APPLES, APPLES, APPLES!

I love this time of year and I love fall/winter cooking!  I spend my Sundays watching football and cooking...it's my favorite day of the week this time of year.  There are so many comfort foods that you can make.  Last year, I started baking...a first for me.  I have always been a cook not a baker.  Although I still love to cook more than baking, which I find messy and time consuming.  I am all about making simple easy to cook dishes.  But I do love apple season.  My hubby and I went to the orchard yesterday and picked up apples and mums and I have been cooking all day.  I have a belly full of apples right now from all the taste testing lol!

I made Apple Pie, Apple Crisp and Apple Sauce.  The apple crisp and sauce were a first for me and learned that with my apple crisp, I needed to add more oats - next time.  But it tastes delish.  All basically have the same ingredients just a bit different methods of prepping and baking.



Apple Pie
Ingredients

• Pie Crust - I cheat and buy the Pillsbury Pie Crust
• 6-7 Cortland Apples, thinly sliced, peels and cored (about 2 lbs)
• 1 Tablespoon of butter or margarine 
• 2/3 - 3/4 cup of White Sugar
• 2/3 - 3/4 cup of Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• Milk

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.  Prepare pie crust, roll out half of the crust and line 9-inch pie plate. In a bow, combine sugars, apples, cinnamon and butter. Place apple mix into pie crust. Roll out remaining crust and cover apples. Fold crust overhang over pie plate rim. Pinch to form a high edge. Cut 4 slices on top of pie crust. For a golden glaze brush the top of crust lightly with milk. Bake pie for 40 - 50 minutes until golden brown.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

• 10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture. .Bake for about 45 minutes until top is golden brown.

Apple Sauce
Ingredients
I used alot more apples and eye-balled the ingredients below and canned the sauce.

• 4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
 In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Took me all day and don't think that I want to see another apple for a while lol

ENJOY!