red hot apples

hubster has a memory

of baked crab apples

bright red and canned

by his aunt ethel

30 years ago

do you feel my pain?

luckily for me

we happened upon a baked apple

at philippes

which is an autumn special

that did not look

but
tasted similar to aunt ethel's apples

after tasting it, i thought

hmmm

it kind of tastes like red hots

i used a standard poaching technique

like you would do for pears

instead of wine, spices and zest

i used a bag of red hots

who knew?

after preparing the warm crimson bath, 

i thought to check the internet

and there are quite a few recipes 

for cinnamon apples

many using red hots

i figured i was on the right track

these are quite good

and i imagine would be beautiful canned,

warmed over ice cream,

or

as an oversized "cherry" 

crowning a soft warm chocolate cake

personally,

i am enjoying them

one by one

the soft sourness of the crab apple

paired with 

the sticky sweet of the red hots

indulged

with a nigella-like abandon

red hot apples
(printable recipe)

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

1-14oz bag red hots

pinch salt

a dozen or so crab apples, peeled

place the sugar, water, red hots and salt in a heavy pot. heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the red hots melt properly (they tend to stick to the bottom of the pan).  once everything is melted, bring the mixture to a simmer and gently plop in the apples.  let simmer for about 15 minutes (these soften quickly, so pay attention).  remove apples and place in a shallow storage pan, cover with hot syrup. let cool a bit, then store in the refrigerator.  you can also can them just after the simmer.  please use proper canning procedures.

*note...there is quite a bit of extra syrup when all is said and done.  you can use it to make more apples, or you can put it in a jar and use it for cocktails.  i will get back to you on that (wink, wink)

poetic apples

i love october

mainly because of halloween

but also because of the promise october holds

the promise of dark cool mornings

followed by crisp afternoons

perfect for a walk

down country roads

the crackle of autumn leaves at my feet

and an irish knit to keep me warm

alas

promises are meant to be broken

when you live in southern california

instead of crisp afternoons

i find myself with crunchy granny smith apples

and rather than

 dark cool mornings

i have dark warm chocolate

sometimes a broken promise isn't all that bad

i don't have a recipe for you, as these are quite simple

but i do have a couple of tips

-use good chocolate--bittersweet or milk, whatever your fancy--but make sure it is good.  you can learn how to temper chocolate in the microwave, here

- if you make your own caramel--let it set and then warm when you are ready to dip your apples  i actually make my caramel in advance, let it set and cool, then roll it into round sheets much like you can buy in the store.
i like this recipe from the culinary institute of america

 i find it easier to drape the sheet over the apple than to dip it

-i roll the caramel apples in toasted, salted almonds, but peanuts and pecans are yummy too! i have found that putting the nuts under the chocolate, gives the chocolate something to grab, and also allows for festive decoration

-floral tape on the stick, covers a myriad of sins

and cute ribbon turns it from an apple to a present

you should go to your kitchen right now

and make these

they are delicious

and some might say

poetic

linked up to
sundays at one
just something i whipped up
pretty packages party
weekend wrap up at tatertots and jello

i love you a bushel and a peck

nothing says autumn like a basket

 of just-picked

crunchy, barely-sweet apples

imperfect

 in need of a good shine

courtesy of my shirt sleeve

there is little i can resist

as the fall colors begin to show
in most of the country

yet
here i sit

in southern california

adjusting my air conditioning

wishing i were elsewhere

last week

hubster and i were in connecticut

taking in the beauty of new england

from our perch in a historic lighthouse

while on a drive
we 

stumbled upon an old cider mill

idyllic

it was too early in the season

which meant we couldn't watch the mill in action

but

as a consolation prize

they were serving freshly made donuts

which didn't last long enough 

for a photo shoot

they were pretty good

but not real

apple-y

and i like

apple-y

and rather than be haunted by it

for one more day

i got busy in the kitchen

frying up

apple fritters

Apple Fritters
(printable recipe)
for the apples
1 cup apples--cut in a 1/4" dice
(i used granny smith)
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
pinch cardamom
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
mix together in a bowl and let sit while you do your preparations
for the batter
1 cup apple cider
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs unsalted butter--melted
2 large eggs
oil for frying
simmer the apple cider on the stove until it is reduced to 1/4 cup, and let cool.
 heat your oil in a sturdy deep pot, to 360F.  your oil should be deep enough so the fritter can float, but you must also have at least 3" between the top of the pot and the top of the oil. 
 meanwhile, place all your dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.  make a well in the center and pour in milk, vanilla, butter, cider and eggs.  slowly stir together, making sure all ingredients are incorporated, but do not beat.  stir in the apple and any juices that may have accumulated. you can make these small or big, the process is the same.  drop into hot oil and then using a spatula poke it a few times to flatten it a bit and give it some nooks and crannies.  fry until golden brown, then flip and continue until both sides are equally colored.  remove from oil and place on a cooling rack, placed over a sheet pan.
for the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs (more or less) cider
mix together in a shallow bowl.  when the fritters are still warm, but not too hot to touch, dip in the glaze.

i am not a nutritionist
but i know a thing or two
about a thing or two
and i can say
with certainty
that these are not healthy
despite the apple
so
in a guilt infused moment
i decided to throw some of the batter into a muffin tin
and pop them in the oven
at 350F
and when they came out
i dipped them in the glaze

they are pretty good
maybe a bit dense
but they are moist
and apple-y

and ever so slightly

guilt-free

Toffee Apples

remember the days when...

you could eat an entire toffee apple

and dessert?

and nary a care about the calories 

or 

your teeth?

stop remembering

those days are gone

long gone....

i love caramelized sugar and i think apples and pears 

are the perfect fodder for it

but toffee'd fruit isn't as popular as it used to be

now there is much more gilding

caramel

chocolate

marshmallow

nuts

and 

candy

all cuddled around an apple

the size of my head

and it can be had

for a mere $30

really,

what is up with that?

i'm going back to the basics with this recipe

i suggest using very small apples

which are easier to find in the fall 

than in the summer

because they are really cute

and are more apt to be fully eaten

than a full size apple

which is simply 

more practical

unless you are a pig farmer

in which case

you have use for

half-eaten apples on a stick

Toffee Apples

(printable recipe)

8 small crunchy apples

popsicle sticks or sturdy skewers

2 cups granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2 generous Tbs honey

1/2 cup water

place the sugar, salt, honey and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan.  cook over medium heat, careful not to over-stir or agitate. once mixture comes to a full boil, pop in a candy thermometer.  continue to cook until thermometer reaches 290.  remove from heat, candy will continue to cook , so make sure you remove fully from the heat. wait a moment for the toffee to thicken up just a smidge (it will give you better coverage on the apple) dip the apples one by one, tipping the pot as necessary to fully coat.  place each apple on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper and let cool.