Classic Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

I love a good apple-crumb pie.  Like my mother and grandmother before me, I prefer using a softer apple, such as a MacIntosh that really cooks down.  I hate finding big, hard chunks of apple in my homemade pie, so I avoid using the firmer granny smith type apples usually recommended in apple pie recipes.

Variation:  Apple-Rhubarb Crumb Pie
For an added twist, substitute some cut rhubarb for an equal amount of apples, and increase the sugar by 1/4 cup to compensate for the tartness of the rhubarb.

FILLING:

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 T lemon juice

CRUMB TOPPING:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
3 tablespoons butter, chilled in freezer and cut into small pieces.

Prepare a 9 inch pie crust (single layer).  Do not bake.  For pie crust recipe, click here.

Heat oven to 425.  Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl.  Turn the mixture into the prepared pie shell.

In medium size bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Drop in the butter. Use a pastry cutter and your fingers to mix the crumb mixture.  When satisfied, spread the crumb topping over the apple mixture.

Bake at 425 for 40 - 45 minutes, on the middle rack of your oven.  I use a pie shield to protect the crust and usually end up having to place a piece of tin foil on top to prevent crumb topping from burning.  Also, be watchful that the pie doesn't bubble out of the shell and onto the oven floor.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Judy's Pork with Apple Kraut

This is my favorite sauerkraut recipe, courtesy of my Aunt Judy.  It reminds me of the the delicious pork and kraut dishes served in Germany, where the sauerkraut isn't sour, but sweet, and almost always cooked with apples.     

1 pork tenderloin, cut into large pieces, or 6 pork chops
1 cup peeled, chopped, Granny Smith Apple
2 tablespoons butter
1 (16 ounce) package sauerkraut, drained
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
1 (10 ounce) can Campbell's French Onion Soup

Melt butter in dutch oven; add apples and saute until soft, then remove.  Add pork, and brown on all sides.
Add remaining ingredients in the following order:  sauerkraut, caraway seeds, brown sugar, bay leaves, and onion soup.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Absolutely delicious!


As alternative, after browning, you may layer pork, apples, sauerkraut and remaining ingredients in a casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Almond-Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Streusel

The perfect little bite to accompany a cup of coffee or tea.

These pretty little cupcakes are akin to coffee cake.  I found the recipe in a Cooking Light magazine so they're supposed to be a bit less caloric, and have a slightly lower fat content than a traditional breakfast cake.  

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup less-fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter softened

2 T amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur, or 2 T milk and a 1/4 tsp almond extract)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup 2% milk

3/4 cup finely chopped cooking apple

1 T all-purpose flour

Streusel Topping:

2 T all purpose flour

2 T brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 T butter, chilled

2 T sliced almonds

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

4 tsp 2% milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and place liners in 12 muffin cups.  Spray top of muffin tray with cooking spray.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In large bowl, combine granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter and cream cheese.  Beat well.  Add amaretto, vanilla and egg to sugar mixture, and beat with an electric mixer.  

In another small bowl, combine sour cream and milk.  Whisk until blended.  

Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour.

Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat just until blended (don't over-mix).  Fold in apples.

Divide batter evenly into muffin cups.

To prepare streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a hand pastry blender (photo at right).  Add the sliced almonds.  Crumble the streusel evenly over each cupcake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 27 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Prepare glaze.  When the cupcakes are cool enough, drizzle the glaze over each one.  Serve and enjoy!

  

Bushels and Bushels of Apples

Apple recipe links at the bottom of this post.

"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed."  Robert H. Schuller

Who doesn't like visiting an apple orchard and cider mill?  

When I was a kid living outside of Detroit, we'd pile in the car each fall and set off for the local cider mill in Franklin, Michigan, where we'd jockey for a parking position along the narrow, old, village street upon which the mill sat.  I could have found my way from the car with my eyes closed, simply by following the intoxicating aroma of frying donuts and sweet cider.  We were allowed one donut and a cup of cider each, before returning  home with a gallon jug, a bag of apples, and smiles on our faces.  

