spiced and spiked apple cider
This apple cider hot toddy recipe will warm you from head to toe during the brisk autumn months. The quality of ingredients goes a long way here, so be sure to use local, unfiltered apple cider and high-quality whiskey. Hudson Baby Bourbon, produced by Hudson Valley’s Tuthilltown Distillery, is delicious.
Ingredients
• 1 cup water
• 1 green tea or black tea bag
• 1 1/2 ounces bourbon (quality matters)
• 1 ounce real apple cider
• 1/2 small lemon
• Garnishes: round slices of lemon, a cinnamon stick, and star anise
Bring the water to a simmer and pour it over the tea bag into a large mug, leaving about one and a half inches of room in your mug for the cider and whiskey. Let the tea steep for 3 to 4 minutes, then discard the bag so the tea doesn’t get unpleasantly bitter. Next, pour in the bourbon and a hefty splash of apple cider. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and garnish with lemon slices, a cinnamon stick, and star anise.
apple butter
Apple butter is a classic autumnal treat with rich apple flavor, spicy undertones, and a smoothe texture. Its uses know no bounds—spread it on bread, muffins, pancakes, with peanut butter on a sandwich, spoon it over vanilla ice cream, or just eat it out of the jar.
Ingredients
• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Core and peel the apples and then cut them into wedges and place the pieces in a medium/large saucepot.
Add apple cider vinegar, salt, and water and set the pot over medium heat. Cover, leaving a little space open on the pot for ventilation, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off heat when apples are extremely tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Place apple mash and liquid in your blender until very smooth. Next, place apple sauce back into the original pot. Set back over medium heat and add brown sugar, spices, and vanilla.
Simmer, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until sauce thickens and turns a dark brown, after about 15 minutes. Cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or can and enjoy this treat year-round. Makes 4 to 5 cups.
baked apple dumplings
Tender cinnamon apples wrapped in a light and fluffy biscuit and smothered in a maple-brown sugar sauce – baked apple dumplings make for a mouthwatering and warming treat during the fall and winter. Jonagold, Braeburn, and Honeycrisp apple varieties work well here.
Ingredients
• 2 apples
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 8 canned biscuits
• a pinch of salt • 1 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbl maple syrup
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel, core, and slice each apple into 8 equal slices. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
Next, split each biscuit horizontally into two layers. Flatten out each piece of biscuit until it’s big enough to hold an apple slice (about palm size). Place an apple slice in the middle of the dough and sprinkle with some of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Fold the dough up and over the apple slice and pinch the edges of the dough closed to completely cover the apple slice.
Place the wrapped apples, seam side down, in a 9x13 baking dish and repeat with the remaining apple slices. You should have 16 total. In a medium saucepan, combine water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter, maple syrup, and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the liquid evenly over the apple dumplings and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, the apples are very tender, and the dumplings are puffed and perfectly golden brown. Serve warm, spooning extra sauce over the dumplings, and enjoy.
apple chips
Apple chips are an easy-to-make, delicious, and healthy snack year-round, and are a wonderful way to use your abundance of apples after a day at the orchards.
Ingredients
• 2 Golden Delicious apples, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons white sugar
Preheat your oven to 225°F and arrange apple slices on a metal baking sheet. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and sprinkle liberally over apple slices.
Bake in the preheated oven until apples are fully dried and the edges curl up, for 45 minutes to an hour. Transfer apple chips onto a wire rack until fully cooled and crispy.
