Bfrlancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 10,1998
The Season For Apples
(Continued from Page B 2)
APPLE CRISP VARIATIONS
Fruit Mixture:
6 cups sliced peeled apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon, if desired
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Topping:
1 cup rolled oats
V« cup all-purpose flour
V« cup firmly packed brown
sugar
Vi cup butter, softened
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Peel
apples and toss with cinnamon,
water, and lemon juice. Place
apples in ungrcascd 2-quart casser
ole or 8-inch square baking dish. In
large bowl, combine all topping
ingredients; mix until crumbly.
Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly
over apples. Bake at 375 degrees
for 25 to 35 minutes or until fruit is
tender and topping is golden
brown. (If the topping gets brow
ner than you like, the next time,
microwave the apples 5 minutes
before putting the topping on the
apples). Serve warm with cream,
ice cream, or whipped cream, if
desired. Yield: 12 ('A cup)
servings.
Microwave directions: Using a
8-inch square microwave-safe
dish, prepare apple crisp as
directed above. Microwave on
high for 12 to 14 minutes or until
fruit is tender, rotating dish '/« turn
once during cooking.
Variations:
• Apple Cheese Crisp: Top
baked crisp with 'h cup shredded
cheese, bake an additional 2 to 3
minutes or until cheese melts.
• Blueberry Crisp: Substitute
blueberries for the apples.
• Peach Crisp: Substitute sliced
peeled peaches for the apples.
• Pear Cranberry Crisp: Substi
tute 5 cups sliced peeled pears,
I [ h cup fresh or frozen cranberries,
1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour,
and 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
for fruit mixture.
Mablc Hcrshey
Marietta
MICRO-BAKED APPLES
4 baking apples
I'A tablespoon butter
*A cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
'/«cup apple juice or water
3 tablespoons raisins
Core apples. Combine butter
and sugar, add raisins and nuts and
stuff into cavity of apples. Place
apples in individual microwave
safe serving dishes. Pour 1 tables
poon apple juice over each apple.
Cover with wax paper. Micro
cook on high 8 minutes or untilo
tender. Makes 4 servings.
CARAMEL FRUIT DIP
'/i cup butter
14-ounce package caramels,
unwrapped
'/» cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons milk
In medium bowl, microwave
butler and caramels on high, stir
ring twice during cooking lime
about 3 to 4 minutes or until car
amels are melted. Stir in pecans
and milk. Stir vigorously to incor
porate butler. Keep warm and dip
in cut-up fresh fruit.
DUTCH APPLE CAKE
4 cooking apples
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
1 % cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
'/«teaspoon salt
Grease and flour a 9-inch tube
pan. Peel, core, and finely chop
apples. In mixing bowl, beat eggs
and vanilla with electric mixer at
high speed for two minutes or until
thick. Gradually beat in sugar.
Combine flour, baking soda, cin
namon, and salt. Add to batter,
alternately with apples and wal
nuts, beating well after each. Beat
at medium speed 3 minutes. Turn
batter into prepared pan.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 55
to 60 minutes or until done. Cool in
pan 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to
wire rack. Drizzle with powdered
sugar icing. Makes 12 servings.
Icing:
In mixing bowl, combine 1 cup
sifted powdered sugar, % teaspoon
vanilla, and about l‘A tablespoons
milk to make of drizzling
consistency.
Josephine Matenus
Dallas
GOLDEN APPLE OATMEAL
'h cup diced sweet apple
'h cup apple juice
'h cup water
'lt teaspoon salt
Dash ground cinnamon and
nutmeg
'h cup quick-cooking rolled
oats, uncooked
Combine apples, juice, water,
and seasonings; bring to boil. Stir
in rolled oats; cook 1 minute. Cov
er and let stand several minutes
before serving. Makes a 1 cup
serving.
FRENCH-STYLE CHICKEN
WITH APPLES
6 boneless, skinless chicken
breasts
1 sliced onion
10-ounce can condensed chick
en broth
3 tablespoons apple juice or
cider
3 sweet-tart apples, cored, sliced
6-8 canned artichoke hearts,
drained, halved
Pinch each cinnamon, nutmeg,
salt, pepper, minced fresh dill or
parsley
Spray a large non-stick skillet
with cooking spray. Brown chick
en breasts on both sides. Remove
chicken from skillet and set aside.
Stir in sliced onin, apples, arti
chokes, broth, juice, and spices.
Cook 3 minutes. Spread chicken
breasts in skillet; arrange apples,
onion, and artichokes on top. Sim
mer, covered, about 10 minutes or
until chicken is tender and heated
through. Sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley
or dill and apple slices before serv
ing. Makes 6 servings.
APPLESAUCE MEATLOAF
'/«cup plus 2 tablespoons
applesauce
'A cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
'A teaspoon Worchcstershire
sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
'A cup finely chopped onion
'A cup finely chopped green
pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
Vi cup milk
‘A teaspoon prepared mustard
3 teaspoons brown sugar
'/«cup ketchup
Combine first 10 ingredients.
Form into a loaf in baking dish.
Mix remaining ingredients, pour
on top of loaf. Bake uncovered at
350 degrees for one hour. Serves
3-4.
APPLE CIDER SALAD
6-ounce package orange
flavored gelatin
4 cups apple cider
1 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped apples
1 cup chopped celery
'A cup walnut halves
juice and grated rind of one
lemon
Lettuce
Dissolve gelatin in 2 cups hot
apple cider; stir in raisins. Let cool.
Add remaining 2 cups cider; chill
until consistency of unbeaten egg
white. Stir in apples, celery, wal
nuts, lemon juice set Unmold onto
lettuce leaves. Yields 8 to 10
servings.
