Hello Friends! APPLES, APPLES, APPLES!!!! It is fall and time for all things that can be made out of apples so this week all of my recipes will include apples. I hope that you enjoy them and are getting into the spirit of the next few Holidays that are coming up!

Apple Cobbler

7-8 large tart cooking apples (9 cups) peeled, sliced to 1/4”

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 lg eggs

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup butter melted

ice cream if desired

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.Place sliced apples in ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish.In a small bowl, mix together sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples. Combine remaining cinnamon, flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder and salt in bowl until coarse crumbs form. Spread over apples. Pour melted butter over topping. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, until lightly browned and apples are tender. Serve warm. Top with ice cream for extra goodness!

Apple Cake

     1 c vegetable oil

     2 c sugar

     3 eggs

     3 c flour

     1 tsp baking soda

     2 tsp vanilla extract

     1 c chopped pecans

     3 c peeled and chopped apples

Frosting

     1/2 c butter

     1 c brown sugar, packed

     1/4 c evaporated milk

     1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13” pan.  Combine oil, sugar, and eggs.  Stir in flour and baking soda.  Add vanilla, pecans, and apples.  Spread in prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Cool for 2 hours.  Then prepare frosting. Boil all ingredients in a small saucepan for 2 minutes.  Set pan in bowl filled with ice water.  Beat icing until of spreading consistency.  Spread over top of cake.

Bloomin’ Baked Apples

2 Honeycrisp apples

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

4 caramels

Optional toppings: vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To get the blooming apple look, you need to cut the apples. Slice off the top 1/4 to 1/3 of the apples. Scoop out the core. I don’t have an apple corer so I used my metal 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon. Then, use a thin knife to make two, deep circular cuts around the center of the apple. Next, turn the apple over and make narrow cuts all the way around the apple. Flip it back over and you can see all of the cuts.Place the apples in an oven safe dish and put two caramels into the center of each apple. Heat butter and brown sugar in the microwave for 30 second, stir and continue heating for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir in flour and cinnamon. Divide the mixture over the top of the two sliced apples. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to move the apples into bowls. Top with a scoop of ice cream, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Beth Bond is a certified chef with a culinary arts degree and a hotel and restaurant management degree from Sullivan University in Louisville, Ky. She also has several years’ experience in the hospitality and food service industries. She is a press association award-winning photographer and has several years’ experience in the newspaper industry. She can be reached by e-mail at beth@greenupbeacon.com.