five, stored 4 in the freezer and we enjoyed 1 for dessert that week.
ReplyDeleteApple Pecan Pie
2 apples peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour (I use gluten free, but any AP will do)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten with a fork
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole or chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350/ Mix all the ingredients together and put into a lightly greased 9 inch pie pan. Bake 60 minutes. Serves 8
Enjoy
Pecans!!! You had me right there. Oh my gosh, I will definitely be making this very soon. It sounds heavenly to me. Nuts and apples together - YES PLEASE!!! One pan and no extra crust - yes please again!
DeleteTHANK YOU!! Sounds like thin may be a new favorite.
That sounds really good! My husband loves pecan pie. He let me try a pecan cheesecake pie and it was pretty good. I wonder if he'd let me try apple. He's really a purist lol, but if he likes apple as much as he likes cheesecake....😂
DeleteResponded in the wrong place. LOL! Thanks for the recipe, Looking forward to trying it out. Sounds yummy and simple!
Delete--Elise
Forgot to say that when you mix the ingredients together, first mix all the dry ingredients with the apples and then add the eggs and mix it all up.
DeleteI made apple butter for the first time ever the other week, I have never even tasted it, it's just not a big thing here. The recipe said to cook it on low, in the slow cooker, for 12 hours then remove the lid and cook it for a further 2 hours, if I'd followed those instructions I'd have had a ruined slow cooker, after 4 hours it was done!
ReplyDeleteI need to puree my remaining apples and freeze it for my porridge, maybe that'll get done at weekend.
Your pot must run hot. Did you like it? I love it. Very tasty over warm scones.
DeleteGlad you tried something new - that is always fun.
Sounds like a good way to preserve the remainder.
I haven't tried it yet, I still have a jar of bramble (blackberry) jelly open. Funnily, I cooked it in my biggest slow cooker which cooks the coolest, so I don't really know what's going on.
DeleteWe love apples as well. We did 18 pints of applesauce from a 25# bag of seconds purchased for $10. Yesterday we stocked up on our favorite local apple, Gingergolds. These will keep for weeks in the fridge for fresh eating.
ReplyDeleteI just love that apples last so long. We can enjoy them well into the colder months. You sure couldn't have bought 18 pints of sauce for that price and you know exactly what is in it!
DeleteHoney Crisp is our favorite, but Rave is a close second
ReplyDelete--Frances in the Trailer Park
Never had a Rave - but Honey Crisp are very tasty.
DeleteI love this recipe for Christmas Conserve
ReplyDelete1 bag cranberries
1 c water
1 c sugar
2 apples peeled and diced
2 pears peeled and diced
1 orange peeled sectioned and chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1 c orange juice
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t cinnamon or pie spice
Bring water to boil, add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add cranberries cook 5 to 10 minutes until berries burst. Add chopped fruits and raisins cook another 5 minutes or so until apples and pears are tender. Stir in juices and spices. Cool, cover, and refrigerate 24 hours. Serve.
Not sure why it's showing me as anonymous lol
DeleteSounds yummy, Nichole! I'll definitely give that a try at the holidays. Thanks. --Elise
DeleteYou're very welcome!
DeleteThank you Nichole - may give that a try as well!!!!
Delete