This year I planned to do a pumpkin bread pudding, but alas, had no pumpkin puree to work with. I also didn't get around to the store to pick up bread, so I made it that morning using the no knead dutch oven bread recipe (a basic bread). The custard part of the bread pudding came out fine; but the exposed part of the bread above the custard seemed dried out.. like I should not have tried to dry out the bread before adding the custard by baking it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Twice baked bread doesn't quite make the texture of dry, stale bread. Anyhow, onto the recipe...
Bread Pudding Ingredients
1 load white bread, cubed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 c raw apple cider
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bread Pudding Directions
1. In a nonstick skillet, heat apple with ground cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender.
2. Butter a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Add apple and cubed bread, distributing both evenly in a single layer.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, apple cider, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. This is the custard base. Pour it over the cubed bread. Be sure to dunk all the bread into the custard mixture. Refrigerate dish for 1 hour before baking. This will help to flavor the milk and eggs with the apple cinnamon.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and drizzle on apple cider sauce.
Caramel Apple Cider Sauce - this was the sauce I made for the bread pudding; and the ratios seemed off. One, the caramel part of the sauce was too watery and I never got to the dark amber part. The heavy cream and the caramel separate if you let the sauce sit to cool down from the stove to room temperature. Two, the sauce was ridiculously sweet; and three, it made too much. To keep myself from re-making this awful sauce, I am posting an alternate Apple Cider Sauce recipe to pair with the bread pudding.
Apple Cider Sauce:
1 c apple cider
1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp bourbon (or apple schnapps), optional
In a small prep bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water before adding to the apple cider. Bring cider and butter to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the cornstarch and let the mixture thicken. Stir in bourbon (if using) and cook for an additional 30 seconds; remove from heat and pour on top of bread pudding.
The recipe ratio of the cider sauce can be doubled, if necessary.
Showing posts with label apples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apples. Show all posts
Stovetop Apple Sauce
This recipe tastes better after the spice and flavors have had time to mellow in the fridge before canning. When I first tasted the batch after using the immersion blender, it tasted sour to me even though I only used the juice of half a lemon. I made this sauce at the same time I was making apple butter because the slow cooker was filled to the brim already with apples for the apple butter.
Red rome apples were used since I was unable to get winesap apples from the Portland Nursery during their apple tasting event last October. The only similarities between the two varieties of apples are that they are dark red in color and are a firm and not sweet tasting apple. The dark red color doesn't have an impact on either of these recipes since the skin is removed and discarded.
For medium-sized apples, one pound of apples with make approximately one pint of sauce (or butter).
Ingredients
at least 2 lbs of peeled, cored, sliced apples (any variety)
1 c. filtered water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
juice of 1/2 a large lemon
Directions
1. In a lidded pot, add all the ingredients and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to pureé the sauce so that no large chunks remain.
3. Store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use. Or, can using hot sterilized jars and lids. Process in a water bath for 20 minutes.
Red rome apples were used since I was unable to get winesap apples from the Portland Nursery during their apple tasting event last October. The only similarities between the two varieties of apples are that they are dark red in color and are a firm and not sweet tasting apple. The dark red color doesn't have an impact on either of these recipes since the skin is removed and discarded.
For medium-sized apples, one pound of apples with make approximately one pint of sauce (or butter).
Ingredients
at least 2 lbs of peeled, cored, sliced apples (any variety)
1 c. filtered water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
juice of 1/2 a large lemon
Directions
1. In a lidded pot, add all the ingredients and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to pureé the sauce so that no large chunks remain.
3. Store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use. Or, can using hot sterilized jars and lids. Process in a water bath for 20 minutes.
Kitchen Notes: Hard Apple Cider
A month after I started fermenting a batch, I thought I should write up the recipe.. you know, in case I get the urge to make more. I didn't actually start with a recipe; just a process. Despite Washington state being a leading producer of apples in the US, procuring fresh pressed apple cider is not cheap. For raw, unpasteurized cider, it costed $4/half gallon locally procured.
Timeline
Nov 3 - procured equipment (1 gallon glass jug w/ cap, fermentation lock)
Nov 7 - added yeast to fresh sweet cider
Nov 16 - added 1/8 tsp pectin enzyme (for liquid clarity)
Dec 1 - CO2 has stopped and the water in the fermentation lock has leveled out
Dec 14 - a lot of sediment at the bottom
Batch 1 Ingredients
1 gallon fresh pressed apple cider (raw, unpastuerized)
1/2 packet champagne yeast
I used the potassium metabisulfite powder (also known as a Campden tablet) to sterilize the gallon-size glass jug, as well as the liquid funnel, fermentation lock, stopper, etc. Wikipedia says that you can also use this stuff to neutralize tear gas. I didn't add any directly to the cider to kill off the wild yeast. I'll just have to wait and see what happens to the end product.
