Easy as Apple Pie!

We are well into apple season (aka fall) so it’s time for me to share my new apple recipes with you. I do love this time of year. The temperature is lowering, the leaves are changing color, and all the comfort foods start to replace the lighter summer fare. Which is where my apple recipes come in. They gear you up for those crisp fall days, offer easy to make options, and are a great way to use up those apples or apple cider you bought while visiting an orchard 😊

Here’s what I have for you:

APPLE CIDER WHOOPIE PIES

Apple cider whoopie pies are a new fall favorite in our house. They are fluffy and yummy with great apple flavor. I think the cookies taste similar to apple cider donuts (if you’ve ever had those) but the center is what really makes these. It’s a combination of cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar. It’s the perfect combination of flavors and pairs well with the apple cider cookies when sandwiches together. They are soft, delicious, and easy to make.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and set aside. Add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until well combined. Add the applesauce and apple cider and beat until well combined.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. You don’t want to overmix.

Use a cookie scoop, about 1 – 1 ½ Tbsp in size, to scoop the dough onto the baking sheets. You should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and let cook for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

To make the coating, melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Brush the melted butter over each cookie then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Let the cookies cool completely.

Next, prepare the filling. Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until well combined. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined.

Transfer the icing to a piping bag and snip off the tip. Turn over HALF of the cookies and pipe the filing onto each cookie. Top with the other HALF of the cookies, creating sandwiches.

Serve immediately and enjoy! Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Let soften on the counter for 10 minutes or so when ready to serve the leftovers to allow them to soften up a bit.

The recipe can be found here.

APPLE CIDER CHURROS WITH CARAMEL DIPPING SAUCE

Apple Cider Churros with Caramel Dipping Sauce are the perfect fall treat! They are perfectly spiced, a dip-able treat, and easy to make. I think a common misconception about churros is they are difficult to make and take a long time to make because you try them. That’s not true! I had these churros made from start to finish in about 30 minutes. They have a crunchy exterior and a soft interior. I think they are delicious on their own (similar in taste to an apple cider donut) but the caramel dipping sauce is a game changer. I’m a caramel fan in general and could eat the dipping sauce on its own but paired with the spiced churros and this dessert is on a whole different level. Your house will smell amazing when you make these churros.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by making the caramel dipping sauce. Add the sugar to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The sugar will start to clump then it will melt and turn a brownish color. This is what you want! Continue to heat and stir occasionally until completely melted. Then turn off the heat and add the butter, while stirring, and continue to stir until melted. The mixture is going to bubble quite a bit, and this is also OK. Just keep stirring!

Again, while stirring (do you sense a theme? 😊), add the heavy cream and salt. Stir until well combined. Pour into a small bowl to use for serving and dipping later. The sauce will cool slightly while you work on the churros. If it cools too much and start to harden, soften it in the microwave. I didn’t have a need to do this but 15-20 seconds in the microwave won’t hurt either.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. This will be to coat the churros.

Next, make the churros. Add the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg to a mixing bowl and whisk together.

Add the apple cider, butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the flour mixture and stir to combine. The mixture is going to be quite thick and lumpy – this is OK. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Once cool, add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs and slowly mix until well combined. You need the mixture to cool before moving to this step or the heat will cook the eggs before they have had a chance to incorporate. The mixture will still be thick after adding the eggs but most of the lumps should be gone.

Add a star tip to a piping bag and snip off the tip. Add the batter to the piping bag and set aside.

Heat 2-3 inches of canola or vegetable oil in a deep fry pan to 375 degrees F. You can also start the heating process while you prepare the churros to save time. Pipe 4-5 strips of dough into the hot oil and use kitchen scissors to snip the dough. They can be as long or short as you want. I tend to go for 4-5 inches in length. That seems to be the perfect size for quantity. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and cooked through. You can test out the length of fry time by cutting into on or taking a bite as a guide. Fry longer if needed. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper towel lined plate and let sit for 30-60 seconds, then toss in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Transfer to a serving plate.

Repeat until all batter has been fried. Serve immediately with the caramel dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

APPLE & WALNUT SALAD WITH CREAMY CINNAMON DRESSING

Apple & Walnut Salad with Creamy Cinnamon Dressing is the perfect fall fruit salad. It’s packed with crisp apples, tart cranberries, and bitter walnuts that are covered in a sweet yet spiced dressing that is rich and creamy. It’s easy to prepare this salad and it makes a large amount, making it perfect for a side dish or appetizer. You can easily double the recipe if needed, depending on the size of the crowd. It has great textures and flavor combinations and is a great autumn dish.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by making the dressing. Add the cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until well combined. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until well combined. Set the dressing aside.

Combine the water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Cut the apples into small cubes, discarding the core and any bruised parts. Add the chopped apples to the water mixture and let soak for about 1 minutes. This helps prevent browning. Use a slotted spoon to remove the apples to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Combine the apples with the walnuts, cranberries, and dressing and stir until well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a few additional cranberries and walnuts (this is completely optional as there are plenty in the dish already). Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to chill. When ready, serve and enjoy! Make sure to enjoy same day as the apples will start to brown over time and the dressing will start to make them mushy.

You can substitute the cranberries with golden raisins or the walnuts with pecans if you prefer – any combination will be good!

The recipe can be found here.

BAKED APPLE PIE WONTONS

Baked Apple Pie Wontons are a great alternative to apple pie! This inventive recipe is great for dessert or a snack (or a late-night dessert type snack) because it’s easy to make. The wontons are light and airy with a warm filling and crispy exterior. They are a bite-sized treat but why stop at one? Personally, I ate half the plate myself and I’m not ashamed. They were SO GOOD, so this recipe is definitely a keeper 😊

I do want to point out that this recipe is for BAKED wontons. If you prefer, you can heat oil and fry the wontons for a slightly different taste and texture.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. This will be the wonton filling.

Arrange the wonton wrappers on the counter. Add 1 Tbsp of the apple mixture to the center of each wonton. Use a finger to brush milk (or water) along the edges and fold each wrapper into a triangle shape. Use milk (or water) along the edges and pinch to completely seal each wonton. Place on the prepared baking sheets. You should be able to make 20-24 wontons total.

Brush milk over the top of each wonton. This will help create that nice crust. Then lightly spritz the top of each wonton with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned and starting to crisp. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. This next step is optional, but you can sprinkle with powdered sugar (I think this is a must).

While the wontons are baking, make the caramel dipping sauce. Add the sugar to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The sugar will start to clump then it will melt and turn a brownish color. This is what you want! Continue to heat and stir occasionally until completely melted. Reduce the heat to low and SLOWLY pour in the heavy cream while stirring. The mixture is going to bubble quite a bit and steam up – this is OK. Continue to stir until completely combined and smooth. The caramel might harden a bit when you pour in the cream. This is also OK. It will melt again over the low heat while you stir, just be patient. Add the salt and vanilla and stir to combine. Then remove from the heat and pour into a serving bowl. If you prefer, you can use a store-bought caramel sauce and avoid making homemade. It’s a bit tedious and not for everyone so I get it!