Birthday Giveaway #9 - - The Apple of My Eye

This was originally posted in 2015. I was going to write a new post for today about my favorite fall fruit but I haven't found any new recipes that top these three when it comes to setting my taste buds to dancing. So, here we go...again. :)

Fall is my favorite season of the year for many reasons. One of those reasons is local orchards filled with sweet, tart, juicy, can't-get-enough apples. I eat a lot of apples this time of year - probably at least five per week. For snacking, I prefer Gala and Fuji. They find their way into salads, slices eaten with peanut butter or, frequently, eaten on their own. Just the pure, sweet taste of apple. Baking is something else I enjoy this time of year. Granny Smiths are the apple of choice for my baking and they star in many of the dishes I bake. Here are a few of my favorite recipes.  

APPLE CRISP

5 cups sliced, pared apples (I use Granny Smith)
1 cup Bisquick 
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup firm butter

Heat oven to 375° F. Arrange apples in an ungreased 9x9x2 baking pan.

Mix Bisquick, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake until apples are tender, about 30 minutes.

I love mine with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream!

*Because I have a gluten intolerance, I substitute gluten-free baking mix for the Bisquick.

PJ'S APPLE PIE SQUARES

8 medium apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced (I use Granny Smith)
3/4 cup sugar

2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 TBSP butter
2 pie crusts
1/2 TBSP lemon juice
Powdered sugar
Milk
Pure vanilla extract

Sprinkle sliced apples lightly with lemon juice. 

Combine sugar, flour, spices and a dash of salt; toss with sliced apples. Roll one pie crust to a 9x11 rectangle and place it in the bottom of a baking dish of the same size. Fill with the apple mixture then dot with slices of butter. 

Roll the second pie crust to the same dimensions and place over the top of the apple mixture, sealing the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to allow the steam to escape and lightly sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400° F. for 50 minutes or until done.

Stir together powdered sugar, milk and a squirt of vanilla to make a glaze. Drizzle over slightly cooled pie and cut into squares. This is great hot or cold, either with ice cream or on its own.

*I substitute gluten-free flour for the regular all-purpose flour and use gluten-free pie crust. I like the Wholly Gluten-Free brand. 

APPLE COCO-NUTTY MUFFINS

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup Crisco Oil
2 cups peeled and diced apples (your favorite type)
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, mix eggs, sugar, and oil. Stir in apples, nuts, and coconut.

Stir apple mixture into dry ingredients until moist.

Grease 16 muffin cups. Fill each cup 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool at least 15 minutes before removing muffins from the pan.

* Again, I substitute gluten-free flour for the regular all-purpose kind.

What's your favorite fruit to indulge in this time of year? 

Do you have orchards or farmer's markets nearby where you can buy it fresh from the trees?

Do you have any favorite authors who routinely include recipes in their books?

Do you have special recipes that you tend to only indulge in during the fall? Feel free to share!

Birthday Giveaway #9:

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, September 10 will receive a package of books from my home book stash. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited