Apples, Apples, Apples!
I decided to do an apple themed dinner last night to bid a fond farewell to Fall! Winter is sneaking in under the door frames and soon it will be all stews, soups and chilies to ward off the chill! But tonight it’s all about those apples!
My favorite to eat and cook with are Gala, but really it’s all about your preference and there are as many apple varieties as there are palates to enjoy them! So do a little taste test and pick your favorite – just be sure that whichever variety you choose will cook well. Some apples really are just for eating as is!
The Menu
Homemade Applesauce
1 hour
20 servings
I always peel my apples when making applesauce but some people like to leave the skin on – again it’s really up to you and your taste buds. I use a Y shaped peeler and start with the top and bottom of the apple. I then peel in long wide strips all the way around. It’s a bit painstaking and requires some patience but it’s so, so worth it!
As long as I’m already elbow deep in apple peelings, I will go ahead and peel three times the amount I need for dinner. Applesauce saves beautifully and makes a great snack for the kids after school. It can even be warmed up and served over vanilla ice cream for dessert!
Ingredients
- 20 Gala apples (or baking apples of your choice) peeled and cored
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 cup boiled apple cider
- 1 cup apple cider
- Juice of two lemons
- 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom
Directions
- Cut your apples into chunks and place them in a large pot on the stove.
- Add in the rest of your ingredients, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for an hour.
- Using a potato masher or hand held blender mash your applesauce until you are happy with the consistency.
- Serve warm or store in the fridge for later use.
Engelhardt Family’s Spareribs and Sauerkraut
4 to 6 hours
Serves up to 6 people
Spareribs and sauerkraut is an old family favorite in my house. I grew up eating this dish every winter in Connecticut. My mother got the recipe from her father’s sisters who emigrated from Southern Germany in the 1930’s. It’s a classic German dish and incredibly easy to prepare! You just throw all the ingredients together in a slow cooker or Dutch oven and let the heat do the rest.
By the way, your house will smell amazing while this meal is cooking!
Ingredients
- Full rack of spareribs
- One jar of sauerkraut
- ¼ cup caraway seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup homemade chicken bone stock
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Season the spareribs on both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Empty the jar of sauerkraut into your slow cooker or dutch oven
- Season with caraway seeds, a pinch of salt and pepper and bay leaves.
- Pour the white wine and stock over the sauerkraut and place the ribs on top.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours in your crock pot, or place it in the oven on low heat for 4-6 hours.
My Mother’s Mashed Potatoes with a Brown Butter Twist
30 to 40 minutes
6 servings
My mother’s mashed potatoes aren’t exactly low cal but you’ll be hard pressed to find creamier, more delicious mashed potatoes. Sometimes the extra calories are worth it!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 package cream cheese
- 2 sticks salted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Boil the potatoes until fork tender.
- Drain, rinse and put back in the pot on the stove over low heat for two to three minutes. Meanwhile place butter in a small space pan over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a rich amber color.
- Add in cream cheese, browned butter, heavy cream and salt and pepper.
- Mash with a potato masher.
- Add in more heavy cream if the potatoes are too thick.
- Keep warm on the stove until ready to serve.
Apple Fritters
35 minutes
24 servings
You can find a variety of apple fritter recipes online, but I like this one from AllRecipes.com the best for it’s ease and deliciousness!
Ingredients
- 1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cups of apples – peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 cup cinnamon sugar
Directions
- Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or electric skillet to 375 °F (190 °C).
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Pour in the milk, eggs and oil and stir until well blended. Mix in apples until they are evenly distributed.
- Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes depending on the size.
- Fry in smaller batches so they are not crowded.
- Remove from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels.
- Toss with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
Maple Sugar Glaze
5 minutes to prepare
24 servings
A sweet maple sugar glaze drizzled across the freshly cooked apple fritters finishes them off perfectly!
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar, more if needed
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon very soft butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup good maple syrup, more if needed
Directions
- In small bowl whisk ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Add more powdered sugar if too thin.
- Add more maple syrup, or heavy cream, a teaspoons at a time if too thick.
- Drizzle over the fritters while still warm.
Hot Apple Cider Toddy
1 hour
4 mugs
These hot toddies are very reminiscent of the ones I get at the St. Regis in Deer Valley, Utah, after an afternoon of skiing. Well to be honest, it’s more like an hour or two of skiing cause I’m really just out on the slopes so that I can earn one of these hot apple cider toddies!
Ingredients
- 6 cups apple cider
- 1 stick softened butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 whole cardamom pods
- 1 orange peel, cut into strips
- 1 lemon peel, cut into strips
- 2 oz good quality whiskey per cup
Directions
- Pour the apple cider and boiled cider into a large saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over low heat for 1 hour, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.
- Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, orange peel and lemon peel into the cider.
- Meanwhile mix the butter, brown sugar and ground spices together until well combined.
- Strain the spices out of the cider and return to the pot.
- Keep warm on low heat until ready to serve.
- Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, add whiskey and stir to combine.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each mug.
- Garnish with cinnamon sticks, orange peel or lemon peel.
7 Comments
My Grandmother used to make a similar dish…pork chops in a bed of sauerkraut (though with a bit of sour cream added)…never thought of using ribs instead and love the idea of the crock pot. Will definitely have to try!
April 6, 2016 at 5:08 pmI just adore your blog – all these amazing recipes and gorgeous photos – swoon!!! Please keep it up! 🙂
April 12, 2016 at 8:23 pmDefinitely going to try those apple fritters!
April 20, 2016 at 1:15 amI am enjoying your lovely blog. Thank you for sharing .
May 20, 2016 at 4:28 pmHmmm!!! Asian loves pork and spareribs. I have to try this recipes and your mashed potato. Wish you post more recipes. I am learning to cook American food at this time and I might create a blog to share all my good recipes to every one, soon
June 24, 2016 at 4:26 amQuelle joie de découvrir ton magnifique blog ! Je suis dans le sud de la France et je fais de l’agriculture biologique avec mon adorable mari ! (Nous pratiquons la perla culture) Nous voyageons rarement et ton blog me permet de m’évader un peu à travers tes photos. Ton ranch est comme un rêve , les enfants doivent être tellement heureux là bas ! 🙂
October 31, 2016 at 12:03 pmNous avons 4 chat, un chien (énorme), 2 chevaux et beaucoup de poules : c’est le bonheur ! 🙂
Je te souhaite tout le bonheur du monde, à toi ainsi qu’à ta magnifique famille. Ne changes rien, tu es parfaite !!
Amitiés
Laetitia
I am enjoying so much reading your blog.
November 9, 2016 at 1:02 amThank you for sharing and for being so lovely to read.