After two weeks at an average kitchen temp of 62 degrees F, the batch stopped producing CO2. At the moment, all I need to do is transfer the fermented liquid to clean containers and then maybe let that sit for another three months.
This process is a result of looking at the recipes at Imbibe Magazine. Nearly every site says to pasteurize the cider with heat (not to let it boil) or use a Campden tablet. I did not do this step. There's a chance that the wild yeast will make the cider taste better, or worse. I want to see what impact the wild yeast has on it. Besides, I have another gallon of raw sweet cider in the freezer if I were to make a second batch.
2013-12-14, have not touched the cider. It's still in the fermenting container. Has a much lighter, blonde color after the pectin enzyme was added. And, definitely does not smell like sweet cider anymore. Smells alcoholic.
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| 2013-11-08, day 2 fermentation going strong |
Timeline
Nov 3 - procured equipment (1 gallon glass jug w/ cap, fermentation lock)
Nov 7 - added yeast to fresh sweet cider
Nov 16 - added 1/8 tsp pectin enzyme (for liquid clarity)
Dec 1 - CO2 has stopped and the water in the fermentation lock has leveled out
Dec 14 - a lot of sediment at the bottom
Batch 1 Ingredients
1 gallon fresh pressed apple cider (raw, unpastuerized)
1/2 packet champagne yeast
I used the potassium metabisulfite powder (also known as a Campden tablet) to sterilize the gallon-size glass jug, as well as the liquid funnel, fermentation lock, stopper, etc. Wikipedia says that you can also use this stuff to neutralize tear gas. I didn't add any directly to the cider to kill off the wild yeast. I'll just have to wait and see what happens to the end product.
After two weeks at an average kitchen temp of 62 degrees F, the batch stopped producing CO2. At the moment, all I need to do is transfer the fermented liquid to clean containers and then maybe let that sit for another three months.
This process is a result of looking at the recipes at Imbibe Magazine. Nearly every site says to pasteurize the cider with heat (not to let it boil) or use a Campden tablet. I did not do this step. There's a chance that the wild yeast will make the cider taste better, or worse. I want to see what impact the wild yeast has on it. Besides, I have another gallon of raw sweet cider in the freezer if I were to make a second batch.
2013-12-14, have not touched the cider. It's still in the fermenting container. Has a much lighter, blonde color after the pectin enzyme was added. And, definitely does not smell like sweet cider anymore. Smells alcoholic.
Mulled Apple Cider
This recipe is pretty simple and is a crowd favorite for any autumn or winter holiday. It can be prepared on the stove (over low-medium heat) or in a slow cooker (4 hours on low).
Ingredients
1 gallon fresh pressed apple juice or apple cider
peel of one navel orange
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a pot and let simmer over low heat.
Ingredients
1 gallon fresh pressed apple juice or apple cider
peel of one navel orange
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a pot and let simmer over low heat.
Apple Compote
This was made as part of a larger dessert, brown butter hazelnut cake (Smitten Kitchen recipe); which I had the opportunity of tasting at Trellis. This looks a lot like the process for apple sauce, except with a lot more water.
Ingredients
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
6 Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored, and diced
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, vanilla bean, brandy, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the apples and simmer for 20 minutes until the apples are tender. It's okay if the apples start to disintegrate upon cooling. Let mixture cool to room temperature and remove vanilla bean halves. The mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.
Makes 12 half-cup servings.
Ingredients
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
6 Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored, and diced
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, vanilla bean, brandy, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the apples and simmer for 20 minutes until the apples are tender. It's okay if the apples start to disintegrate upon cooling. Let mixture cool to room temperature and remove vanilla bean halves. The mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.
Makes 12 half-cup servings.
Apple Coffee Cake
This particular recipe ratio is one of Emeril's and it is a good coffee cake recipe when you use a baking pan that allows the cake to bake evenly. I didn't make the brown sugar glaze since the streusel (crumb) topping was enough. I also managed to not do the ratio in order, but the recipe seemed to be very forgiving on that note. I added the butter last because I forgot to add it to the flour earlier. You can use any variety of apple for this. There is enough sugar to compensate for tart apples. Onto the recipe.
