COOK OF THE WEEK - APPLE RECIPES

crisp mornings, we know fall weather is upon us. For us Iowans and other Midwestern people that means winter and that dirty four-letter word (s-n-o-w) is just around the corner. Unless you might be one of the lucky ones preparing to head south or southwest for the cold months.
But let’s look at the bright side of these cool, crisp mornings. They make perfect apple ripening weather, apple picking weather, and apple baking or fixing-other-delicious-ways apple weather right in the comfort of your own cozy kitchen. The aroma of baking or cooking apples, cinnamon and nutmeg altogether in your kitchen is almost heavenly! For the kids it’s caramel apple time and bobbing for apples at Halloween parties.
Apples are a really healthy snack for kids and even healthier dipping them in peanut butter instead of caramel or just eating them sliced or right from the tree if you are lucky enough to have a tree in your own yard. How about an apple pizza? Anything is possible!

Fluffy Caramel Apple Dip
1 package (8 ounces) cream
cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup caramel ice cream
topping
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow crème
3 medium tart apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel topping and vanilla until smooth; fold in marshmallow crème. Cut apples vertically into thin slices. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and water; toss apples in lemon juice mixture. Drain. Serve apple slices with dip.

Caramel Apple Dip
16 ounce carton caramel apple
dip (found in produce
section, usually by the
apples)
20 large marshmallows
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
apple, slices
Place caramel in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute. Add marshmallows; microwave for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted, stirring occasionally. Whisk in butter and cream until combined. Serve with apple slices. Refrigerate leftovers.

Apple Slab Pie
Kind of like Dutch apple pie.
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 egg yolks, beaten
4 tablespoons water
8 apples - peeled, cored and
cut into thin wedges
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg yolk and water together and mix into flour until it forms a ball. Roll out to fit the bottom of a 10x15 inch pan. In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons flour, sugar and cinnamon. Pour filling into pie crust and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 2/3 cup butter. Cut in the butter until crumbly, then sprinkle over apples. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Apple Crisp
10 cups all-purpose apples,
peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced apples in a 9 x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. YUMM!

Spicy Apple Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups apple - peeled, cored,
and chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the chopped apples. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
Frosting:
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’
sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup evaporated milk
To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup shortening, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until light and creamy. Beat in the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency is achieved. Spread over top of cooled cake.

Easy Country Apple
Dumplings
A quick easy dessert when you want to make something nice for your family.
1 or 2 large Granny Smith
apples
(2) 10 ounce cans reduced fat
refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup light butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
12 ounce can Mountain Dew
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x13 inch baking dish. Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in a crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish. Partially melt butter in a small bowl in microwave and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Watch them to see how much they’re browning. Depending on your oven it may take less time or more. If they seem to be browning too much but don’t look done in the middle, cover with foil and continue to bake.

Easy Apple Cobbler
Crust and Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown
sugar
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) cold
unsalted butter, cut into
1/2-inch pieces
Apple Filling:
3 cups peeled and cored apples
chopping into 1/2 inch
pieces (about 3 large apples)
(I ended up using 4 apples just to make sure there was enough)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
(I used 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
(I used 1 1/2 tablespoons)
raisins, optional
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with heavy aluminum foil that extends over two ends of the pan. Butter the foil that will touch the bars. (If you’re not going to cut as bars, bake in a nice serving dish and omit the foil but lightly spray the bottom with nonstick cooking spray.) Mix the flour, powdered sugar and brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Add the butter pieces, cutting them into the dry ingredients until they’re the size of peas and well-coated in the flour mixture. Remove 2 cups of the mixture and set aside. Transfer the remaining mixture to the prepared pan and press it evenly over the bottom. Mix the filling: Stir the apples, sugar, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Stir in the raisins, if using. Spoon the filling over the prepared crust, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the apple filling.
Bake until the crumb topping is golden and the apples are soft when tested with a toothpick, about 55 minutes. Carefully lift the aluminum foil and bars from the baking pan. Loosen the foil from the sides of the bars. Cut into 12 to 16 pieces. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Apple Pizza
(Fun activity for the kids and you too!)
pizza dough
apples
flour
sugar
cinnamon
shredded cheddar cheese
1. Roll pizza dough out onto tray.
2. Sprinkle cheese on dough.
3. Put cut apples (pre-sliced thin by you – although you can do a few with them to show them) on dough.
4. Mix equal amounts of flour, sugar, cinnamon in a bowl (enough to cover pizza).
5. Sprinkle mixture on pizza.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
7. Enjoy!!!

Max’s Apple Pie
I can’t write an article on apples and not include the recipe I use when Max requests apple pie.
Crust:
3 cups flour
1 rounding cup Crisco
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
Mix flour, Crisco, sugar and salt together with a fork until fine. Add 1/2 cup of ice water. Work into a ball. Makes enough for 2 or 3 crusts. I must confess though that I usually use Pillsbury ready-made crusts. They are faster, easier and I’m sure better than my own crusts would be!
Filling:
1 quart apples, cored, peeled
and sliced,
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or
apple pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
slivers of butter
Mix all ingredients together, except butter. Place in pie crust and put slivers of butter on top. Add top pie crust. Crimp and seal bottom and top crusts all around. Slit small holes in top. Before baking brush top crust with a sugar water mixture.
Bake for 15 minutes in 425 degree preheated oven. Then turn oven down to 350 degrees and continue baking for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a rack.

If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the community, YOU could be Cook of the Week. Please contact me, Sally Redenius, if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached by phone at 515-373-6346 or email me at sacuthbe@msn.com.

The COOK OF THE WEEK 3rd Edition Cookbook is available. Cost per copy is $10.70, plus $4.80 shipping/handling. Order a copy today by sending a check or money order, along with name and shipping address, to: Humboldt Independent, 512 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548.