APPLES!!

Ideas, recipes and facts from An Apple a Day by Jennifer Storey Gillis...


*Best apples for snacking:  Macs, Empire
*Best apples for pie:  Nothern Spy


Freezing Apples
Peel, core and slice thinly your apples and drop them into lemon water for 5 minutes.  (Lemon water = 1 gallon of cold water and 2 tbl. lemon juice)  Sprinkle sugar over the bottom of a cookie sheet, layer on apples, sprinkle more sugar, continue until done with apples.  Place apples in freezer bags and freeze until ready to use them in sauce, pies, etc!


Drying Apples
Core apples and slice them into 1/4inch rings.  Thread apples onto a string and hang them to dry in an airy, dry place.  Cover with cheesecloth.  When apples are fully dry, pack them in containers and use for baking or eating.




Broiled Apple Kabobs
6 apples
1/4c. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tbl. smooth peanut butter

Wash and core the apples.  Cut each apple into 12 pieces.  Put the apples onto skewers.  Melt butter in a small pan over low heat, mix in the rest of the ingredients until smooth.  Take a basting brush and brush the mixture onto the apples.  Broil for 4 minutes, turning 2-3 times.


Apple Pizza
1c. butter (room temp)                       Red jam (your favorite)
2/3c. sugar                                         Ground almonds (optional)
1 egg                                                  Dried or fresh apple slices
1tsp. vanilla                                
2 1/2c. flour
1/2tsp. salt
1tbl. cinnamon
peanut butter

Mix butter and sugar together till creamy and smooth.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Slowly add the flour, salt and cinnamon.  Completely mix the dough until it forms a dough.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours, until chilled.  Grease cookie sheet and preheat oven to 350 degrees.      Sprinkle a little flour onto a surface and roll out your dough till it's about 3/8 in.  Lift the "crust" onto the cookie sheet.  Bake the cookie crust for about 8-10 minutes till dough is slightly browned.  Cool crust thoroughly before adding toppings.  Spread crust with peanut butter, then add the sauce - jam.  Arrange apple slices and sprinkle with ground almonds.  Cut in pizza style wedges and serve with cold milk.  ~Mangia bene!