The apples are coming in from Wisconsin orchards – maybe you’ve picked your own – so it’s time to bake with them! October is National Apple Month. This month’s recipes are old favorites that will make your kitchen smell great!
Pro tip: Know whether you want apples to keep their shape while baking or whether it’s OK for them to turn into applesauce while baking, then choose accordingly.
Good both ways: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Ida Red, Jonagold, McIntosh, Northern Spy, Pink Lady.
Better for baking than sauce: Jonathan, Macoun.
Better for sauce than baking: Cortland, Fuji, Gala, Paula Red.
Good for eating fresh but not for baking or sauce: Enterprise, Red Delicious, SweeTango.
Apple Betty
Monday, October 5, is National Apple Betty Day. This recipe is said to have come from a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook from the ‘70s. Judging by that lovely avocado-colored dish, that may be so!
One serving is all you need because it packs more sugar than recommended for an entire day. You may wish to experiment by reducing the amounts of butter and sugar to make it a wee bit healthier.
Prep and baking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
4 cups sliced, pared apples
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup butter
Directions
Mound apples in a buttered 9-inch pie pan. Sprinkle with the orange juice. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is crisp.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 277.9 calories, 11.8 g total fat, 7.3 g saturated fat, 30.5 mg cholesterol, 102.5 mg sodium, 43.5 g total carbohydrate, 1.9 g dietary fiber, 32.2 g sugars, 1.6 g protein.
Source: Food.com
Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp is a close cousin to Apple Betty. Some say they’re twins. Whatever.
Prep time: 20 minutes. Total time: 45 to 55 minutes.
Ingredients
6 cups tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 6 medium apples; Jonagold, Jonathan or Granny Smith apples are tart)
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup cold butter
Vanilla ice cream if desired
Directions
Heat oven to 375 F. Place apples into ungreased 8-inch square baking dish. Combine brown sugar, oats, flour and cinnamon in bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: 300 calories, 12 g fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium 47 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein.
Source: Land O Lakes
Crockpot Applesauce
Though we usually share easy-to-make recipes that don’t take a lot of time, here’s one for your slow cooker. This one’s a family recipe.
Prep time: 20 minutes. Total time: 2½ to 3½ hours.
Ingredients
10 to 12 large apples (Cortland, McIntosh, Golden Delicious or Melrose)
½ cup water
½ cup sugar (1/3 cup if you use sweeter apples)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
Core, peel and seed apples and cut into 1-inch dice. Put apples, water, sugar and cinnamon into a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. (A non-stick interior works best). Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally to help break up apple pieces. When apples are tender, stir in vanilla. Stir to continue breaking up apple pieces, or use a potato masher, whisk or immersion blender. Serve warm or cold. Store leftover sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freeze.
Makes 3 to 4 cups of applesauce, depending on the size of apples used.