Apples come in over 2,500 varieties, ranging from very tart and great for cooking to crisp, floral, red, yellow, and green. We adore eating apples baked into a cinnamon-spiced cake or pie, or grated onto porridge or homemade muesli for breakfast. Naturally, our favorite way to eat them is in a traditional apple crumble with lots of vanilla ice cream.
Dorset apple cake
This delicious apple cake is the ideal treat to capture the spirit of autumn. It’s very simple to make, has a soft, lightly spiced sponge with a crunchy demerara sugar topping, and keeps fresh in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Crisp Apples
Apple crisp is a versatile and satisfying dessert that works well in a variety of settings. Served as a simple weekday treat or at festive gatherings, this dish is a favourite in many homes due to its warm flavours and easy preparation.
Apple crisp is a popular dessert made with baked apples topped with a crumbly mixture of flour, sugar, butter, and often nuts or oats. Apple Crisp’s simplicity in preparation and presentation adds to its allure. This dessert evokes nostalgia because it’s cosy and comforting. Making apple crisps is a great way to use up extra apples or ones that might be a bit too ripe. It follows the recommendations for cutting down on food waste.
Apple Jam
Apple jam is a sweet spread made with apples, sugar, and lemon juice that is usually thickened with pectin. Apple jam is traditionally made with peeled, cored, and chopped apples along with sugar and lemon juice. Often added is pectin, a naturally occurring thickening agent, to achieve the desired consistency. On occasion, people add spices to apple jam, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, to enhance the flavour. Certain recipes may also require additional fruits for added complexity. Apple jam is a versatile food with lots of applications.
Apple Pudding
Sugar, eggs, milk, cream, sliced or diced apples, bread crumbs or spices like cinnamon or nutmeg are typically found in apple pudding. The mixture is baked until the apples are tender and the custard reaches the consistency of custard. There are many different regional and cultural variations of apple custard.
While the “apple bread pudding” uses bread as the base, the “apple sponge pudding” has a lighter texture more akin to a sponge. Furthermore, some recipes may call for extra ingredients like raisins or nuts. Apple custard is usually served during the holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. It lends these special occasions a celebratory atmosphere.
Apple Cider
The growing trend in skill and handmade beverage consumption has led to an increasing value placed on superior quality, small-batch apple ciders. This movement highlights the unique terroir and flavours of different apple cultivars.
Apple cider is made from a variety of apples, often a combination of tart, aromatic, and sweet varieties. The apples are cleaned, then pulped, squeezed to extract the juice, and sieved again. Unfiltered apple cider retains more of the apple’s natural nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s commonly considered a healthier option to highly processed juices.
