Apples are a chameleon in the kitchen, delicious in many guises. They are naturally sweet and need only a dusting of sugar when added to a fruit bowl or compote, or baked for a warming treat. For a quick snack or even for breakfast, consider baking a pan of muffins or a quick bread studded with chopped apples.
Apple pie and tart are holiday favorites. Children love candied apples, and so do I, remembering the pleasure of this sparkling offering during my childhood, especially on Halloween. A sliced apple or two tossed in the salad bowl with red or green leaf lettuce, morsels of feta or goat's cheese or even brie or camembert, then dressed with a lemon-infused vinaigrette stirred with a little spicy brown mustard, is an elegant offering this time of year. And for a boss salsa, I combine chopped apples and pineapple with cilantro, a touch of vinegar or lemon juice and a little garlic, and serve it with roast chicken or pork.
When the girls come over for Saturday afternoon tea that usually ends in cocktails, I often serve apples baked in caramel tea infused with a slug of brandy, a wonderful burnished delight. And before the season's end, I always stir up a few jars of apple preserves, using a recipe in my cookbook "Brown Sugar." In other words, the apple picking is bountiful now, offering many varieties, with some apples best for cooking into pies and applesauce, or folding into breads or muffins, while others are best for eating out of hand or tossing into a salsa. When picking apples, whether for eating out of hand or for a fruit dessert, look for small, firm, crisp apples that are free from bruises and blemishes. Large apples can be overripe and mealy.
Handle the apples gently to prevent bruising, and refrigerate in the crisper section, away from strong flavored foods. Apples stored at room temperature deteriorate quickly.
Joyce White is a New York City author of "Brown Sugar" and "Soul Food."
CANDIED APPLES Serves 6 to 8.
Note: The syrup in this old childhood favorite is cooked until it reaches 300 degrees, the hard-crack stage. Children or seniors may prefer a softer coating, and the apples are fine when the syrup is cooked to 260 to 280 degrees. Candied apples require fast work, and two pair of hands are better than one for this recipe. Invite a friend to help, and keep the children out of the kitchen.
- 6 to 8 sweet apples, such as Haralson or McIntosh
- 1 1/2 c. walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
- 2 c. granulated sugar
-1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon or allspice or ginger, or more if desired
- 1/3 c. unsweetened cranberry juice
- 1/2 c. light corn syrup
Directions Have ready a candy thermometer, heavy pot holder, wooden spoon, a pastry brush and a cup of hot water to brush sugar crystals from the sides of the pan. Clear the oven top of all pots and pans so that you have plenty of work space. Butter a baking sheet or jelly roll pan and set near the stove. Wash the apples and dry well. Insert a wooden skewer or wooden craft stick into stem ends of the apples, burying at least 1-inch deep. Place the apples on a plate or platter and set on an unused burner.
Chop the nuts, scatter on a plate and set on another burner. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, cream of tartar, cinnamon or allspice or ginger, cranberry juice and corn syrup. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook the sauce, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.
Then raise the heat and bring the syrup to a boil, cover the pan and boil the syrup for 3 minutes. Remove the lid. Dip the brush in water and brush down the sides of the pan, washing away any sugar crystals.
Attach the candy thermometer inside the pan, touching the syrup. Cook the syrup, without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle every now and then, until the candy thermometer reaches 280 to 300 degrees, or the hard-crack stage. Immediately remove the syrup from the heat to an empty burner and remove the thermometer. Quickly dip the apples one at a time into the syrup and ladle over the syrup with the wooden spoon, covering the apples completely.
Quickly roll the apples in the chopped nuts. (If the syrup begins to harden, turn on the heat and quickly stir in a couple tablespoons of hot water, raise the heat, and stir the syrup until it softens.)
Place the candied apples on the baking sheets, stick sides up, and let set at room temperature until hard. Nutrition information per serving (of 8):
Calories-480-Fat-13 g-Sodium-16 mg-Sat. fat-1 g
Carbohydrates-96 g-Calcium-35 mg
Protein-3 g-Cholesterol-0 mg-Dietary fiber-6 g
APPLE RAISIN MUFFINS
Makes 11 to 12 muffins.
