Autumn Apple Recipes
Make the Most of Fall with Apple Crumble and Baked Apple Pancakes
As harvest season kicks off, apple varieties are out in abundance. Try some in these delicious and easy to make recipes.
Apples are a symbol of the fall season and are a beautiful, tasty, reliable staple food for many cultures. History books tell us that the first apples were eaten in the Stone Age, and today tens of thousands of varieties of apples are grown worldwide.
Apple Varieties
The ultra-common "Red Apple" variety is known for its sweetness and crispness, is available year round, and is best eaten alone or in salads.
Golden and Granny Smith apples are also available year-round, and are more versatile for use in sauces, apple pie and baking, though also delicious alone or in salads.
Other popular varieties, which are not as widely available, include Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, Braeburn and Cripps Pink. These varieties are also good in pies, baking and sauces. These varieties are abundant in harvest season, and any are great in the recipes listed below.
Apple Picking
Going on an apple picking excursion can be one of the best way to take advantage of the blooming availability of fall's favorite fruit. There are orchards all over the world. To find one near you, visit the Find an Orchard section of the Apple Journal website for locations and information on where to pick apples around the world.
Choosing, and storing your apples
- Three medium-sized apples weigh approximately one pound.
- One pound of apples, cored and sliced, measures about 4 1/2 cups.
- 2 pounds of whole apples make one 9-inch pie.
- One large apple, cored and processed through a food grinder or processor, makes about 1 cup of ground apple.
- Rub cut apples with lemon juice to keep slices and wedges from browning.
- Store apples in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Recipes:
Apple Crumble Recipe
This simple, crowd-pleasing recipe is delicious served hot or cold.
Ingredients:
- 6 apples
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 2/3 cup white flour
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- 1 cinnamon stick
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300ºF (150ºC).
- Peel and core the apples and dice them into chunks.
- Put the apple chunks into a pan, add three quarters of a cup of the sugar and the cinnamon stick and cover. Allow to simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- When done, the apples will fall apart somewhat. Put the apples into a baking dish and allow to cool.
- Mix the white flour, remaining sugar and the butter with your fingers in a bowl until it becomes like a breadcrumb consistency.
- Cover the apples with the crumble topping, without pressing down. Bake for approximately 30 minutes in preheated oven or until the crumble is golden brown and crunchy. Serve alone or with whipped cream or ice cream.
Baked Apple Pancake Recipe
Also known as a Dutch Apple Pancake, this tasty treat is worth the wait for a special fall breakfast.
Ingredients
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup each: granulated sugar, packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup flour
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Directions:
- Heat oven to 425ºF (210ºC).
- Lightly oil a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
- Toss apples with ½ cup sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Separately, mix milk and eggs and blend well. Add flour, salt and 2 teaspoons sugar to egg mixture, and mix.
- Melt butter in prepared skillet over medium heat. Add apple mixture; cook, stirring often, until sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour batter over.
- Place pan in oven for about 25 minutes, or until pancake is puffed and golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
