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Crisp temperatures greet us October mornings, letting us know that fall has begun. Trees are starting to wear their red, orange, and yellow dresses. Sweaters and corduroys come out of our closets. The smell of baking apples, greet us in our kitchen.

 

Linda: I think fall cooking might be my favorite time of year. I love summer salads and fruit desserts smothered with ice cream, but when the temperatures start to drop, I think apples.

 

Lucy: It’s time to bake in the oven and warm up the kitchen. Of course apple pie and apple crisps immediately come to mind. But let’s get out our recipe books and search for some other delicious ways to use apples.

 

Linda: I like to make an Apple Spice Cake that bakes in a Bundt pan. It’s filled with apples and nuts. It can be dessert or served as a coffee cake. Bundt cake pans can be difficult but I have some good tips to make them easy and foolproof. We’ll include them with the recipes.

 

Lucy: Muffins are always good on a chilly morning. They’re easy to make ahead and pop in the oven for a few minutes to warm up and slather with butter. The topping in my recipe includes oatmeal. So apples and oatmeal are a nourishing way to start the day. For the applesauce in the recipe, I used one of the unsweetened applesauce individual containers.

 

Linda: On a visit to historical Lexington, MA one Indian summer day, when the New England trees were showing off their colors, I picked up the “Wilson Farm Country Cookbook”. It has farm style recipes. One with apples and chicken caught my eye. This interesting recipe was the reason I purchased the book.

 

Lucy: I made that recipe and it is delicious. We don’t really think about apples and chicken going together but they are a tasty combination. I’ve marked this to be a scrumptious dish to serve when having company. It incorporates a cup of apple cider, adding to the flavors of apples plus makes the chicken tender.

 

Linda: Sometimes when I see a recipe in a cookbook, I decide it’s worth owning the book even it’s for just the one tempting recipe. A plaque above my pantry shelf states “My collection of cookbooks far exceeds my ability to cook”. It’s so true.

 

Lucy: I’m sure our readers are anxious to see the recipes so let’s get started. First we’ll offer a few tips for using a Bundt pan.

• Choose a non-stick pan with classic shape avoiding small crevices
• Grease the pan with vegetable shortening and flour. 
• After baking, let cake cool in the pan for five minutes before turning out.
• Wait one hour before slicing into Bundt cake

 

 

Apple Spice Cake

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cut olive oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups Self Rising flour

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

4 eggs at room temperature

2 cups peeled, cored, and chopped apples

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Add beaten eggs and olive oil. Stir. Gently stir in vanilla, apples, and nuts. (Do not use mixer). Lightly butter a bundt pan and dust with flour (or spray with pan release baking spray like Bakers Joy), tapping out excess flour. Pour cake batter into pan. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 minutes and invert pan. Cool. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or drizzle glaze over top.

Glaze

2/3 cup confectioners sugar

1 TBS Milk (add slightly more milk if too thick)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir until smooth and drizzle over cake

 

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

12-14 muffins

Muffin Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick cooking oatmeal

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk or apple cider

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup finely chopped apple

Streusel Topping

1/4 cup quick cooking oatmeal

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a 12 count muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, applesauce, oil, and vanilla.  

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.  Fold in the chopped apple, then divide evenly between the 12 muffin cups.  

Combine all of the streusel ingredients together in a small bowl, then sprinkle over each muffin.  Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  

 

Wilson Farm Country Cookbook Chicken and Apples

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

8 1/4 lb chicken breasts, skinned and boned

salt

½ cup onion, chopped

¼ cup flour

1 cup apple cider

1 cup light cream 

(If light cream not available, use half and half or mix whole milk with heavy cream)

1 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. nutmeg

3 medium apples (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into eighths

Directions

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken breasts lightly with salt and add to the butter. Cook until lightly browned on both sides. Remove the chicken breasts to a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lower the heat and add the onion to the butter remaining in the frying pan. Cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes or until it softens. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the onion, with a slotted spoon, to the top of the chicken. Reserve the drippings.

 

Place the flour in a small mixing bowl and whisk or briskly stir in the cider. Stir in the cream. Pour this mixture into the drippings remaining in the frying pan. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring, until the liquid begins to thicken. Add the sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and apples. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the apples are hot and coated. Spoon the apples and sauce over the chicken. The sauce may appear to be too thick, but some liquid will cook out of the apples and chicken in the oven. Cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the chicken, and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until the chicken is lightly browned. Spoon the sauce over the chicken at least once during the uncovered cooking period.