- 1/3 c. light brown sugar, or more if desired
- 1 egg
- 1/3 c. peanut or corn oil
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 c. finely diced peeled apple, such as Cortland or Paula Red
- 1/2 c. raisins, dark or golden, coarsely chopped
- 1 c. milk, or more
- 2 c. unbleached flour
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/3 c. chopped walnut or pecans, if desired
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, egg, oil and vanilla extract. Beat with a large spoon until well blended. Stir in the apple, raisins and milk, and mix well.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Toss the nuts with a tablespoon of the flour and spice mixture, and set aside.
Using a large spoon, add the flour into the liquid mixture, mixing the batter only until the dry ingredients are blended in. Add the floured nuts and stir briefly until blended.
Spoon the batter into the oiled muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Fill any remaining cups with water to prevent the pan from burning.
Set the pan in the hot oven on the lowest shelf and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place the pan on a wire rack and cool the muffins in the pan for about 5 minutes before turning out onto the rack. Serve the muffins warm. Nutrition information per serving (of 12):
Calories-192-Fat-7 g-Sodium-200 mg-Saturated fat-1 g
Carbohydrates-29 g-Calcium-85 mg
Protein-4 g-Cholesterol-19 mg-Dietary fiber-1 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 fruit, 1 bread/starch, 1/2 other carb, 1 1/2 fat.
APPLE NUT SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE Serves 4.
- 1 head red or green leaf lettuce
- 1/2 c. olive or grapeseed oil
- 2 or 3 tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
- 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
- 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 eating apples, such as Fireside, HoneyCrisp, Regent
- 1/2 lb. feta or goat cheese, or brie or camembert cheese, or more if desired
- 1/2 c. pecans or shelled pistachio nuts
Directions
Rinse the lettuce 2 or 3 times, making sure that it is free of grit. Drain and spin in a lettuce spinner, if available, then dry with paper towel, wrap in a clean towel and chill the lettuce for at least an hour. In a small bowl or jar, combine the oil, lemon or lime juice, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and black pepper. Beat the mixture with a fork or shake vigorously to combine.
When ready to serve the salad, using a stainless steel knife, core the unpeeled apples, discard the seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Toss the apple slices in a small amount of the dressing.
Dice the cheese. Then combine the lettuce leaves, apple, cheese, the pecans or pistachio nuts in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the salad and toss with a large spoon, mixing gently but well. Serve the salad immediately. Nutrition information per serving (using half the dressing total):
Calories-420-Fat-35 g-Sodium-735 mg
Carbohydrates-19 g-Saturated fat-11 g-Calcium-320 mg
Protein-11 g-Cholesterol-50 mg-Dietary fiber-4 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 1 high-fat meat, 5 1/2 fat.
BAKED APPLES IN TEA CARAMEL
Serves 4 to 6.
- 1 c. boiling water
- 2 to 3 tbsp. black tea leaves, such as Darjeeling, Ceylon or Assam
- 1 tsp. ground ginger or finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 lb. cooking apples, such as Haralson or Granny Smith
- 1/3 c. light brown sugar or Sugar in the Raw, or more if desired
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 or 3 tbsp. brandy
Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the boiling water, tea leaves and ginger in a teapot and steep for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the apples, drain and remove stems. Don't peel the apples. Cut into quarters, core and discard the seeds.
Generously butter a 1 1/2 -quart baking dish or a 10-inch skillet. Arrange the apples snugly in the pan, overlapping the fruit if necessary.
Pour the brewed tea through a strainer over the fruit. Sprinkle the sugar over the apples. Cut the butter in small pieces and scatter over the apples.
Set the pan on the lower oven rack and bake the apples, occasionally basting the fruit with the sauce for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit is lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork, carefully turning over the apples a couple times for even baking.
Remove the pan of apples from the oven and set on a wire rack. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a serving dish, pressing the fruit to remove as much liquid as possible.
Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and place on a medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook the sauce rapidly for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is as thick as honey, swirling the pan as the sauce cooks.
Stir the brandy into the sauce, and then pour the sauce over the apples, mixing well but gently. Serve the apples warm, or cool and serve at room temperature, or chill and serve. If desired, top each serving with a dab of whipped cream.
Nutrition information per serving (of 6):
Calories-163-Fat-4 g-Sodium-7 mg
Carbohydrates-31 g-Saturated fat-2 g-Calcium-20 mg
Protein-0 g-Cholesterol-10 mg-Dietary fiber-3 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 fruit, 1 other carb, 1 fat.
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