Apple Delight

Caramel apple from the farm

Last weekend when we visited the pumpkin farm, we also picked up a peck of apples. I'm so happy to have an abundance of apples to play around with. My big plan for this weekend (besides studying until my eyes dry out) is to make an apple pie. Here are some versions I'm considering: Old-fashioned apple pie, lattice-topped apple pie, and apple pie with pecan crumb topping. Shoot, they all sound good. There's a bakery down the street that makes a wonderful Dutch Apple pie with caramel, which is apple pie slathered in their signature caramel frosting. It's the most decadent apple pie I've ever eaten. If I could make a version of that I would seriously impress myself.

I did do some simple baking with apples earlier this week using a family recipe that's been around for as long as I can remember. It's my Grandma Alice's Apple Delight, and it was included in the recipe book that my aunts, cousins, and grandma compiled as a wedding present for me. Apple Delight is baked apples with a crispy cinnamon-sugar topping that we used to eat during our Sunday dinners at Grandma's house and especially on Thanksgiving. As a child, I would try to skim off the candy-like topping, getting as little of the apples as I could. It was the same principle I used when scooping the marshmallows off of the sweet potato dish. Luckily, I now appreciate the flavor of baked apples, but I still can't get enough of the sweet, crunchy topping!

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I took some, but this humble dish is not the most photogenic. It is, however, delicious and quick enough to whip up on a weeknight when you're craving apple pie. I should note that while Apple Delight is sweet enough to count as dessert, my family has always classified it as a side dish, so that we can also eat some pumpkin pie!

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Apple Delight

3 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)

Pile apples in a baking dish. In a separate bowl, soften butter. Add sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix with your hands. Take a handful of mixture and pat it between your hands. Lay over apples. Continue with the rest of the mixture until apples are completely covered. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

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Ask and you shall receive: Last week I posted a link to an apple peeler that I was eyeing because I knew it would make apple dishes a snap. A little while after that I got an email from my mother-in-law, saying that she had one of those peelers, and I'd be welcome to use it. Well, it's been amazing and I would like to say thank you! It peels, cores, and slices the apple (like magic!), and I've been carrying it around as my new party trick.