Baked Apples – Simple and Delicious

Cool Fall day.  Sunday.  Time in my kitchen.  Love those kind of days.   For our Sunday gathering,  I made a Green Tea Cheesecake, Mekitsa, Dill Potato Salad,  tomato sauce,  fried up for some  breaded chicken to make chicken parmesan, opened that box of spaghetti (did you know spaghetti fits just right in a 12″ frying pan.  I boil the water in a frying pan and make my spaghetti that way. No broken pieces that way!) and of course, baked apples.  (I found the baked apple recipe here.)

Baked Apples

Ingredients

4 medium apples (I used Honey Crisp)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 Tablespoon butter, cut into 4 cubes
1 cup hot water

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put rack in lowest position.
2. Remove the core of the apples, cutting to within a half-inch of the bottom of the apple and creating a well roughly 3/4-inch wide. I used a melon baller.  You could use an apple corer or a paring knife to hollow out the apple.
3. Mix the brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves in a bowl. Divide this mixture between the apples, pack firmly into the hollowed space.
4. Arrange the apples in an 8×8 baking dish (the apples fit perfectly!) and top each one with a pat of butter. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking uncovered until the apples are soft and the brown sugar has melted into a syrup, an additional 20 to 30 minutes. You can test the apples by poking a paring knife through the oatmeal mixture and into the interior of the apple; it should slide into the apple easily with no resistance. The skin on the apples will also become wrinkled and soft by the end of cooking.
6. You can eat as is or serve with ice cream or whipped cream.  YUM!!

Apple Spice Cupcakes – Simple and Delicious

It is October!  Fall!  Cool weather!  Apple time.  I had some apples and had to do something with them.  Why not make some Apple Spice Cupcakes?!  Simple and DELISH!!

Apple Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup grated apple (whatever apple you like.  I had Macintosh today)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1.  Preheat oven 350 degrees
2.  Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
3.  In a separate bowl whisk melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.  Add grated apple and stir together.
4.  Whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
5.  Divide batter among muffin cups.  Bake until tops spring back.  15-18 minutes.  Transfer to rack and let cool 5 minutes.  Remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely.

Frosting

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 Whole Milk
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger

Directions

1.  Mix butter, sugar and salt on medium speed until creamy.  About 3-5 minutes
2.  Add rest of ingredients and beat on high 2-3 minutes.
3.  Frost cupcakes.  Sprinkle with Cinnamon!

YUM!!!

Applesauce – Simple and Delicious!

I have tons of apples that the Martin’s picked a couple of weekends ago.  I thought I would start with applesauce.  I have had this recipe for years. Tastes much better than any jar you get at the grocery store. Doesn’t last as long though 🙂

Lazy Day Applesauce

Ingredients

6 cups of apples or 3# bag       
1/3 – ½ cup of apple juice or cider (you can use water too)
2-4 tablespoons sugar OR  none if you so desire (This depends on how sweet/tart the apples are.)
Half of lemon or orange
Cinnamon (Personally, I prefer without cinnamon.  You can add if you like.)

 

Directions

1.  Peel then grate the apples into a microwave safe bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
3.  Microwave for 10-12 minutes.
4. After removing from microwave whisk to your desired consistency.

Eat!  YUM!!