The cake:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. braeburn and ginger gold apples, peeled/cored/chopped
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt (can substitute sour cream)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (or melted, if you forget)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a food prep, pulse to combine dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon) and butter.
2. Add to food prep: yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour out into a bowl and stir in chopped apples. Or, add the apples to everything in the food prep and pulse a few times. I did the latter because the food prep is fun to use.
4. Pour cake mixture into prepared (buttered) pans. For this ghastly experiment, I used a loaf pan (didn't cook through in the allotted time) and a round ring pan.
5. For the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a mini food prep and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle on top of cake mixture evenly. If you like nuts, you can add a half cup of chopped nuts to this step.
Emeril's recipe calls for a 9" x 13" baking pan and a cooking time of 35-40 minutes.
I used an 8" round coffee cake pan which cooked evenly in 40 minutes. Since the crumb topping was browning faster than I liked for the 9" x 5" loaf pan, I turned the heat down to 325 degrees F and baked the loaf pan for an additional 20 minutes.
Reheat for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
The cake:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. braeburn and ginger gold apples, peeled/cored/chopped
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt (can substitute sour cream)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (or melted, if you forget)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a food prep, pulse to combine dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon) and butter.
2. Add to food prep: yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour out into a bowl and stir in chopped apples. Or, add the apples to everything in the food prep and pulse a few times. I did the latter because the food prep is fun to use.
4. Pour cake mixture into prepared (buttered) pans. For this ghastly experiment, I used a loaf pan (didn't cook through in the allotted time) and a round ring pan.
5. For the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a mini food prep and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle on top of cake mixture evenly. If you like nuts, you can add a half cup of chopped nuts to this step.
Emeril's recipe calls for a 9" x 13" baking pan and a cooking time of 35-40 minutes.
I used an 8" round coffee cake pan which cooked evenly in 40 minutes. Since the crumb topping was browning faster than I liked for the 9" x 5" loaf pan, I turned the heat down to 325 degrees F and baked the loaf pan for an additional 20 minutes.
Reheat for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Single Crust Apple Pie with Streusel Topping
Happy Pi Day!
Made this beautiful apple pie on Saturday but didn't gobble up the first slice until today. The apples that went into the filling were just what was on hand: gala and fuji, two varieties that I enjoy eating a lot. With a streusel topping, this pie can easily accommodate twice as many chopped apples as what the recipe calls for. I really don't care for the salty taste in the crust, so I may omit it next time.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Single crust ingredients
1 1/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
4 oz unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
1/3 c. ice water (or chilled vodka)
Crust directions:
1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarsely ground cornmeal. Gradually add the water, pulsing after each addition. You may not even need the entire 1/3 c. of water.
2. Form the dough into a ball and gently roll out to a 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to fill a 9" pie plate. Roll crust onto rolling pin and unroll it on top of the pie plate. Use a unserrated knife to cut away the excess dough from the edge of the plate.
3. You can use the leftover dough crust to make decorative shapes for the top of the pie. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter for this pie.
4. Put pie plate into the refrigerator until ready to use.
Streusel topping ingredients
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
In a bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix ingredients with a fork until mixture forms crumbs.
Pie filling ingredients:
4 c. apples, peeled and cored, cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
In a bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Pour filling into the pie plate. Add remaining tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle streusel on top of apples. Arrange cookie cut-outs on top of the streusel in a decorative pattern.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack before serving.
Made this beautiful apple pie on Saturday but didn't gobble up the first slice until today. The apples that went into the filling were just what was on hand: gala and fuji, two varieties that I enjoy eating a lot. With a streusel topping, this pie can easily accommodate twice as many chopped apples as what the recipe calls for. I really don't care for the salty taste in the crust, so I may omit it next time.
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| Apple pie fresh from the oven |
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| A slice of apple pie |
Single crust ingredients
1 1/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
4 oz unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
1/3 c. ice water (or chilled vodka)
Crust directions:
1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarsely ground cornmeal. Gradually add the water, pulsing after each addition. You may not even need the entire 1/3 c. of water.
2. Form the dough into a ball and gently roll out to a 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to fill a 9" pie plate. Roll crust onto rolling pin and unroll it on top of the pie plate. Use a unserrated knife to cut away the excess dough from the edge of the plate.
3. You can use the leftover dough crust to make decorative shapes for the top of the pie. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter for this pie.
4. Put pie plate into the refrigerator until ready to use.
Streusel topping ingredients
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
In a bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix ingredients with a fork until mixture forms crumbs.
