Seasonal Fare: 7 Apple Recipes

Bite Me More | September 23rd, 2020

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Be the apple of everyone’s eyes (and stomachs) with these awesome apple recipes.

Click here and watch how to make the best apple crisp.

1. Apple, Cranberry & Walnut Salad

Want some serious salad success? Combine crunchy, tart and sweet elements in this Apple, Cranberry & Walnut Salad. Bite after bite of sugared cranberries, crunchy apples, toasted walnuts, tangy Feta and mixed greens, all tossed in a zesty lemon dressing, make this scrumptious salad a winner!”

Ingredients

Sugared Cranberries

½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 (12oz bag) fresh cranberries, washed
½ cup sugar

Lemon Dressing

¼ cup olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Salad

8 cups mixed greens (arugula, spinach, kale)
1 red apple, cored and sliced
1 green apple, cored and sliced
1 cup toasted walnut halves
½ cup cubed Feta cheese

Directions

1) To prepare the sugared cranberries, combine water and ½ cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat stir until sugar dissolves, 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cranberries to coat well. Remove cranberries from liquid using a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack. Let air dry for 1 hour. Roll cranberries in remaining ½ cup sugar until well coated. Let dry on waxed paper for 1 hour.

2) For the lemon dressing, in a small bowl whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.

3) To assemble the salad, in a large serving bowl combine mixed greens, sliced apples, walnuts and Feta cheese. Toss with lemon dressing just before serving and top with sugared cranberries.

Serves 4

2. Roasted Sweet Potato, Parsnip & Apple Soup

How do you pump up the flavor in your soup? Roast the vegetables, as evidenced in this extremely easy and tasty Sweet Potato, Parsnip & Apple Soup. The sweetness of the roasted potatoes and parsnips, combined with intense apple cider and mild shallots, creates a hearty and delicious soup that is guaranteed to deliver satisfying spoon after spoon.

Ingredients

6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup parsnips, peeled and cubed
¼ cup chopped shallots
2 small garlic gloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cumin

7 cups vegetable broth
1½ cups apple cider

2 tbsp butter
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Granny Smith apple, chopped for garnish
Italian flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes, parsnips, shallots, garlic, olive oil, ½ tsp salt and cumin together. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and roast 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2) In a large soup pot, bring vegetable broth and apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato mixture and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and using a handheld or countertop blender, puree until smooth. Return to soup pot over medium heat and stir in butter, ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Garnish each soup bowl with diced apple and parsley.

Serves 6

3. Apple Streusel Muffins

Still obsessed with Seinfeld after all these years, Lisa was sick of me “pulling an Elaine”—I’d buy a few muffins, eat off the tops and toss the dry bottoms. Determined to put an end to my cruel decapitations, she created these super-moist apple cinnamon muffins, delectable from the golden-crusted lid to the stray crumbs on my plate.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly dust cups with flour, shaking out the excess.

2) For the muffins, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and diced apples. Gently toss to combine.

3) In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla. Gently stir into flour mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared tin, dividing evenly among muffin cups.

4) For the topping, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add melted butter and toss with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over muffin cups.

5) Bake for 23-25 minutes, until the muffins spring back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a wire rack.

Yield: 12 muffins

4. Apple Caramel Crumble Cake

When is a caramel apple a cake? When Chef Lisa gets her hands on it and creates an Apple Caramel Crumble Cake that’s reminiscent of our fav childhood treat-on-a-stick. This incredible dessert is a three-layered moist and chunky apple cake, slathered in a creamy frosting and topped with a sugary crumble. How ’bout them apples?

Ingredients

Apple Cake

3¾ cups flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp kosher salt
4½ cups peeled, diced Granny Smith apples
1and 1/8 cups vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Sweet Crumble

2¼ cups flour
1¼ cups sugar
¾ cup butter

Caramel Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup caramel ice cream topping
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk

Caramel ice cream topping, for garnish

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat 3 (8-inch round) cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2) For the cake, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add diced apples and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the sugar/egg mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon, just until the flour disappears and all ingredients are combined. Pour batter into prepared baking pans and bake for 30 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through.

3) For the crumble, in a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Add butter and crumble in with your fingers until mixture looks like coarse meal. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes. Stir and continue to bake 10 minutes more, until crumble is golden. Set aside and let cool completely before using as garnish.

4) For the caramel frosting, using an electric mixer, cream butter and vegetable shortening until well combined. On low speed, add caramel ice cream topping, vanilla extract, icing sugar and milk. Mix to combine, increasing speed to medium until a smooth spreading consistency.

5) To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving dish and top with ¾ cups of caramel frosting, spreading evenly over layer. Top with the second layer and use ¾ cup of frosting again. Place the third layer on and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Garnish the top of the cake with the crumble and drizzle caramel sauce over top.

Serves 10-12

5. Apple Cinnamon Cobbler

It’s easy to do my job when the star of the dessert is called Golden Delicious. This old-fashioned dessert, a deep-dish inverted pie of sweet apples, cinnamon and buttery crust, is golden and delicious. Crisp and juicy, Golden Delicious are the perfect baking apple. In this cobbler, slices are cooked with cinnamon and sugar until slightly softened, and topped with a sweet drop batter until caramelized and bubbly. Golden-crusted and deliciously fuss-free (no kneading, rolling or fluting required), this dessert is as tasty and easy as pie.

Ingredients

Apple Mixture

8 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch slices
¾ cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp butter

Cobbler Topping

2 cups flour
6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
½ cup butter, cold
½ cup whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp sugar, for topping

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) For the apple mixture, in a large bowl, toss apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apple mixture and cook 7 minutes until apples are slightly tender. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.

3) For the cobbler topping, in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a wooden spoon or our hands, stir in the milk and eggs, just until batter is moistened, careful not to over mix. Taking large spoonfuls, drop the batter over the apples and sprinkle with 2 tsp sugar. Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes until top is nicely browned.

Serves 6-8

6. Apple Pie Bars

Start humming The Star-Spangled Banner because these easy and delicious Apple Pie Bars are going to have you pledging allegiance (to Bite Me More). A fresh take on the American classic dessert, these Apple Pie Bars, with their buttery graham crust, luscious apple toffee filling and crunchy streusel, are perfectly portable, personal pies. How bout them apples?

Ingredients

Graham Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp kosher salt

Apple Pie Filling

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup SKOR Toffee Bits
2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

Streusel Topping

½ cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter, melted

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2) In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Press the mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake crust for 8 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

3) For the apple filling, in a large bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, SKOR bits and chopped apples. Stir just until flour has disappeared. Spread over baked graham crust.

4) For the streusel topping, in a medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar, sugar and melted butter until streusel is crumbly. Sprinkle streusel evenly overtop apple brownies. Bake for 40-45 minutes until topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate for easier cutting.

Yield: 25-30 bars

7. White Cranberry & Apple Sangria

Looking for a party-in-a-pitcher? You’ve found it with this incredibly tasty White Cranberry & Apple Sangria recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup white/light rum
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup diced red apples
1 cup diced green apples
1 cup frozen cranberries
1 (750mL) bottle white wine, such as Torrontes, Pinot Grigio or Riesling
1 cup white cranberry juice

2 cups cold club soda

Directions

1) In a large pitcher, combine rum and sugar, stirring to dissolve. Add apples, cranberries, white wine and white cranberry juice. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

2) To serve, add club soda to pitcher, stirring to combine. Pour into ice-filled glasses and add some of the fruit from the pitcher.

Serves 6

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.

6 Awesome Autumn Recipes

Healthy Eats: Fabulous Fall Fare

7 Essential Fall Recipes Made With Butternut Squash