Happy Halloween! It’s the time for pumpkins, goblins, ghosts, and good food. Some folks eat black licorice and candy corn, but I always opt for crisp and crunchy apples.
There are myriad apple varieties, making it hard to decide which one to pick. Look for firm, aromatic apples with unblemished skin and no bruises. Choose one or two apples of each type and and take them home for a taste-test, unless you are offered a chance to taste them at the orchard or farm stand.
Use several varieties of apples if you plan to make great tasting apple pie or applesauce. I’ve suggested my favorite apple variety for each of this week’s recipes.
Drizzling sherry vinegar over chopped apples keeps them from turning brown, meanwhile the natural apple juice reduces the acidity of the vinegar. This week’s variation of the famous Waldorf salad is worth bringing back.
A festive and seasonal dessert can be created by combining pumpkins and apples, with spiced pumpkin purée spooned into hot poached apples. It can be made ahead of time and reheated just before serving. Be sure to watch the poaching process so the apples don’t turn to applesauce.
If you like apple crumb pie, you’ll love streusel-topped cupcakes. They are perfect for cake lovers and also to include in a school lunch box.
For Halloween, buy small apples, wash them carefully, and float them in a big tub of cool water so that trick or treaters can bob for apples on Saturday night. Bon appetit!
(Serves 6)2 green skinned (Granny Smith) apples, chilled2 red skinned crisp (Macoun) apples, chilled1/2 cup sherry vinegar 4 stalks organic celery, thinly sliced1 bunch scallions, washed, trimmed and sliced thin4 to 5 fresh sage leaves, minced1 cup shelled walnut halves, toasted4 to 5 tablespoons walnut oil or more if necessaryAbout 1 teaspoon mayonnaise or Dijon mustardSea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste6 Boston or red leaf lettuce leaves, washed and spun dryTo prepare:
Wash the apples and dry them well. Core (but do not peel) and chop into small even-size pieces and place them in a bowl with the vinegar. Toss to coat the surface of the apples to prevent browning.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, toss celery, scallions, sage, and walnuts together and drizzle with just enough walnut oil until coated. Add the nut mixture to the apples.
In a small bowl, add the mayo or mustard, pour the vinegar off the apples and whisk it into the mayo, then slowly add the remainder of the walnut oil, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad with the dressing. Spoon salad into the lettuce leaf “cups” and serve at once.
*Adapted from “The Silver Palate Cookbook,” 1982.
(Serves 8)4 large Rome apples, halved and cored1/2 cup dark rum1 vanilla bean1 cup brown sugar1½ to 2 cups plain pumpkin purée (unsweetened)1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrupPinch of cinnamonPinch of ground clovesGrating of nutmeg1 cup dried cranberries1 cup toasted slivered almondsTo prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a non-reactive saucepan over medium high heat, add rum, vanilla bean and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
Bring one cup of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, arrange the apples cut side down in a large baking dish that will accommodate all the apples in one layer.
When the sugar is dissolved, pour the hot rum over the apples in baking dish along with just enough boiling water to
come barely halfway up the fruit.
Cover the apples with parchment paper and bake until they are fork tender, but not mushy or falling apart, about 10 minutes. Each apple variety is different, so watch carefully.
Remove from the oven, pour the poaching liquid back into the saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Turn apples over in the baking dish.
Meanwhile, whisk together the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and all the seeds from the vanilla bean. Taste and adjust the flavorings.
If there isn’t enough of a well to hold the filling in the center of the apples, lightly scoop out some apple with a spoon and then fill the warm apples with the pumpkin mixture.
Sprinkle cranberries and almonds on top. Drizzle some of the reduced liquid over top to moisten. Can be done ahead. Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche.
(If made ahead, place the dish of filled apples in a warm oven (300 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 10 minutes or until slightly warm.)
(About 24)1½ cups unbleached flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon sea salt1/4 teaspoon baking soda3/4 cup sugar1/4 cup cream cheese, softened1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened2 tablespoons amaretto1 teaspoon pure almond extract1 large organic egg1/2 cup sour cream1/4 cup milk (2% is fine)3/4 cup chopped Gala apples (or your favorite apple)1 tablespoon flourFor the streusel top:2 tablespoons flour1 tablespoon old-fashioned oatmeal2 tablespoons brown sugar1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter2 tablespoons sliced toasted almondsTo prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350. Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups and coat them with cooking spray.
Spoon flour into a measuring cup, level off and place in a mixing bowl.
Add baking powder, salt, baking soda, and whisk together to combine. In an electric mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together at high speed until blended, add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Mix in the amaretto, almond extract and egg and blend well.
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and milk until smooth. Sprinkle one tablespoon of flour over the apples and toss lightly.
Add flour/baking powder mixture alternately with the sour cream mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour dusted apples. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups.
In a bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
Stir in the almonds and sprinkle the streusel over the cupcakes.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 28 minutes. Cool in the pan about 15 minutes then remove the cupcakes from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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