Although good quality apples are available at your grocery all year round, the only time you can get fresh ripe apples off the tree is in the Fall. There are more than 2500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. In the grocery store you will typically find varieties like Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Gala all year round but some apple varieties only appear for a short time and some only at a local orchard or farmer’s market. Fall is the perfect time to taste test new varieties. Here are a few simple recipes to get you started on your quest. Enjoy!
Extra Easy Caramel Apple Pie
Press-in-the-Pan Crust
| 1 ½ cups Original Bisquick™ mix |
| ¼ cup butter, softened |
| 3 tablespoons boiling water |
Filling
| 1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling |
Streusel Topping
| 1 cup Original Bisquick™ mix |
| ½ cup packed brown sugar |
| 3 tablespoons cold butter |
| 1/3 cup chopped pecans |
Caramel Topping
| ¼ to 1/3 cup caramel butterscotch or caramel topping |
Directions
- Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups Bisquick mix and 1/4 cup softened butter with fork until crumbly. Add boiling water; stir vigorously with fork until dough forms. Gather into ball. Press firmly and evenly against bottom and up side of ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate; flute edge.
- Spoon Filling evenly into crust.
- In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix and the brown sugar. Cut in 3 tablespoons cold butter until crumbly (streusel will look dry); stir in pecans. Sprinkle over filling.
- Bake 15 minutes. Cover top of pie with foil; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool 2 to 3 hours before serving. Drizzle top of pie or individual servings with Caramel Topping.
Source: BettyCrocker.com
Overnight Apple Butter
Ingredients
| 1 cup packed brown sugar |
| 1/2 cup honey |
| 1/4 cup apple cider |
| 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon |
| 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground mace |
| 2 1/2 pounds (about 10 medium) apples, peeled and cut into large chunks |
Preparation
- Combine all ingredients in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 10 hours or until apples are very tender.
- Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; spoon one-third of apple mixture into sieve. Press mixture through sieve using the back of a spoon or ladle. Discard pulp. Repeat procedure with remaining apple mixture. Return apple mixture to slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon into a bowl; cover and chill up to a week.
- Stovetop variation: Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 1 hour or until apples are very tender, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve as recipe instructs in Step 2. Return mixture to pan. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.
Note:
A mixture of apple varieties, rather than just one type, will produce apple butter with rich, complex flavor in this slow cooker recipe. Good choices include Esopus Spitzenburg, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Northern Spy, Rome, Stayman, Winesap, and York. Enjoy the apple butter over toast or English muffins, or serve it with pork chops or chicken.
Domenica Marchetti, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2004
New-Fashioned Apple and Raisin Slaw
Ingredients
| 1/2 cup light sour cream |
| 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise |
| 1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar |
| 1 teaspoon sugar |
| 1/2 teaspoon black pepper |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| 2 cups unpeeled chopped Rome apple (about 1 medium) |
| 1 cup golden raisins |
| 1 (16-ounce) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw |
Preparation
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add chopped apple, 1 cup raisins, and coleslaw; toss to combine.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Kelly McWherter, Houston, Texas, Cooking Light
JANUARY 2007
Coach-Net 