The Ultimate Apple Pie

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Apple picking is the thing to do at this time of the year and my house in the Hudson Valley is surrounded by acres of apple fields.

So today’s post is on apple pie and some tips to make the ultimate one.

Dough Ingredients:
The butter should be well chilled. Although the recipe below uses half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, you can use just all-purpose flour if you like. I keep my flour in the freezer but it is not necessary. Freezing keeps the flour bug free and is the perfect temperature for making any kind of dough.

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A Last Hurrah for Apples

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Now that winter is finally on its way out, and spring is almost upon us (quite literally, both in calendar time and with daylight savings time in effect), I wanted to make a last-ditch effort to save the last load of apples I’d gotten from the market and kept around all winter. Because while it’s getting warmer, we’ve still got plenty of cold days and nights ahead, as mother nature likes to remind us this time of year.

My favorite thing to make with apples, and there are many, is a simple apple butter. Although it’s name says so, there is actually no butter in this sweet preserve, best served on biscuits or scones, spread across hot pancakes and waffles, or eaten as a complement to peanut butter on a sandwich.

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Spooky Halloween Treats

By Sandy Hu

Congrats to Madeline O. from Colorado Springs CO who won our Zojirushi sweepstakes!

I have three ideas for Halloween treats for you. One is a little “iffy,” one is easy and the other…you’ll get on Video Friday this week.

First the “iffy” one. With Halloween coming up, I’ve been toying with how to make baked apple mummies. My idea is simple: scoop out the core of small baking apples, stuff with a raisin mixture, then wrap with puff pastry dough strips for the bandages, stick in cloves for the eyes, and bake. Seemed easy enough….

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Autumn Apples

By Andrew Hunter

I remember the old days in Michigan going out to the country orchards to pick apples, drink hot cider and eat cinnamon fry cakes. Well, guess what? The same autumn excursion is available two hours east of Los Angeles.

Instead of woolen sweaters and mittens, the boys wore shorts and flip flops, and instead of diving into piles of golden leaves, they moved a pile of old black bark to discover two shy lizards that darted away as quickly as they appeared.

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My “Every Meal Solution” Recipe

By Lori Powell

Apples are everywhere at this time of the year, but is it me or is there a whole new crop of varieties out there?

One of my all-time favorites is the Honeycrisp (breeding is still not clearly determined). It’s large enough so you can make a meal out of it.

I’m not sure how it is in your neck of the woods but in mine, Honeycrisps are the size of softballs. They are the perfect combination of sweet, crunchy and refreshingly juicy. It’s a modern apple variety developed by the University of Minnesota to withstand cold climates.

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