Pie filling ingredients:
4 c. apples, peeled and cored, cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
In a bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Pour filling into the pie plate. Add remaining tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle streusel on top of apples. Arrange cookie cut-outs on top of the streusel in a decorative pattern.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack before serving.
Fried Apple Pies
What makes a good fried fruit pie is its tender, flaky crust filled with a sweet filling that reminds you of when you had a much faster metabolism. When I go out on road trips, a short stop at a McD's for their fried apple pies is not unusual for me. It is a treat that I enjoyed in my teens and 20s, and still enjoy today. This recipe only uses natural ingredients. If you were mass producing these, I can see how you could sacrifice quality of taste with cheaper substitutes, like vegetable shortening instead of butter. I also didn't deep fry these in an unholy oil like canola or corn oil. Rather, I pan fried them in a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Sure, lots of people will tell you that olive oil is better used raw and not on high heat. But aside from butter, I don't have other oils in my pantry to use for frying other than EVOO.
I used gala apples for this since I only stock the fridge with eating apples (vs canning, pie, cider types of apples). If you use a more tart apple like a Cortland or Granny Smith, you may want to up the sugar content in the filling.
Dough Ingredients (for 8 pies)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Up to 1/2 c. cold water
Filling Ingredients
2 apples, any variety, peeled/cored/chopped into small pieces
1/4 c. unbleached granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 c. water
1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (mixed in a small, separate bowl)
Directions
For the dough: Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender and cut the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form. Gradually add the cold water while mixing to form a more cohesive dough. Mix by hand until the dough comes together into a ball easily. Let it the dough rest in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cut the dough ball into four equal pieces. Each quarter piece will be divided into two equal pieces. The remaining piece should be rolled out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8" thickness, forming either a square, a rectangle, a circle, or oval. Look, I don't care what shape your pies are in. Mine took on an almost Hostess fruit pie look (half moon arc). Cookie cutters could be used, but I don't have any that are large enough for this purpose.
Put about 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the rolled-out dough. Fold in half and seal the edges by lightly damping the interior edges with water. Use the tines of a fork to "seal" the edges. The last thing you want is the filling to ooze out of the pie while it is frying.
For the filling: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, and apples. Cook until softened, about 10-15 minutes on medium heat. You'll notice that as the apples release liquid, there is more water than you had expected and it is very runny. Continue to cook over low-medium heat until the water has reduced by half.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water and mix well. While the apple filling is cooking on the stove (after the water has been reduced), add the cornstarch liquid and stir the filling. It should thicken up nicely and be ready for pie assembly.
Let filling cool completely (say, put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes) before adding to the dough.
Frying: It depends on how much more unhealthy you want to make this recipe. I started with 2 tbsp of EVOO in the frying pan for every two pies fried. Fry each pie for a few minutes on each side until the dough is of a dark golden brown color. When done, place pies on a paper towel-lined plate and serve.
For deep frying, you need a lot more vegetable oil (in a medium pot, this would be about 3-4 inches of oil), a deep pot capable of accommodating your pies or a deep fryer, and a thermometer used for measuring oil temp (oil temp needs to be at 350 degrees F). Fry for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
One last note about oil used for deep frying. The oil takes on the scent and flavor of whatever was last fried in it. So, don't be using that oil used for deep frying breaded shrimp because your apple pies, while they'll taste like apple pies, will also have a distinct shrimpy flavor as well.
I used gala apples for this since I only stock the fridge with eating apples (vs canning, pie, cider types of apples). If you use a more tart apple like a Cortland or Granny Smith, you may want to up the sugar content in the filling.
Dough Ingredients (for 8 pies)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Up to 1/2 c. cold water
Filling Ingredients
2 apples, any variety, peeled/cored/chopped into small pieces
1/4 c. unbleached granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 c. water
1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (mixed in a small, separate bowl)
Directions
For the dough: Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender and cut the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form. Gradually add the cold water while mixing to form a more cohesive dough. Mix by hand until the dough comes together into a ball easily. Let it the dough rest in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cut the dough ball into four equal pieces. Each quarter piece will be divided into two equal pieces. The remaining piece should be rolled out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8" thickness, forming either a square, a rectangle, a circle, or oval. Look, I don't care what shape your pies are in. Mine took on an almost Hostess fruit pie look (half moon arc). Cookie cutters could be used, but I don't have any that are large enough for this purpose.
Put about 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the rolled-out dough. Fold in half and seal the edges by lightly damping the interior edges with water. Use the tines of a fork to "seal" the edges. The last thing you want is the filling to ooze out of the pie while it is frying.
