Which is your favorite apple; Fuji, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Pippin, Sierra Beauty, Crabapple, Gravenstein, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, McIntosh, Pink Lady?
Or perhaps it’s one I’ve forgotten to include in this bewildering array of our favorite fruit.
Imagine how different things might have been in the Garden of Eden if Eve had been forced to make up her mind which kind of apple to use to tempt unsuspecting Adam. Something tart and crisp, like a Granny Smith? Or should she go with a sweet, dark Red Delicious? No, something more exotic, like a Fuji or Pink Lady. So many choices, and that blasted snake whispering in her ear isn’t helping.
By the time she finally decides, Adam’s attention has wandered elsewhere and he isn’t interested in eating an apple. Of course, nowhere in the Biblical account of this incident does it mention an apple, but we’ve all come to believe that’s what the fatal fruit was.
I grew up eating non-fatal Gravensteins, primarily because there was a Gravenstein tree in my grandmother’s yard.
We waited, not so patiently, for the apples to ripen and Grandma to declare them ready to pick. I loved to climb trees back then, so when picking time came, I went to the top for the ripest, most sun-kissed apples. The smell of that first bite of ripe Gravenstein remains in my memory banks and, even though I’ve found many other apples to love, I’m delighted when I come across Gravensteins.
For many of my early marriage years, apple choices were limited.
Most grocery markets carried Granny Smiths and Red and Golden Delicious, and that was about it. Then one by one, others began to appear; Fuji, Braeburn and Gala, and now most markets carry as many as five or six varieties, some more. Some types are better for baking and cooking, others are best eaten raw, in salads or fruit mixes, or just out of hand. There is no healthier or better-tasting after school (or work) snack than a sweet, crisp, ripe apple.
This has been a good year for apples; all over the island you can see fruiting apple trees, some with branches so full they’re drooping to the ground. Unfortunately, many of these will go unplucked, falling to the ground to rot. The deer, however, are feasting, munching on apples wherever they can gain access. Many days I watch as two or three of our regularly visiting herd stand on their hind legs, doing a balancing act as they pull off and slurp down apples from a neighbor’s tree.
Apples, in my estimation, are one of the best aspects of fall, which officially began Tuesday in case you hadn’t noticed. Falling temperatures and falling leaves can be ignored if there’s a big bowl of apples on the table, preferably a few of every kind available.
Remember, apples are called the fruit of love, and offering someone an apple signals your affection. Never say no when you’re offered an apple, unless of course it’s Eve who’s handing you the forbidden fruit, or your name is Snow White.
RECIPES
No other fruit is so strongly associated with home, comfort, mom, a warm kitchen, good smells and good eats as apples are. I won’t presume to present you with a recipe for apple pie when I know most of you have your own favorite family recipe. But if you’d like to wow everyone at your next gathering, trot out this triple layer apple cake. It’s a beauty.
TRIPLE THREAT APPLE CAKE
1 lb. apples (Pippin, if available or Granny Smith), peeled, cored and diced
¼ cup water
2½ cups plus 1 T. flour (see instructions)
2 t. baking soda
1½ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. salt
¼ t. each ground nutmeg and ground cloves
1 cup dried currants
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
1 T. Calvados (apple brandy), or sherry
1½ t. vanilla
4 large eggs
For the frosting: 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup dark brown sugar
8 oz. cream cheese and 8 oz. mascarpone cheese (or use all cream cheese), room temp.
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ t. maple flavoring
2 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
Combine apples and water in a saucepan. Cover and simmer over med.-low heat until apples are tender, about 20 min. put in food processor and puree until smooth. Allow puree to cool. Butter and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans.
In a bowl, stir together the 2½ cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. In a small bowl, toss the currants with the 1 T. flour to coat; stir in the walnuts.
With an electric mixer, beat together sugar, butter, Calvados and vanilla until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add half of the flour mixture and 1¼ cups of the apple puree, beating until blended, then add remaining flour mixture. (Reserve any remaining apple puree for something else). Stir in currant/walnut mixture. Divide batter among the prepared pans and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven about 20 min. or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven, cut around sides to loosen cake and turn out onto a rack to cool. (I find the cakes come out more easily if I let them sit for just a few minutes before turning out onto racks.)
Make frosting: With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until blended. Beat in cheeses, then maple syrup and flavoring. Chill until just beginning to firm up, about 20 min.
Place 1 cake layer on plate, spread with ¾ cup frosting; top with second layer, spread with same amount of frosting and top with third layer. Spread 1 cup frosting in a thin layer over the cake, chill for 15 min., then spread remaining frosting over cake. Press walnuts halfway up sides of cake, then chill cake for at least ½ hr. to set the frosting. Serves 8-10.
A few years ago, I was looking in Epicurious on my computer for a different apple pie, something I hadn’t tried and found this recipe. It includes dried cranberries, which I like very much and always have on hand, so I tried it. It’s a keeper.
APPLE CRANBERRY PIE
For the crust: 2½ cups flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
8 T. ice water (approximately)
For the filling: 1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 T. flour
¼ t. ground allspice
2 lbs. (a bit more, if you want a fat pie) of your favorite pie apples (Pippin, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious), peeled, quartered, cored then thinly sliced
1½ T. Calvados (apple brandy) or plain brandy, or sherry
1 t. vanilla
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 t. cream, for brushing top crust
Blend flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until butter is in ¼-inch pieces. Add 7 T. of the ice water and pulse until moist clumps form, add more water if dough is too dry. Gather into a ball; divide into 2 pieces, flatten pieces into disks, wrap in plastic and chill at least ½ hr. (You can make this a day ahead; keep chilled then allow to soften slightly before rolling.)
To make filling, combine cranberries, sugar, flour and allspice in a large bowl. Mix in the apples, then Calvados and vanilla.
Roll out 1 disk of dough on a floured surface to a 13-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish (preferably glass). Spoon in apple filling, mounding it slightly in the center.
Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round; drape crust over filling and trim overhang to ½-inch. Press the crust edges together, fold under and crimp the edge. Brush top but not edges (they’ll brown too much) of the pie with egg/cream mixture. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake in the bottom third of a preheated 375-degree oven about an hour, or until apples are tender and crust is golden. Transfer to a rack and let stand at least an hour before serving. Serve warm or at room temp. If you like your apple pie with the traditional slice of cheddar cheese on top, place the cheese on warm pie as you serve it. It’s also excellent with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream. Serves 8.
One of the easier things to do with apples, of course, is apple crisp or apple crumble. This particular recipe has a sort of short bread crumble on top and uses sweetened dried cranberries, or you can substitute raisins if you prefer. Quick and easy, and delicious with a bit of ice cream on top.
APPLE CRAISIN CRUMBLE
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp.
11 T. (divided, see instructions) packed golden brown sugar
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
¼ t. ground cloves
1/8 t. salt
2 lbs. Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins), or raisins if preferred
2 T. orange juice
Using electric mixer, beat butter and 6 T. of the brown sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Beat in flour, cornstarch, cloves and salt. Using your fingertips, press the topping into moist clumps.
Toss apples, cranberries (or raisins) and orange juice in a large bowl, separating apple slices so they are all coated. Transfer to an 11x7x2 glass baking dish and scatter topping over. Press gently to compact it slightly. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven until apples are tender and topping is golden, about 1 hr. Serve warm. Serves 6.
