Honey doesn’t like pumpkin. Like, he just won’t touch it– pie, bread, muffins, cookies, drinks– any of it. So, while I could make pumpkin baked goods (and share their awesomeness with you), they won’t get eaten very fast in my house. I’m hungry, but I’m not that hungry. And while I could bring pumpkin goodies to the office, I’d prefer to make something that Honey can enjoy too.
This makes the pumpkin frenzy that starts every October more than a little annoying for me. It seems like everyone else on the Internet (at least in the kitchen communities) is busy squeeing about pumpkin spiced everything, and I cannot tap into any of it. However! There is another home-grown flavor available starting in September and going straight through every autumn. I’m really excited about the other autumn flavor: apples.
There is so MUCH you can do with the simple apple. You can eat it straight up, of course. (Did you know you can eat apple so that there’s no waste?)
I did try this the other day. I was a little squicked at first, because everyone knows you’re not supposed to eat the blossom at the bottom or the core, but really, once I got over that, it was just eating an apple. Sideways. Still delicious, and nothing to throw away later. In the spirit of full honesty, I do have to admit, though: I threw away the stem.
You can make so many applicious recipes (and I trust you know how to google well enough to find some): apple fritters, apple cakes, apples sauce– apple butter! OMG! APPLE BUTTER! Nectar of the gods. Seriously. And it’s so freaking easy. All you need is apples, sugar, a crock pot, and a couple of common spices.
Pretty easy, right? And as she says in the video, you can can it, freeze, or just eat it all, straight up with a spoon. I can a lot of mine so that I have some year-round.
Probably my favorite apple recipe, however, is the classic: apple pie. And luck you! This is a recipe I turn to every year, so not only is it easy, it is well tested.
Prep These:
- 1 Pie Crust - your choice
- 1 Dutch Pie Topping - see below
- 7 Cups Granny Smith apples: sliced, peeled, cored
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 pinch of Salt
- 1 healthy pinch of Cardamom
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Softened Butter
- 1 Cup Brown Rice Flour
Mix this way:
- Preheat over to 425F.
- Place crust in 9" pie pan.
- Combine apples, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cardamom in medium saucepan.
- Cook down apples until they stop immediate shrinking, maybe 5-10 minutes over medium heat.
- Spoon apple mix into pie crust.
- Sprinkle Dutch Topping over apples.
- Bake at 425F for 40-50 minutes or until the top crust is golden.
- Serve warm or chilled.
- Soften butter and blend with sugar. Add flour. Blend by hand until mixture reaches crumbly consistency.
Enjoy!