Fall is the perfect food season in the Midwest in my opinion. Along with that comes all sort of fun Fall activities, like apple picking! Which we got to go and do this past weekend. The girls had an absolute blast and this mama got all kinds of fresh apples to cook and bake with.
Top 3 recipes that you don’t expect to make with apples from apple picking
1. Apple Crisp stuffed apples
This is a super simple recipe that makes a great weekend or even week night dessert. The kids loved it and it was not super sweet. You can eat them on their own or with frozen yogurt or ice cream. We added homemade caramel sauce to ours but you can use already made or melt down some caramels to keep it quick and easy.
2. Apple slices
These are a classic and if done right, absolutely delicious. The crisp, flaky crust with the sweet and cinnamon apple filling and then that glaze. Oh, the glaze! I could sit down and eat a whole tray of these. This recipe is super easy to follow and makes the perfect weekend dessert or the perfect dessert to bring to a small gathering.
https://happychefmama.com/2020/10/15/apple-slices/
3. Caramel apple bourbon ice cream
This one is just for the adults! So worth it though and the best late night binge dessert. So many people think oh my goodness, I cannot make ice cream. Ladies and gents listen up, it is so easy you won’t believe it. There are two keys to making a really simple, but amazing ice cream. A good base, which takes no time at all and having your bowl that you are churning in completely frozen. If you have never made ice cream before or you consider yourself a connoisseur, this ice cream recipe is a must make.
Chef’s Tips
When you are making these apple crisp stuffed apples, make sure that you use in season apples. That is why the orchard apples are perfect, but when buying apples at the store get ones that are not too big and in season. I recommend using granny smith, golden delicious, Fuji or Liberty apples for this. They all have a sour note that adds perfectly to the sweetness of the filling. Cover them to start baking and then uncover to finish. This will ensure a soft, tender apple and a nice crisp topping.
Apple Crisp Stuffed Apples
Ingredients
- 8 apples I used small orchard fresh Liberty and golden delicious apples- Fuji, Gala or Granny Smith work well too
- 4 Tablespoons butter lightly browned
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons butter chilled and cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- For the crisp topping: In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or two forks until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
- Take 2 of the apples and small dice them. In a small pan, lightly brown the butter and add the chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat.
- Slice the tops off of the remaining 6 apples and use a melon baller to scoop out the core and seeds. Don't scoop all of the middle out, just enough to make a large hole for the filling.
- Fill the scooped-out apples with the warm apple filling from pan. Top with a generous amount of crumble topping.
- Place stuffed apples in a baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes, covered and then another 10-15 minutes until crumble topping is crispy. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Enjoy!
