It’s autumn and that means apple time. Baking with apples enhanced by spices such as spicy sweet cinnamon, warm earthy nutmeg and pungent sharp clove is one of my favorites. I don’t think there is anything that smells more like home than these warm scents of the season. Close your eyes and imagine the fragrance of fall goodies warm from the oven. I love the just picked fragrance of sweet-smelling, fragrant apples. Their perfume is intoxicating.
Served for dessert with ice cream or breakfast with coffee, apple dumpling roll-ups welcome fall to the table.
Apple Dumpling Roll-Ups
They’re soft and gooey on the bottom, but crispy on top, and the taste is very similar to apple pie. So easy and ridiculously good. Plus, the house smells amazing while they bake.
Prep time: 30 minutes, bake: 50 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Light grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Ingredients
2 cups granulated white sugar
2 cups water
¼ cup butter
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup shortening
2/3 cup milk
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups peeled, shredded cooking apples (3 to 4 medium sized apples); Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Rome, Jonathan or Newton Pippin.
Sauce: In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, water, butter, ¼ tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Bring to boiling. Boil 5 minutes; set aside.
Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until pea-size. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add milk and stir just until moistened. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface 10 or 12 strokes or until nearly smooth. Roll out to 12×10-inch rectangle.
Filling: Combine ¼ cup sugar and ½ tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Scatter shredded apples evenly over dough. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll dough into a spiral, starting from the long side. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut into twelve 1-inch-thick pieces with a sharp, thin bladed knife or secure a piece of dental floss under bottom of dough and bring up ends on each side of dough crossing each end of floss over at the top of dough and pull until you’ve cut off a 1-inch piece.
Place dough rounds in 13x9x2-inch greased baking pan. Pour sauce over dumplings. Bake in a 350- degree oven about 50 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan 30 minutes before serving.
I just happen to have some just made moose breakfast sausage, Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese, fresh sage growing in a little pot in the window, fresh farm eggs, home-made apple butter and some tart Homer apples. I know what our breakfast will be one day this weekend served with these delicious seasonal scones.
Apple Cheddar and Sage Scones
These are so good to make on a crisp fall morning. They are just the right amount of savory and sweet.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold butter, cubed
1 large egg
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons milk, divided
1/3 cup shredded peeled apple (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious)
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, whisk egg, yogurt and 2 tablespoons milk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Stir in apple, cheese and sage.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10 times. Divide dough in half; pat each portion into a 6-in. circle. Cut each circle into eight wedges; cut each wedge in half.
Transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with remaining milk; sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
For regular-size scones: Do not cut wedges in half. Bake as directed, increasing baking time to 12-14 minutes. Makes: 16 regular scones.
For the rest of this week’s Kachemak Cuisine and more recipes, visit www.homernews.com.
Last week I was a guest on a new local radio food show and our first episode was about chickpeas. I couldn’t resist sharing a chickpea and apple recipe with you.
A traditional Waldorf salad is generally made with fresh apples, celery, and walnuts, and dressed with sweetened mayonnaise. I’ve had versions that add chicken for a more complete meal. For a lighter, meat-free upgrade that can still pass for lunch, I swapped plain yogurt for the mayo and added some chickpeas for protein. There is a wonderful balance of sweet and savory with the perfect amount of crunch in every bite.
Chickpea and Apple Waldorf Salad
Serves 4
1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1-3 teaspoons honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 medium apple, chopped into 1/4-inch chunks, such as Granny Smith or Gala
1 cup red grapes
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup *toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
4 cups fresh spinach
Prepare the yogurt dressing by combining the yogurt, apple cider vinegar, lemon, mustard, honey, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Combine chickpeas, celery, apple, grapes, onion, parsley, and toasted walnuts in a large bowl. Stir in the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve over fresh spinach.
*Toasting nuts makes them taste so much better by bringing out their flavor.
To toast walnuts, sprinkle a generous ½ cup walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in a 350- degree oven until they smell toasty and appear a shade darker in color, 7 -12 minutes. Shake pan once while roasting. Remove from oven and cool before chopping up. Enjoy.
