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Sep 21, 2017

22 must-try recipes for your freshly-picked apples

By: Canadian Living

Some people go apple picking for the activity, some go for the pictures, but us? We go for the recipes we get to try post-picking. Here, we've rounded up our 22 favourite apple-focused sweet treats (like sticky buns and cakes) and savoury eats (including pork chops and stuffing) you're going to want to make this season.

Apple Cranberry Muffins

Adding fresh apples to this muffin batter is a nice way to incorporate fruit in a baked treat. Dried cranberries add a touch of tartness, but you can use raisins or any other dried fruit.

Caramel Apples

This is a great two-person job—one can coat the apples in the delicious gooey caramel then the other can roll it in nuts. You'll need nine wooden stir sticks or chopsticks. Any caramel left in the pot after dipping can be scraped onto greased foil, cooled and cut into squares for treats.

Cinnamon Bun Apple Cobbler

This is the ultimate in comfort food, combining two all-time homegrown favourites: cinnamon buns and bubbly, sweet apple cobbler. Sprinkling a cinnamon filling into rolled buttermilk biscuits offers a quick alternative to a yeast-risen cinnamon bun.

Pork Chops with Peppered Apples

Fast-fry pork chops topped with peppered apples and served with warm chard slaw makes for a quick and impressive meal that won't break the bank. Serve with crusty bread.

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

Alongside turkey and gravy, stuffing is always a favourite on the Thanksgiving table. Here, we used sourdough bread and added Granny Smith apples to create a stuffing worthy of making every year.

Apple Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Grated apple lends these easy-to-make retro biscuits their tender texture. Choose a baking apple commonly used in pie for the fluffiest, moistest biscuits. Serve them warm alongside soup, stew, chili or a roast dinner.

Classic Apple Pie

When leaves begin to change colour in the fall, it's a reminder that freshly picked apples are in abundance. Serve a slice of this classic treat topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Apple and Honey Challah Cake

Apples and honey are often eaten together during Rosh Hashanah to symbolize the hope of a sweet year to come. This recipe is dairy-free, so it's perfect to accompany a kosher meal.

Apple Mint Iced Tea

Sweet yet tart apples, such as Granny Smith, are best to give this iced tea a refreshing apple taste.

Sticky Caramel Apple Buns

Ooey, gooey caramel buns give plain old cinnamon rolls a serious run for their money. A bit of whole wheat flour lends a hint of wholesomeness to these otherwise utterly indulgent treats. They are delicious any time and best served warm.

Apple Crisp Tartlets

Enjoy all the pleasures of crumble-topped apple pie in a delightful hand-held size. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for an even more indulgent dessert.

Bacon and Apple-Stuffed Barbecue Pork Loin

Presentation is everything when it comes to your Thanksgiving spread, and this elegant stuffed roast, brushed with an apple and Dijon glaze, is absolutely stunning.

Flaky Apple Galette with Oat Streusel

This free-form pastry tastes just as delicious as apple pie—but with no upper crust or fluting to worry about, it's forgiving to make. The crispy oatmeal streusel helps insulate the filling while baking, keeping the apples juicy. Serve at room temperature or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Apple Spice Cupcakes

A cinnamon-infused cream cheese icing graces the tops of these ultra-moist cupcakes. The mix of apples and fragrant spices makes them an ideal harvest dessert.

Apple Pie Turnovers

These flaky wonders are a hand-held spin on apple pie. Cover the phyllo pastry with a damp tea towel to prevent the remaining sheets from drying as you assemble the turnovers.

Or try our recipe for Apple Cinnamon Turnovers, you won't be disappointed.

Cranberry Apple Tarts with Brandied Cream

Our secret ingredient? Butter puff pastry! It's the perfect base for our cranberry and apple mixture.

Prizewinning Apple Pie

On Thanksgiving weekend The Village at Blue Mountain, Ont., fills with the fragrance of freshly baked apple pies. Baking enthusiast Brenda Hall of Collingwood, Ont., took first prize with this pie, which she called “Grandma Thompson's,” a classic double-crust pie that's not too sweet but full and juicy with freshly harvested local McIntosh apples.

Apple Fritters

These scrumptious treats are a must during apple season. But who are we kidding? These fritters are best served warm, so gather everyone in the kitchen to enjoy them as soon as they're ready.

Cozy Apple Pie Oatmeal

Consider this the warm hug of breakfast foods. We prefer Gala apples over other varieties because they hold their shape when cooked, but any type will work.

Apple Cheddar Quick Bread

The combination of sweet-tart apples and salty Cheddar cheese is a match made in heaven. The grated and diced apples in this moist quick bread are key to the bursting apple flavour and tender texture.

Apple Phyllo Strudel

Ground almonds not only add flavour to the filling but also help soak up the sweet juices from the apples. Phyllo pastry makes a great and substantially less labour-intensive alternative to strudel pastry. If your apples are especially juicy, there may be extra liquid in the filling that could make the strudel soggy, so scoop the apples from the bowl and leave any juice behind.

Or try our delicious recipe for Apple Strudel Cups!

Gingerbread Apple Trifle

Soaked in rum and layered with juicy cinnamon apples and vanilla custard, spiced gingerbread steals the spotlight in this holiday favourite.