DEEP DISH
APPLE PIE
Double 9-inch pic crust
8-10 medium apples, peeled,
cored, and sliced thin
% cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
Water
Place bottom crust in 9-inch pie
pan. Layer apples in four layers
and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mix
ture on top of each layer. Wehn fin
ished, top top of pie with butter.
Add water gently over top ol
apples. Top with second pie crust
Press crust edges together to form
a rim. Bake in 375 degree oven fot
IS minutes. Reduce heat to 3SC
degrees. Continue baking for SO
minutes.
DUTCH APPLE
CRUMB PIE
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
Filling:
3 to 4 large baking apples,
peeled, sliced
Vi cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
V« teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
% cup sugar
'h cup flour
'h cup butter, softened
'A cup chopped pecans
Place apple in unbaked pie
crust. Sprinkle sugar, flour, nut
meg, and cinnamon over apples.
For topping, blend sugar, flour,
and butter until crumbly, stir in
pecans. Spread over filling. Bake
at 350 degrees for one hour or until
brown.
APPLE CRISP
Cover bottom of BxB-inch
square pan with thinly sliced
apples. Mix together
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
'A teaspoon cinnamon
Dash salt
1 egg, beaten
Mix and form crumbs. Melt
‘A cup butter. Put crumbs over
apples. Pour butter over crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40
minutes.
Nancy Kramer
Lebanon
Featured Recipe
An apple a day keeps the doctor away... Our grandparents were
ahead of their time when they realized the benefits of eating an apple
a day. Apples are an excellent source of fiber, a good source of potas
sium, and are low in fat and sodium.
Apples are a versatile and convenient way to get in one of your fruit
servings every day. Tossed into a lunch bag. or eaten as an after
school snack, they require no preparation. Just wash, and munch! Eat
en in this form they also serve as “Nature’s Toothbrush.” Whereas
eating an apple doesn’t and shouldn’t be encouraged as a substitute
for proper brushing of teeth, it is a great natural “assisdtant” The mild
fibrous texture of the apple for detergent action, its juice content and
its delightful aroma to induce salivary activity all combine to make
die apple an ideal “meal-ender” and natural “toothbrush” for those
times when regular brushing isn’t possible.
Purchasing Tips
• Apples should be purchased when ripe for best flavor. Most rip
ened green varieties have a greenish-yellow background color.
• Choice apples are firm and free of bruises, skin breaks, and decay
spots. Soft apples have a mealy texture. Apples with discolored
streaks or spots on their skin are safe to eat. Their flavor and texture is
not compromised in any way.
• Choose an apple variety best suited for your purposes. Some
varieties are better for baking, while others are better for eating from
your hands.
• Approximately three medium-sized apples equals 1 pound. One
pound of unpeeled apples yields about 3 cups of peeled, sliced or
diced fruit
Popular Pa. Apple Varieties
• Mclntosh Deep red skin, sometimes with a greenish back
ground. Tender, juicy, and very flavorful. White flesh. Excellent raw,
in salads, and in sauce.
• Golden Delicious Greenish-yellow skin. Moderately Arm and
juicy, with a mild flavor. Cream flesh. Retains its shape when cooked.
Excellent raw, in salads, and for baking.
• Red Delicious Solid red, occasionally red-striped skin. Moder
ately firm and juicy, with a milk, sweet flavor. Cream flesh. Good raw
and in salads.
• Ida Red Shiny, bright red skin, with green touches. Sweet-tart
flavor. White flesh. Retains it shape when cooked. Excellent raw, in
salads, sauces, and for baking.
• Rome Beauty Red striped sin, mingled with yellow. Greenish
around stem. Moderately juicy, with a crisp, mild flavor. White flesh.
Retains it shape when cooked. Excellent for baking. Good in salads
and sauce. Fair for eating raw.
•Stayman—Dull red skin, with white dots concentrated near blos
som. Quite firm and crisp, with a tart flavor. Cream Flesh. Excellent
for baking. Good raw and in salads.
Storage Ups
• Unrefrigcrated ripened apples will retain their quality for about
one week.
•Unripe apples can be quickly ripened at home by storing them ina
partly sealed bag at room temperature.
• Ripened apples stored in the humidifier compartment of the re
frigerator (35-40 degrees F), in an unsealed plastic bag or in a film
wrapped tray, may retain their quality for one month.
• Bruised apples do not store as long and should be used first.
• Apples stored below 29 degrees F will freeze. Freezing causes the
apples to become mushy and discolored, greatly reducing their
quality.
• Storing apples in a partly sealed plastic bag helps reduce the odors
apples can pick up from the refrigerator.
Preparation Tips
• Apples are a very versatile fruit They can be used in pies, muf
fins, cakes, and salads or just eaten from your hand.
• Peeled and/or cored apples brown quickly. To prevent this, soak
apples 5 minutes in ol quart of water with 3 tablespoons of bottled
lemon juice and 2 crushed 500-mg vitamin C tablets. The flavor will
not be affected, and the flesh will retain its color for about 3 hours at
room temperature.
• For freezing and canning direction, call your local County Exten
sion Office and ask for the “Let’s Preserve” fact sheets.
GERMAN APPLE CAKE
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
I teaspoon vanilla
Beat ingredients together until
foamy. Sift together the following
and add to the egg mixture:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
‘A teaspoon salt
Fold in:
4 cups thinly sliced apples.
Spread into 13x9-inch pan. Top
with 'A cup chopped walnuts. Bake
at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.
Tina Forry
Palmyra