When people of varying ages talk about apples, there’s no denying a disconnect between the MacIntoshes blooming on trees in orchards throughout Northeast America and those being churned out at Apple factories in both Taiwan and the U.S. Have you noticed a difference in spelling between the two?
“Apple employee Jef Raskin, named the Macintosh computer after the McIntosh apple but deliberately misspelled the name,” say editors at the Gardening Know How website. For apple lovers, there is no confusion!
Read More »Our 6 recipes may not all require specific apple types, but if you know your apples, substitution is always on the menu, so we invite you to be creative to the core knowing that we apple-laud your efforts as well as apple-ogize for the puns. By the way, all these recipes have just 10 steps and they’re as easy as apple pie to make.
Sheet-Pan Pork Chops with Apples (feeds 4)
1. Pre-heat oven to 425-degrees F
2. Whisk together ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp. maple syrup; 2 tsp. whole grain mustard and ¼ tsp. each of salt and pepper
3. Thinly slice 1 medium red onion and 2 apples (Pink Lady or Honeycrisp work best)
4. Place sliced onion and apples on a rimmed baking sheet
5. Drizzle with ½ of the marinade (#2 above) and toss to coat
6. Salt and pepper four 1″-thick boneless pork chops
7. Lay chops over the apple/onion slices; pour the rest of the marinade over the meat
8. Top each chop with a sprig of rosemary and bake in oven’s center rack for 15 minutes
9. Discard the rosemary and broil on high for 3-5 minutes to caramelize the dish
10. Give the chops, apples, onions, and marinade 5 minutes to settle before serving.
Apple Pot Pies (feeds 12 little kids or 6 big kids)
1. Pre-heat oven to 375-degrees F
2. Combine 1⅓ cups brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. butter and 2 tsp. honey in a saucepan over medium heat
3. Peel and cut into small pieces 8 small Golden Delicious apples
4. Add the apples to the spices, sugar, butter, and honey
5. Cook around 10 minutes to soften apples and blend
6. Cut 1 refrigerated pie crust into 12 rounds
7. Press each of the rounds into a cupcake pan
8. Fill crusts ¾ of the way full of the apple mix
9. Bake 10 to 15 minutes (pie edges should be golden brown) and cool
10. Top with scoops of ice cream.
Carmel Apple Eclair Cake (feeds up to 24)
1. Mix 5 lbs. of cored, peeled, chopped Golden Delicious apples with 1 tsp. ground cinnamon & 1 c. white sugar in a saucepan on med. heat
2. Cook and stir until the apples are coated and tenderized (if things look soupy, add 1 tsp. flour to thicken)
3. Once the mixture simmers and thickens, remove from the stove, and cool down
4. Whisk together two 3.5 ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix and 3 c. milk in a large bowl until smooth
5. Stir 1 c. sour cream into the pudding/milk mix and fold in 1-8oz. container of thawed frozen whipped topping
6. Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with a single layer of cinnamon graham crackers
7. Top crackers with a thin layer of apple mix followed by a layer of the pudding mix
8. Keep layering until you run out of ingredients (crackers should top the layers)
9. Warm an 8 oz. container of caramel apple dip in a microwave and pour over crackers
10. Refrigerate up to 48 hours before cutting and serving.
Chocolate Cookie-Coated Caramel Apples (feeds 8)
1. Insert a wooden stick into the stem end of 8 apples
2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray
3. Melt 4 c. sugar and ¼ c. corn syrup over med. heat
4. Keep stirring until the mixture smooths out and turns amber colored (8-12 min.)
5. Add 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter cut into pats and stir until melted
6. Turn down the heat to simmer and add 2 c. heavy cream
7. Wisk mixture until smooth and increase heat to medium high for 8-10 min
8. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down for 5–10 min.
9. Dip each apple into the mix and roll each one in crushed chocolate cookies
10. Place coated apples on baking sheet and given them between 5-10 min. to set.
Apple Cheddar Soup with Bacon (feeds 4)
1. Cook 3 slices of bacon in a pot over medium heat until crisp (4-5 min per side)
2. Drain bacon on paper towels, cool and chop. Retain 2 tsp. drippings from pan
3. Return pan to the stove on medium heat
4. Chop up 1 sm. onion, 2 peeled apples and 1 med. peeled potato
5. Place chopped ingredients into the bacon pan; cook about 8 min., stirring frequently
6. Add 3 c. chicken broth, 1½ c. unsweetened apple juice plus ¾ tsp. salt and pepper to pan
7. Cook for 10-12 minutes to soften the potato
8. Stir in 2 c. (minus 2 tsp) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
9. Puree batches of soup in a blender
10. Serve in bowls topped with remaining cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped chives and croutons.
Cider Glazed Chicken Wings with Apple Salad (feeds 4)
1. Brush 2 baking sheets with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and place in an oven preheated to 450-degrees F
2. Place 2½ pounds of chicken wings in a large bowl. Season with 1 tsp. hot paprika, ½ tsp. salt and pepper
3. Divide wings between the 2 baking sheets, leaving space between each wing
4. Roast wings until they are crisp (about 30 min.)
5. Place 1 c. apple cider, 1/3 cup + 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar and 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce in a small pan
6. Simmer over high heat around 12 minutes to reduce liquid to about ½ c.
7. Slice 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter into pats and whisk into the mix
8. Brush wings with ¼ of the sauce and broil to glaze 1-2 min. Flip wings and repeat
9. Place remaining sauce in a bowl; add 2 thinly sliced apples, 4 stalks sliced celery, ½ cup celery leaves and 3 sliced scallions
10. Plate the salad beneath or next to the wings for a beautiful presentation.
Resources
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/apples/growing-mcintosh-apples.htm
https://www.jessicagavin.com/types-of-apples/
https://therightwording.com/25-apple-solutely-funny-puns-and-jokes-about-apples/
https://www.elitedaily.com/lifestyle/apple-picking-puns
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a39749774/sheet-pan-pork-chops-recipe/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/276219/apple-pot-pies/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/98066/caramel-apple-eclair-cake/
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a34029134/cookie-coated-caramel-apples-recipe/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/apple-cheddar-soup-with-bacon-recipe-2111894
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/cider-glazed-chicken-wings-with-apple-salad-7442929
