That mound of apples and that mound of pears looked so beautiful at the market, so who could resist bringing them home. Now what to do with all this delicious fruit before it goes bad?
Here are a few ideas.
Apple Cinnamon Scones
Makes 12 scones
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups Self-Rising Flour (flour that contains baking powder and salt)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice or ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold butter
- 2 apples, peeled, in 1/2″ pieces
- 3/4 cup cinnamon chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- Topping: milk and cinnamon sugar
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and apple pie spice.
Work in the butter with your fingers or a pastry blender just until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped apple and cinnamon chips.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and applesauce.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all the mixture holds together.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sprinkle flour on the work surface.
Scrape the dough onto the floured surface and divide it in half. Gently pat and round each half into a 5″ to 5 1/2″ circle about 3/4″ thick.
Stir together the coarse sugar and cinnamon. Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with the topping.
Using a bench knife, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
Carefully place each wedge on the parchment lined pans, at least a 1 inch apart.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake the scones for 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Rotate the pans after 10 minutes.
Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. When they’re completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.
Apple Crunch Bagels
Ingredients
Bagels
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
- 6 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples, about 2 medium apples
Topping
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup room temperature butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
- Pinch of salt
Directions
In a medium saucepan, warm cider and butter just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine two cups of bread flour, the brown sugar, the cooled cider mixture, salt, apple pie spice, apples and yeast with the paddle attachment on medium speed.
Keeping the mixer on medium, add the remaining bread flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough comes together and is just barely sticky.
Switch to the dough hook attachment and “knead” the dough for about 6 minutes or until the dough is elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
Cover 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Punch the dough down and separate into 12 equal sized balls. on a well floured surface.
Roll and stretch one ball into an 8 inch-long rope and don’t taper ends.
Wrap the rope around your fingers, overlapping the ends by 2 inches, to create a ring. Pinch the ends together.
Once the bagels are shaped, place them on a kitchen towel to rise for another 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and heat the oven to 425 degrees F
To prepare the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, spice mix, salt and butter in a small bowl and mix until it is crumbly. Beat the egg with one teaspoon of water.
When the water comes to a boil, drop 4 bagels in at a time and boil for about 30 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to a kitchen towel.
After boiling, place the bagels on the parchment covered pans and brush with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the bagels.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the bagels are golden brown, rotating the pans after 12 minutes.
Pear & Celery Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
- 2 tablespoons cider, pear, raspberry or other fruit vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 ripe pears, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 6 large leaves romaine lettuce, shredded
Directions
Soak celery in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Whisk vinegar, honey and salt in a large bowl until blended. Add pears; gently stir to coat. Add the celery, cheese and pecans; stir to combine. Season with pepper.
Divide the lettuce leaves among 4 plates and top with a portion of salad. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Pork Chops with Pear & Ginger Sauce
2 servings
Ingredients
- Two 4-ounce boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 medium ripe pear, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 shallot, trimmed and sliced
Directions
Season the pork with salt and pepper and coat in the cornstarch. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the pork and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add the sliced shallots and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and honey; stir to dissolve. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, stirring.
Add the pears and ginger. Cook, uncovered, stirring the pears occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pan; turn to coat with the sauce and heat through. Serve with a side of roasted acorn squash.
