After a glorious day spent with the family, picking perfect apples right from the tree, it’s time to put them to good use. There are endless numbers of apple recipes that can be found online, but I find that the ones I’ve followed, passed down from a great aunt, just can’t be beat.
Here are just a few of those recipes that will highlight the pickings from your fun family adventure at one of the many farms in Little Rhody.
The kiddies will get a kick out of helping create a tasty treat with the apples they picked themselves at the orchard. Giving them easy tasks and allowing them to help when baking will make them feel special, and the entire experience will be a great memory maker.
Apple Bread Pudding
This simple sweet bread pudding is incredibly satisfying, easy to make, and tastes heavenly, served warm, with a drizzle or two of fresh cream.
Ingredients
- 2 medium (300g) apples
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 1/2 cup (625ml) skim milk
- 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways
- 4 slice thick fruit bread
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Peel, core and quarter the apples. Cut each quarter into 3 mm slices.
- Combine the brown sugar, water, and apples in a medium frying pan; cook, stirring over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
- Preheat the oven to moderately slow, 320 degrees F.
- Grease a deep (6-cup) ovenproof dish.
- Combine milk and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan; heat until just below boiling point.
- Remove from heat, stand for 5 minutes.
- Discard vanilla bean.
- Meanwhile, cut the bread slices into quarters.
- Arrange bread and apples in alternate layers in the dish.
- Whisk the eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
- Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg mixture.
- Pour egg mixture carefully over bread and apple.
- Place the dish in a large baking dish; add enough boiling water to the baking dish to come halfway up the side of the pudding dish.Bake, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, or until set.
Easy Apple Cake
I absolutely love baked apple-anything, and this is by far my favorite cake. Break out this easy apple cake recipe the next time you’re craving a no-fuss fall dessert or maybe for a special treat for your family or house guest. With tart apples, warm cinnamon, and some walnuts thrown in for good measure, it’s a quintessential fall bake.
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups finely chopped peeled tart apples
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1-1/4 cups whipped topping
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla, until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended.
- Fold in apples and walnuts.
- Transfer to a greased 13×9-in. baking dish.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack. Serve with whipped topping.
Apple Cider Ice Cream
Apple ice cream? Absolutely, without a doubt, it’s my favorite flavor, hands down. In the summer months, especially, the best of the best can be found at Brickley’s Ice Cream in South Kingstown, or at its other location in Wakefield . Since I live in the city, it’s not always easy traveling to South County to savor this delightful treat – especially when the fall months have ushered in.
But that’s okay! There are no rules about eating ice cream during the fall and winter months, at least not in my house! In fact, apple cider ice cream is the perfect fall treat that I can make myself, and it’s especially one that tastes like warm cinnamon and baked apples, with a zing from the boiled apple cider syrup. Maybe not exactly Brickley’s, but for me, it’s close enough.
- First, boil the apple cider into a thick syrup.
- Cool until needed.
- Next pour the milk into a saucepan and add 1/2 cup of sugar, salt and cinnamon.
- Warm over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just starts to boil.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar and the egg yolks.
- Temper the eggs by drizzling some of the hot mixture into the eggs and sugar.
- Pour the hot tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan, and continue to heat until it reaches 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from the heat and add the boiled cider.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl set over an ice bath.
- Add the cream and stir to combine.
- Leave the ice cream base in the ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cooled.
- Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
***Process the ice cream according to the manufacturer directions for your ice cream maker.
***Scoop into a freezer safe container, layering the ice cream with the remaining apple cider syrup.
***Freeze until firm, then serve.
This ice cream is a yummy treat all on its own, but as a topping to any of the above desserts, it is a real hit!
