Cooking with Apples: 11 Delicious Fall Recipes

By Olwen Woodier
Published on September 1, 1990
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PHOTO: THE INTERNATIONAL APPLE INSTITUTE
Whether baked in a traditional pie or combined with raspberries, apples are the perfect finale to an autumn meal.

Autumn positively sings of apples. A visit to an orchard at this time of year affords a wonderful assault on the senses: The soft days are redolent with the winy fragrance of ripe fruit and the woody smell of smoke lingering in the damp air. People have been munching on apples for about 750,000 years, ever since the food gatherers of early Paleolithic times discovered sour crab apples in the Caucasus Mountains in southwestern Asia. Today, the fruit’s tantalizing fragrance and tart, sweet, spicy taste have made it one of the most popular in America.

Apples are, of course, famous for how they taste encased in pie crust, but cooking with apples doesn’t have to stop there. With a little imagination, you can use this versatile fruit not only in sweet dishes, but throughout the meal–from hors d’oeuvres to dessert and all the courses in between.

And the options don’t end with the recipes. More than 7,000 varieties to choose from–each with its own unique flavor–make cooking with apples a true culinary adventure.

Apple and Raspberry Pie

Pastry for a double pie crust
1 tablespoon raspberry jam
12-ounce package frozen raspberries
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 large cooking apples

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate. Roll out half the pastry and fit it into pie plate. Smooth raspberry jam over bottom of pie shell. Refrigerate. Thaw and drain raspberries, reserving liquid. Pour juice into small saucepan, stir in cornstarch and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring cornstarch mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring until juice is thick and smooth. Remove from heat, stir in drained raspberries, and cool. Combine flour and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/4-inch slices. Alternate layers of apple slices and flour mixture in chilled pie shell. Top with cooled raspberry mixture. Roll out top crust, place over filling, trim and flute edges. Make 3 steam slits in center. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350° and bake for 30-40 minutes longer, until crust is golden brown. If edges start getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil. Allow pie to set before serving. Serve warm. Serves 8.

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