Mom's fresh apple pies, fritters and sauce were standards in our house, but in the fall, what we most enjoyed, were Dad's candied apples.  I'm not sure how or why this particular job fell to my father, but it was always his production and he made the most of it.

When my children were small, we found a similarly delightful orchard and mill outside of Toledo, Ohio where we lived at the time.  I can't remember the name of the place, but memories linger still of the girls with their cherubic faces pressed up against the glass that separated the cider press from the rest of the barn, where bags of apples, pumpkins and gourds, piled high on wooden tables, beckoned customers.  There weren't any homemade donuts at the orchard in Toledo, but the girls got something they thought even better, pony rides! 

Last summer, on one of our many trips back and forth to the cottage, I noticed a small wooden sign on the side of the road advertising a cider mill.  My heart leaped with joy at the thought of having a place to take my grandchildren for a paper cupful of handmade, local cider.  On a subsequent trip, I pulled off the road to investigate and found, after some meandering, the most beautifully maintained family orchard, cider mill, and country gift shop.

I made several stops back this fall with my daughter and grand kids, where we sampled the apple fritters, turnovers and pies, that were assembled and baked before our eyes in the wonderful little barn-kitchen, by Amish neighbors.  

Across from the kitchen, the men-folk spread layers of crushed apples onto burlap lined trays, they'd stack high under the press.  Finally, with the flip of a switch, the press came alive, and as it compacted, the sweet, golden cider rained down from the trays, and into a cauldron.                                                       

Apples are most prolific in the month of October, and they say, are best eaten shortly after they're picked while their flesh is still firm, and crisp.  I never thought about the actual age of a picked apple eaten in April, or May.  Imagine the days before refrigeration, when apples were stored in wooden barrels, buried beneath the dirt floor of the family root cellar.  Its a wonder there was anything worth eating come spring, or summer.

I love apples, and bought bushels of them this autumn, which I processed into sauce and butter to be savored this winter.  My favorite eating apple is a Honey Crisp, but they're not always easy to find, and are usually the first variety to sell-out at neighborhood orchards and markets. So far this autumn, we've enjoyed apple pie and fritters, crisps, muffins and apple cake.  Check out the links below for some of those recipes.  Check back often, as more will be posted.

Almond-Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Streusel

Grandpap Mike's Fried Apple Rings

Awesome Apple Butter (click)

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp (click)

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (click)

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

With so many varieties of apples, how do you pick one for baking?  I like my apples to cook down so they're soft and juicy.  I don't like biting into a piece of apple, so I use a "cooking" apple like a McIntosh or Empire.  

I've never been a big fan of piecrust, but I adore the fresh fruit fillings.  I find myself substituting a crumbly topping for the top layer of pie dough all the time, so it figures I'd be a big fan of a good old fashioned crisp or cobbler.  This apple crisp is special because it has a hint of citrus, and isn't too sweet.  Rick likes it because the topping is truly crisp and stays that way for a few days afterward, if you have leftovers.

For citrus flavor, this recipe calls for the zest of an orange and lemon, plus a few tablespoons of fresh juice.  I'm going to take this opportunity to share my enthusiasm for my microplane.  With kitchen space at a premium, I never buy a gadget unless I'm sure I'm going to use it.  My microplane is well worth the space it takes inside my drawer.  I've found that if you turn it upside down while zesting, it's extra easy to collect and measure the zest right in the measuring spoon.  No mess, or scraped finger tips and knuckles.  I love it! 

5 pounds of good cooking apples
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
2 T fresh orange juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an oval 9 x 14 x 2 inch baking dish.

Peel, core and slice apples.  Combine the apples, fruit zests, juices, sugar and spices.  Pour into the baking dish.

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal and cold butter.  I used my food processor on the pulse setting but, you can also use a hand pastry mixer to combine.  The end result, should look crumbly.  Scatter this mixture evenly over the apples.

Place the baking dish (crisp) on a baking sheet (just in case there is a spill) and bake for one hour, or until the top is brown and the crisp is bubbly.  Always test to make sure the crumb topping in the center is fully cooked, not mushy.

