Festive Apple Desserts
We all think of apples as a Fall dessert (for which they're perfect!)
Any time of year, however, you can never go wrong serving guests a golden apple pie, or warm baked apples or apple crisp with cold vanilla ice cream.
Here, selected from dozens of apple dessert recipes offered by the Washington Apple Commission, are some wonderfully easy, delicious, and company-perfect apple desserts:
Dutch Apple Crumble
Crumbles and crisps offer the flavor of homemade pie without the fuss of making pastry.
Serves 8
Filling
6 Gala or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Crumble
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
- Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Prepare Filling: In large bowl, combine apple slices, both sugars, and cinnamon; mix well. Transfer apple mixture to pie plate.
- Prepare crumble: In medium-size bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Gather small amounts of crumb mixture and press together to make large streusel-like pieces.
- Arrange crumble randomly on top of filling. Bake 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden.
Baked Golden Delicious Apple Wedges with Whole Wheat Walnut Streusel Topping
Serves 6 to 8
4 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges,
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Streusel Topping
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose white flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup broken walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
Heavy cream, vanilla ice cream, or vanilla yogurt, optional toppings
- Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange the apple wedges in a single layer in the baking dish.
- Prepare streusel topping: In a large bowl cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth. In another bowl, stir the whole wheat flour, white flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until blended. Add flour mixture to the butter and work in with a fork or fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Add the walnuts and raisins.
- Squeezing the streusel topping between your fingers, distribute it in clumps evenly over the apples.
- Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes or until the streusel is browned and crisp. Serve warm with heavy cream, vanilla ice cream, or vanilla yogurt spooned over each serving.
Apple Pecan Crumb Pie
Pecans add a little crunch to the classic apple pie filling.
Serves 8
Pastry for one-crust 9-inch pie
6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground mace
Crumb Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- Heat oven to 375° F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry, trimming edges.
- In large bowl, combine apples, pecans, sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and mace; toss well to blend. Transfer apple mixture to pastry-lined pan.
- Prepare Crumb Topping; In small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
- Spread crumb topping evenly over apple filling. Bake pie 45 minutes or until apples are tender.
Baked Apples with Banana-Date Filling
Serves 6
6 Jonagold or Golden Delicious apples, cored
1 large banana
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbs. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 lemon, sliced
- Heat oven to 350° F. Peel top 1/3 of apples and remove core; arrange, peeled end up, in shallow baking dish. Peel and dice banana; sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix banana with dates, walnuts, sugar, and salt. Spoon mixture into centers of apples.
- In small saucepan, combine water, corn syrup, and lemon slices; boil 5 minutes. Pour over apples and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until apples are tender, basting frequently with syrup.
Sautéed Apples
Serves 8
2 tsp. butter
8 firm, tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sliced apples and the cinnamon.
- Sauté until the apples are soft. Serve warm apples over angel food or pound cake. Or serve over vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
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Get an A+ for Apple Dessert Know-how
Which types of apples are best for delicious dinner party desserts? Here's a simple, general guide, courtesy of the Washington Apple Commission.
Best apples for your delicious desserts:
- Fruit platters or bowls: Crisp, juicy, and tangy varieties are best for eating. Red Delicious is the most popular eating apple, but if you prefer a denser, tarter snack, try a Granny Smith, or a softer-fleshed McIntosh. Or check out the distinctive tastes of local farm varieties like Newton, Pippin, Macoun, or Sweet Sixteen.
- Pies: Mixing apples is a great idea. Include Golden Delicious for sweetness and good shape, a tart apple like Granny Smith, and/or flavorful varieties such as Pippin, Winesap, Crispin and Jonagold.
- Baking: Rome apples are recommended because they hold their shape well. You can also try Fuijis, which are sweeter, wetter, and have a spicy flavor.
- Applesauce: McIntosh is moist and flavorful. Cortlands and Braeburns also make good choices.
How to choose the best apples:
- The skin of each apple you choose should be shiny, not dull. Dull-looking apples will tend to be more mealy, less crisp, and not as tasty as shiny apples.
- Pick apples that are firm and free of bruises and punctures.
How to store apples:
Some experts say that it's OK to leave apples out on the counter or in a fruit bowl centerpiece for as long as a week. The Washington Apple Commission recommends refrigeration right away. Everyone agrees that apples will last much longer—possibly as much as 10 times longer—if they're refrigerated. They'll also be more crisp.
How to keep apples looking great:
Prepare apple dishes just before serving to minimize the oxidation that causes browning. Either brush cut surfaces with lemon juice, or dip apple slices, wedges, or peeled surfaces in a solution of one part citrus juice to three parts water.
All recipes © Washington Apple Commission.
