That time of year is upon us again. Now is the time for apple recipes. Picking your own apples can be lots of fun for the whole family. Putting them to use in desserts is even more fun. I want to share with you some of our favorite ways to use apples. My family has apple trees so there is never a shortage on apples. I have to use them up somehow and there is no better way than inventing apple recipes.
Apple Squares
Ingredients:
Four cups diced apples
1-teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
¾-teaspoon salt
½-cup oil
Two eggs
2 cups flour
1-teaspoon soda
1-teaspoon cinnamon
1-cup ground nuts
Directions:
Mix eggs over apples. Stir with fork. Add dry ingredients. In a 9 x 13 inch, pan bake at 350 degrees for sixty minutes or longer. Cut into squares.
Crazy Crust Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1-cup flour
1-tablespoon sugar
One egg
2/3 cup soft shortening
1-teaspoon baking powder
½-teaspoon salt
¾-cup water
2 ½ cup diced apples
1-tablespoon lemon juice
1-tablespoon cinnamon
Directions:
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, egg and shortening in a small bowl. Beat two minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into a 9 x 1 ½ inch pie pan. Combine apples with lemon juice. Pour into center of batter. Do not stir. Bake 45 minutes at 425 degrees.
Apple Upside Down cake
Ingredients:
1-cup brown sugar
½-cup butter
2 cups apples, diced
9 to 10 maraschino cherries
1-cup white sugar
2/3 cup Crisco or butter
Three eggs
1 ½-teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour or cake flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt
1-cup milk
Directions:
In a twelve-inch skillet, combine brown sugar and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Arrange apples in the skillet, putting cherry in the center of the apples in the sugar mixture. In a mixing bowl, cream together white sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and add to cream mixture with milk. Beat after each addition. Pour batter over apples in the skillet. Bake at 350 degrees for forty to forty five minutes. Invert warm cake on a serving platter. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream, if desired. You can use cake mix rather than making your cake from scratch.