For the filling: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, and apples. Cook until softened, about 10-15 minutes on medium heat. You'll notice that as the apples release liquid, there is more water than you had expected and it is very runny. Continue to cook over low-medium heat until the water has reduced by half.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water and mix well. While the apple filling is cooking on the stove (after the water has been reduced), add the cornstarch liquid and stir the filling. It should thicken up nicely and be ready for pie assembly.
Let filling cool completely (say, put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes) before adding to the dough.
Frying: It depends on how much more unhealthy you want to make this recipe. I started with 2 tbsp of EVOO in the frying pan for every two pies fried. Fry each pie for a few minutes on each side until the dough is of a dark golden brown color. When done, place pies on a paper towel-lined plate and serve.
For deep frying, you need a lot more vegetable oil (in a medium pot, this would be about 3-4 inches of oil), a deep pot capable of accommodating your pies or a deep fryer, and a thermometer used for measuring oil temp (oil temp needs to be at 350 degrees F). Fry for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
One last note about oil used for deep frying. The oil takes on the scent and flavor of whatever was last fried in it. So, don't be using that oil used for deep frying breaded shrimp because your apple pies, while they'll taste like apple pies, will also have a distinct shrimpy flavor as well.
Crockpot Apple Butter
This is one of the many recipes that I wanted to try since moving to the Pacific Northwest. The bounty of autumn produce includes apples, pears, grapes, chestnuts, etc., and are really inexpensive to get a hold of. Apples keep for a long time in the refrigerator if they are stored properly. I keep mine in plastic bags, the kind that you get from the grocery store, not the kind you take groceries home in from the grocery store. There is a tiny difference and that is the ability to keep air and moisture out of the bag.
I picked up a varity of apples and pears earlier in the month from Portland Nursery's apple tasting event. Depending on where you shop, apples can be as cheap as $0.30/lb if buying directly from an apple farm in WA or OR state, about $0.70/lb from a retail grocer that is able to move large quantities of local produce, like Gateway Produce, or up to $1.49/lb if buying off-season.
For this recipe I used a 6-quart programmable crockpot
and let the apples cook overnight on the 10-hours low setting. The next day, it had the consistency of applesauce so cooked it on the 4-hours high setting to simmer off the excess liquid.
Depending on the sweetness of the apples, you'll need to vary the amount of sugar in the recipe. This batch used red winesap apples that aren't terribly palatable as an eating apple. Winesap apples are very firm when ripe and are typically used to make cider. They're also tart and slightly sour when not quite ripe. Any sweet or mildly sweet apple of mixed or single variety can be used.
Ingredients
8 small-to-medium red winesap apples
1 c. granulated unbleached sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom (or allspice)
1/2 tsp cloves
dash of salt
3/4 c. water
This spice ratio accommodates up to 3 lbs of apples. I just used the apples I had on hand.
Directions
1. Wash, peel, and core all apples, then dice into chunks.
2. Add prepared apples, water, and spices to crockpot. Mix until the apples are all coated with spice.
3. Set crockpot on low and cook until apples are soft. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to remove chunks of apple so that it has an applesauce consistency.
This can keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
Canning instructions
Pack into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. This batch made three 8 oz jars + one 12 oz jar.
Kitchen notes:
2010: used Red winesap apples, made 3 pints
2011: used Virginia winesap apples, made 3.5 pints (7 half-pint jars)
2012: used organic winesap apples, unknown variety from Tonnemaker Farms; batch #1 used 8 apples and made 2 pints (4 half-pint jars); batch #2 used 10 apples and made 2.5 pints (5 half-pint jars) with about a 1/2 c. leftover. Also, batch #2 had a half cup less granulated sugar. Total so far is 9 half-pint jars.
2014: used Red Rome apples; made 3.5 pints (7 half-pint jars) of apple butter and 2 pints (4 half-pint jars) of apple sauce
2014 (Oct): finally got a hold of Red winesap apples.. yay! Batch1 6 half pints (from 5 lbs), Batch2 2 pints + 6 half pints (from 6 lbs)
2015 (Oct): 8 pints from 13 lbs of Red winesap apples
2016: 6.5 pints from 10 lbs Red winesap apples
2017 (Nov): __ pints from 8 lbs Red winesap apples
I picked up a varity of apples and pears earlier in the month from Portland Nursery's apple tasting event. Depending on where you shop, apples can be as cheap as $0.30/lb if buying directly from an apple farm in WA or OR state, about $0.70/lb from a retail grocer that is able to move large quantities of local produce, like Gateway Produce, or up to $1.49/lb if buying off-season.
