Going apple picking is one of the rites of fall. Visit your local orchard and bring home a bushel of your favorites. Then pick out a recipe and get cookin!


Mini Apple Pies

Filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons flour


Topping

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
2/3 cup half-and-half
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

-To prepare the filling, melt butter in 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
-Mix sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch in a bowl; gently stir into the apples.
-Continue to cook until apples are soft but not mushy, about 5 minutes.
-To prepare the topping, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the half and half and the vanilla. Quickly blend together.
-To assemble the pie, drop heaping tablespoons of the biscuit mix on top of the apples; cover most of the center of apple mixture. Sprinkle top with remaining sugar.
-Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden. Remove pie from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Crab Apple Pie Filling


6 cups of sliced unpeeled crabapples or 6 cups fall apples
1/3 cup water (I use 2/3 cup of water)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (I usually use Realemon)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt

-In large pot steam sliced apples 1- 2 minutes.
-Cool 1- 2 minutes.
-Stir the rest of the ingredients, place in pie shell. Bake according to directions.

Apple Brown Betty


4 slices white bread, toasted
3 cups peeled and sliced baking apples
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup half-and-half

tear toast into bite size pieces;place in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
-top bread with apples.
-combine both sugars with cinnamon.
-sprinkle over apples.
-drizzle with butter.
-cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.
-stirring after 30 minutes.
-serve warm with half and half.


Candy Apple Cake
1 cup red cinnamon candies
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup apple juice, divided
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
4 granny smith apples, cored and chopped
1 (18 ounce) packages yellow cake mix
1 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding (can use sugar-free)
2 eggs
1 cup light sour cream

-Preheat oven at 350°F Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
-2 In a large saucepan, combine the red cinnamon candies, sugar, 1/2 cup apple juice, and food color. Heat over high heat, stirring until candies dissolve.
-3 Add apples and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the apples are tender; spoon into the baking dish.
-4 In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, and the remaining 1/2 cup apple juice. Mix well and spoon over the apple mixture, spreading to completely cover.
-5 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly, then invert over a serving platter.
-Allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.