The Observer Newspapers | Apples Are Ripe for the Picking And Baking

October 10 , 2008

Apples Are Ripe for the Picking And Baking
Did you know that the Commonwealth of Virginia ranks sixth in the nation in apple production? According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture, "approximately $30 million will be added to the state's economy this year through the sale of fresh market apples and products such as applesauce, processed apple slices, apple butter, apple juice and cider." Apples are more than just a farmers market item; they are big business for Virginia farmers and farmers markets.
One of my family's favorite places to taste a wide variety of apples is the Virginia Farm Market, which is located in a large red barn in Winchester. There you can stroll through the market, searching through wooden bins of different colors of apples, sipping fresh cider and tasting any of the apples from the huge bins in front of the barn. Market employees also will slice and peel the apples for you and this way of sampling provides a much better taste of the fruit. The farmers market is a very popular place and can get crowded on weekends. It is located at 1881 N. Frederick Pike (Route 522 North) in Winchester.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists 56 types of apples grown in the United States with new varieties added each year. Out of that list, the most popular are grown in VirginiaÑfrom the heirloom Ida Red, Rome and Winesap, to the blended varieties that originated at many agricultural experimentation stations.
"New varieties are always available; however, the hearty, old-line varieties are the most resistant to disease and drought, so they are the ones that we preserve above all else," said a grower from Stribbling Orchard in Markham, Va. "They are also the ones that are the most popular with the local folks." Late freezes and spring storms damaged a lot of trees this year, but the local crop still appears to be plentiful and relatively low in price. For a complete listing of apple festivals in Virginia, visit www.virginiaapples.org.
Cooking with apples is heavenly, especially if you invest in a tool that peels, cores and slices apples because this device saves a lot of time preparing apples to put into a pie or cobbler. However, if you need larger chunks, nothing compares to a very sharp paring knife and a cutting board. My family's favorite seasonal treat is apple spice bread. Nothing smells or tastes better than a fresh batch of this bread coming out the oven on a cold, crisp Saturday morning.

Apple Spice Raisin Bread
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup sugar plus 1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups tart apples, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
5 pecan nut halves
Mix 1 cup sugar and oil. Add eggs, vanilla, apples, raisins and nuts. Stir and add flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Grease loaf pan and place wax or baking parchment paper across the bottom. This is a very moist cake and can easily break up. Pour the contents into the loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. After 20 minutes, sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar over the top and place nut halves down the center. Finish baking. Take out and cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then invert and finish cooling. Store in the refrigerator. This bread also freezes well.
Apple Slices in Pastry
Filling
5 to 6 cups thin apple slices (peeled)
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pastry
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 beaten egg yolks
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. water
Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Enough milk, to make a thin icing
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Microwave apple slices in a bowl for a few minutes, just until apples are slightly limp, but not mushy. Time will vary with microwaves, so watch closely. Drain apples. Mix all filling ingredients and set aside. For the pastry, mix flour and salt, then cut in butter or margarine. In a small bowl, mix egg yolks, lemon juice and water. Add to flour mixture, working into a soft dough. Roll half the dough into a greased jelly roll pan, to cover pan completely. Spread apple mixture over pastry in pan. Roll out remaining dough to cover apples. Edges do not need to be sealed. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Mix together icing ingredients to make a thin icing, adding just enough milk until it is smooth and thin. When pastry is cool, drizzle with icing. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Aunt Blanche's Apple Streusel Cake
Streusel Filling
1 pkg. Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden Cake mix, divided
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
Cake
4 lg. eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large apple, peeled and sliced very thin
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan. For streusel filling, combine 2 Tbsp. dry cake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir in pecans, then set aside. For the cake, combine remaining cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla, water and sugar in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour 2/3 batter into pan, then add a layer of apple on batter. Sprinkle with streusel filling. Spoon remaining batter evenly over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Remove from pan to serving dish. Cool completely. Combine powdered sugar and milk, to make glaze. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Maureen's Incredible Sour Cream Apple Pie
9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) sour cream
3 Tbsp. flour
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
6 med. apples, peeled
Topping
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Combine and beat together sour cream, flour, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Core apples and slice thinly. Fold into sour cream mixture. Turn into pie crust. Mix topping ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie filling. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees, until filling is custard-like and crust is golden. A knife inserted will come out clean. Serve with fresh whipped cream. This is a very pretty pie and very tasty.

Bob Stribling's Favorite Mulled Cider
1 quart fresh apple cider
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick cinnamon
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice
Few grains of salt
Put cider into a 3-quart saucepan. Add all ingredients, cover and heat slowly to a boil. Heat should be very low, boiling time of 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain through several layers of cheesecloth, and serve steaming hot.