For this recipe I used a 6-quart programmable crockpot
and let the apples cook overnight on the 10-hours low setting. The next day, it had the consistency of applesauce so cooked it on the 4-hours high setting to simmer off the excess liquid.Depending on the sweetness of the apples, you'll need to vary the amount of sugar in the recipe. This batch used red winesap apples that aren't terribly palatable as an eating apple. Winesap apples are very firm when ripe and are typically used to make cider. They're also tart and slightly sour when not quite ripe. Any sweet or mildly sweet apple of mixed or single variety can be used.
Ingredients
8 small-to-medium red winesap apples
1 c. granulated unbleached sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom (or allspice)
1/2 tsp cloves
dash of salt
3/4 c. water
This spice ratio accommodates up to 3 lbs of apples. I just used the apples I had on hand.
Directions
1. Wash, peel, and core all apples, then dice into chunks.
2. Add prepared apples, water, and spices to crockpot. Mix until the apples are all coated with spice.
3. Set crockpot on low and cook until apples are soft. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to remove chunks of apple so that it has an applesauce consistency.
This can keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
Canning instructions
Pack into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. This batch made three 8 oz jars + one 12 oz jar.
Kitchen notes:
2010: used Red winesap apples, made 3 pints
2011: used Virginia winesap apples, made 3.5 pints (7 half-pint jars)
2012: used organic winesap apples, unknown variety from Tonnemaker Farms; batch #1 used 8 apples and made 2 pints (4 half-pint jars); batch #2 used 10 apples and made 2.5 pints (5 half-pint jars) with about a 1/2 c. leftover. Also, batch #2 had a half cup less granulated sugar. Total so far is 9 half-pint jars.
2014: used Red Rome apples; made 3.5 pints (7 half-pint jars) of apple butter and 2 pints (4 half-pint jars) of apple sauce
2014 (Oct): finally got a hold of Red winesap apples.. yay! Batch1 6 half pints (from 5 lbs), Batch2 2 pints + 6 half pints (from 6 lbs)
2015 (Oct): 8 pints from 13 lbs of Red winesap apples
2016: 6.5 pints from 10 lbs Red winesap apples
2017 (Nov): __ pints from 8 lbs Red winesap apples
Apple bars
This is a quick, easy recipe for apple bars. It uses fresh apples and can be a party food.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. organic rolled oats
1 1/3 c. unbleached white flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened or melted
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 sweet, firm apples (I used Gala apples)
2-3 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. In a bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together; then mix in the rolled oats
2. Melt butter and let cool, then whisk together with eggs, vanilla, and brown sugar.
3. Fold together the flour mix and the butter mix until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then cut into bars and remove from baking pan.
Oven notes: My oven doesn't heat properly and heats up unevenly, so I tend to bake for 5-10 minutes longer. If you have an accurate oven, these bars should be baked for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. organic rolled oats
1 1/3 c. unbleached white flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened or melted
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 sweet, firm apples (I used Gala apples)
2-3 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. In a bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together; then mix in the rolled oats
2. Melt butter and let cool, then whisk together with eggs, vanilla, and brown sugar.
3. Fold together the flour mix and the butter mix until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then cut into bars and remove from baking pan.
Oven notes: My oven doesn't heat properly and heats up unevenly, so I tend to bake for 5-10 minutes longer. If you have an accurate oven, these bars should be baked for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle.
Apple Cordial
3 cups apples, coarsely chopped
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups 80 proof brandy
one 4" cinnamon stick, broken
Directions:
In a large screw top jar, combine all ingredients. Cover Tightly. Invert jar. Let stand for 24 hours. Turn jar upright, let stand 24 hours. Repeat turning process until sugar dissolves.
Store in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks. Strain through a cheesecloth into decanter.
(Update: 2/27/2008) This jar has been sitting under the sink for quite some time now, although the lid is now really stuck. I haven't been able to decant it into a clean jar. *sigh*
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups 80 proof brandy
one 4" cinnamon stick, broken
Directions:
In a large screw top jar, combine all ingredients. Cover Tightly. Invert jar. Let stand for 24 hours. Turn jar upright, let stand 24 hours. Repeat turning process until sugar dissolves.
Store in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks. Strain through a cheesecloth into decanter.
(Update: 2/27/2008) This jar has been sitting under the sink for quite some time now, although the lid is now really stuck. I haven't been able to decant it into a clean jar. *sigh*
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