Ample Apples for Amazing Recipes!

Remember the apples I mentioned my neighbor gave me from his tree? Here is an update about what I have done with them!

I should have weighed the apples I received, as I am not even sure how many pounds there were! There were at least 35 - 40 apples though, most of them between two and two-and-a-half inches in diameter. The possibilities were endless!

My neighbor's harvest last year was delicious - both in a pie and in the Apple Crisp jars I made this summer from the filling that I froze.  I decided to try a different recipe this year though, as this one for Homemade Apple Pie Filling from the blog Chocolate Moosey caught my eye.

I tripled the recipe linked above, but I used about a 1/2 cup less sugar, 1/2 cup less water, and only doubled the cornstarch.  I mis-read the recipe (oops!), and added the apples in the saucepan with the other ingredients, instead of at the end.  It didn't seem to matter that they cooked right along with the sauce though; in fact I sort of like the way they became nice and soft before baking. The great thing about making a big batch of this pie filling is that you can freeze the rest for later use!

For a bridal shower gift, a friend of my Mother-in-Law gave me two glass pie plates.  One contained an amazing Apple Crumb Pie, and attached to it was the recipe!  It has been a favorite of ours for almost a quarter-century!!  

Perhaps I will provide the full recipe for this pie in a future post, but you can read most of it here!

A couple of weeks ago though, I saw a recipe for Quick and Easy Skillet Apple Pie from the blog Let's Dish. A pie made in a cast iron skillet! I had to try it!

Part of the ease of this Skillet Apple Pie recipe is that it recommends using a can of Apple Pie filling - so no need to peel and chop apples! My homemade filling was already made though, and it substituted perfectly for the canned variety. I used three cups of my filling to made a Skillet Apple pie, and still had four cups of filling left.   The remainder is now in the freezer, and will be used in the future for another pie, crisp or cobbler.

I was very pleased with how my pie turned out.  It stuck a little to the pan for some reason, so the slices didn't come out neatly in one piece. No worries, it tasted absolutely amazing anyway.  I was really glad we had some vanilla ice cream to serve with it!

I still have some of the apples left.  I can't decide if I should make:

Apple-Zucchini Bread from Nancy C

or

Simple Apple Smoothies from Upstate Ramblings

or

Dutch Apple Pie-Lette Cookies from Pink Recipe Box

They all sound wonderful, don't they?  Whatever I decide to make, I just found a terrific use for the peels: a recipe for Apple Peel Jelly from Little House Living. Since the only other ingredients necessary besides apple peels are sugar, water and lemon juice, it would be a shame to just throw those peels away!

A very Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian readers today!  (I am thankful for my generous Montana neighbors and their apple tree!) Vanilla ice cream is delicious with an Easy Skillet Apple Pie - but the Canadian tradition of a slice of sharp cheddar cheese would be lovely with it as well! 

If you are not in the mood for pie, perhaps my Maple Walnut Cake with Maple Icing would be a good dessert option for your feast!

What should I make with the rest of my apples?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!