Another one of my favorite fall ingredients is apple. I make an apple pie almost every year for Thanksgiving. My mom also has a recipe for killer apple crisp. I love the taste of warm, soft apples and cinnamon and all those other delicious spices.
There are 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. (Check out some fun apple facts from the University of Illinois Extension here.) With all of these options, you can pretty much take your pick when using them in a recipe. But choosing the best type for the kind of baking you plan to do will make your recipe even better. I like my apples to keep their shape when baking and not turn to mush. You can always use a mix of apple varieties in your recipes to create a more dynamic flavor.
Some of my personal favorites are McIntosh and Macoun for both eating and baking. I also like to use Granny Smith, because they stay fairly firm and have a nice tart flavor to contrast the sweetness of many baked goods (perfect for pie).
Here are some recommendation for all your fall baking needs.
Just for reference:
1 pound of apples = 2 large, 3 medium, or 4 to 5 small apples
1 pound of apples = 3 cups peeled and sliced apples
Sauce
- Braeburn
- Cortland
- Jonagold
- Jonathan
- McIntosh
- Empire
- Gala
- Macoun
Pie
- Cortland
- Jonagold
- Empire
- Honeycrisp
- Granny Smith
- Crispin
Butter
- Cortland
- Golden Delicious
- Fuji
- Braeburn
Cider
- Gala
- Rome Beauty
- Jonathan
- Granny Smith
Lists compiled thanks to the Farmer’s Almanac, Allrecipes and Bon appétit.
Photos by Jessica McWeeney.
jess writes 