The things I most associate with autumn are mellow golden light, crisp days scented with woodsmoke, and the crunch of a beautiful apple from the new crop.
September is the peak of apple season, and every year there seems to be another new variety to try. While old favourites like Golden Delicious, Spartan and Granny Smith are still great choices, newer strains like Gala, Braeburn, Fuji, Ambrosia, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Envy are excellent all-purpose apples.
Just be sure to pick firm, unbruised fruit that is fragrantly “apple-y”.
You’ll note that all of the recipes below feature another ingredient that conjures up thoughts of cold days and earthy sweetness: Canada’s national treasure, pure maple syrup.
Maple-Apple Upside Down Cake
1 cup pure maple syrup
3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths - a tarter variety like Granny Smith works best
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
¾ cup butter, softened
1+1⁄3 cups sugar
Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Generously butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan. In a large saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer syrup until thickened and reduced to about three-quarters of a cup, about 20 minutes.
Pour the thickened syrup into the prepared cake pan and arrange the apple slices on top in two concentric circles, overlapping them slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and vanilla. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about three minutes.
Beat in the dry and wet ingredients in three alternating batches (dry, wet, dry) until batter is smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Spoon the batter over the apples and spread it in an even layer; bake until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 45 minutes to one hour. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cake cool for 45 minutes.
Place a serving plate on top of the pan and quickly invert the cake onto the plate; tap the pan firmly to release the cake. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes eight servings.
Spinach & Apple Salad with Maple-Cider Vinaigrette
Salad:
1 bag fresh baby spinach (about eight cups), thoroughly washed
1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced (choose a sweeter variety like Gala)
1⁄3 cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
Sugared Curried Pecans:
1 cup pecan halves
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp sugar
¼ to ½ tsp curry powder, according to taste
1/8 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
Vinaigrette:
1⁄3 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2⁄3 cup olive oil
¼ tsp kosher salt or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
To prepare pecans: Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Toss pecans in melted butter; stir together sugar, curry powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add pecans and toss to coat. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil; bake for 10 to 13 minutes until light brown and toasted. Place baking sheet on a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes, then separate pecans with a fork.
To prepare vinaigrette, place all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Screw on lid and shake jar until vinaigrette is well blended.
To prepare salad, place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently to mix; drizzle with vinaigrette until salad is dressed to your liking; sprinkle pecans over top. Serve any remaining vinaigrette with the salad in case anyone would like to add more. Makes eight servings.
Crockpot Cinnamon-Apple Compote
This is delicious served over vanilla ice cream or pound cake.
6 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup butter, melted
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Combine the apples and lemon juice in a four-quart slow cooker and toss well to mix. Add the brown sugar, pecans, maple syrup, cranberries, melted butter and cinnamon; stir well to blend.
Cover and cook on low for three hours. Stir together water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir mixture into apples. Cover and cook on low for three more hours or until apples are tender (if mixture gets too thick stir in a little water). Makes six servings.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