I like to serve this warm, over a dish of vanilla ice cream, or with fresh cinnamon whipped cream.  Rick actually prefers his cold, or at room temperature, and unadorned.  Whichever way you serve it, you're gonna love it!

Awesome Apple Butter

4 pounds apples (about 16)
4 cups sugar
2 - tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 cups cider (optional)

Wash apples.  Peel, core (unless you are using a food mill) and quarter.  Combine apples and 2 cups cider or water in a large saucepan.  Simmer until the apples are very soft.  If using a food mill, (photo at bottom) process in batches to remove seeds and skin.  If the apples are pared, puree in a food processor being careful not to liquify the pulp.  Either way, you should end up with two quarts of apple pulp.

Back in the saucepan, combine apple pulp, sugar, and spices.  Cook very slowly, until thick enough to round up on a spoon.  Mixture will thicken as the liquid cooks down.  This may take several hours depending upon how juicy your apples are.  Its impossible to thicken the butter too much, but its very easy to scorch, so be sure to stir often with a rubber spatula, and keep the heat low.

Makes 3 pints of apple butter.  The butter must be refrigerated if you aren't going to process it.  Keep some for yourself and share the rest!

To Process:
When thickened, ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles.  Adjust two-piece caps.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

A traditional, Foley food mill is wonderful for separating the skin and seeds from cooked fruit.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Combining these two fall harvest favorites, is like putting autumn in a bowl!

Sounds like a strange combination for a soup, but this is delicious.  The apples add just enough sweetness to offset the tangy curry.

I borrowed this recipe from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.  Its the most popular soup served in her restaurant and the best of the squash or pumpkin soup recipes I've tried.  If you don't like curry, this isn't a recipe for you.  I like curry, but cut the amount Ina uses in half (she uses 2 tablespoons, and I use only 1).  If you are a real curry lover, you can increase the amount.

2 T unsalted butter

2 T olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 T mild curry

2 large butternut squash

4 large apples

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups (more or less) apple cider or apple juice

pint of sour cream (optional)

In a large stockpot, combine the butter, olive oil, onion and curry.  Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are soft.  I stirred the mixture frequently to prevent it from sticking, as the curry absorbs the oil and thickens.

While the onion is cooking, peel the squash (I use a potato  peeler).  Cut in half and scrape out the seeds.  Cut the squash in 1 or 2 inch chunks.  Peel, core and quarter the apples.

In the stockpot, combine the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squash and apples are very soft.

Process the squash/apple mixture in batches, in a large food processor.  Don't over-process.  The mixture should be fairly thick.  Return to the stockpot and add enough apple cider/juice to make the soup the consistency you like it.  Serve piping hot with a small dollop of sour cream in the center.

Grandpap Mike's Fried Apple Rings

I use McIntosh apples because they're not too firm, and cook quickly.

Years ago, my dad's father was a fairly well-known chef in the city of Pittsburgh.  This apple fritter recipe is one of the few recipes I have that belonged to him.  My mother loved these, and would make them as a special treat, on Sunday mornings before Mass.  I can still smell the sweet aroma throughout the house.  Such a nice wake-up call!

Mom always cooked these in oil or bacon drippings, (just a couple of tablespoons) as they are really supposed to fry like a fritter.  You need to replenish the oil in between batches when the skillet gets dry.


1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg beaten
milk to suit
3 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" rings

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Blend in egg and vanilla.  Add enough milk by hand, to make a working batter (not too thin).  Don't over-mix.



Heat oil in fry-pan until a small amount of batter sizzles when added.  Dip each apple ring in the batter to coat, and quickly place it in the skillet.  Continue until pan is full.  Cook on medium-high heat until bubbles appear and pop, through the top of each fritter.  Flip.  Cook equal amount of time on second side.  Test for doneness by inserting fork or toothpick to see if the apple is soft (cooked).

Remove to plate and top with powdered sugar and butter.  Yum!