Apple, Apples Everywhere...

Apple Coffee Cake

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 medium Cortland or other baking apple, peeled and sliced

Method

1 Set the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with or pie pan a 4-cup capacity.
2 Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3 In a bowl, combine 1/3 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.
4 In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating until just combined.
5 Spread half the batter in the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.
6 Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.
Serves 6.
from: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/apple_coffee_cake/
Verdict: absolutely delicious. The flavor was light and sweet. I sliced the apples really thin and that added a really wonderful texture.

 

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

I modified this pie a little: I subtracted 1 tbsp of water and added 1 tbsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a dash of fresh nutmeg.

From: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/grandma-oples-apple-pie/Detail.aspx
Verdict: one of the best apple pies I have ever made!

 

We had some apples left over from this weeks bags. So I decided to make Apple Dumplings...after I already chopped all the apples up I noticed I did not have enough pastry dough. After realizing once you have cut and peeled apples there was really no turning back... I made apple butter

 Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie
• 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, about 24 by 16 inches. Cut into 6 square pieces. Place an apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce. Divide brown sugar between apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.
3. With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together. Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with the remaining apples. Place in prepared baking dish.
4. In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and reserved butter. Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top. 

From: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/old-fashioned-apple-dumplings/Detail.aspx
Verdict: Not too crazy about this one, the dumplings were smooshy and I did not like how wet everything was. The boys liked them though.

 

All Day Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 4 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze. 

From: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/all-day-apple-butter/Detail.aspx