Apples in the attic,

Apples in the hall.

Apples in the summer,

Apples in the fall.

Apples make you healthy,

Apples make you tall.

I will eat some apples,

I will eat them all.

Took in the Old Forge Farmer’s Market last Friday afternoon, and bought a big sack of the most delicious locally grown apples we’ve ever, ever eaten. Apples are my very favorite fruit, and you all know by now that fall is my very favorite time of year, so I am one happy woman. I can’t even remember what kind of apples they were (BAD food writer, BAD.), but they looked so pretty in that yellowware bowl on my kitchen counter that I really didn’t want to eat them. But I did eat some, happily, and used the rest to try out a recipe that a kind reader recently sent to me, called Johnny Appleseed Cake. This cake is THE BOMB—super moist, and the apples chunks are infused with cinnamon and honey. Just fabulous served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and/or a dollop of whipped cream. I’m also including the recipe for one of my all-time favorite fall treats, the spicy and glazed Apple Harvest Cookies. But first, a few fun “facts” about the real Johnny Appleseed (J.A. on the street):

• J.A’s real name was John Chapman, and he was born in 1774 in Massachusetts.

• J.A. was very un-materialistic; his clothes were often made from sacks, and he never wore shoes, even in the snow (duh—can you say, “amputation”?).

• J.A’s dream was for a land where blossoming apple trees were everywhere, and no one ever went hungry. He walked around the country (again, barefoot, and mostly around the Ohio Valley area) establishing fenced apple nurseries everywhere he went. After 200 plus years, some of those trees still bear apples.

• J.A’s feet were so tough that it is said that once he fell asleep and a rattlesnake tried to bite him, but the fangs would not go into his foot because his skin was as tough as an elephant’s hide (mine are kinda like that, after a summer going barefoot).

• J.A was a vegetarian and a great lover of all animals. Once, during a fierce blizzard, J.A. built a campfire at the end of a hollow log, but, finding it occupied by a bear and her cubs, he moved the fire to the other end of the log and slept in the snow in the open air.

• J.A. died in 1845, and it is said that it was the only time he had been sick, in over 70 years.

Who knew? Well, I hope you enjoy this week’s apple recipes as much as we have. Now go to the Old Forge Farmer’s Market this Friday and get your fine self some apples, ya hear?

JOHNNY APPLESEED CAKE

Makes 1 cake

3 to 4 Braeburn, Gala or Fuji apples, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

3 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup apple cider

1/2 stick of butter, softened to room temperature

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

In a large bowl, mix apples with sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and honey. Refrigerate mixture for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the apple mixture, add apple cider, butter, eggs, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour mixture into a greased 9 X 9 inch cake pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. Serve warm.

APPLE HARVEST COOKIES

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

Cookies:

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 cup peeled and finely diced apple (I prefer Golden Delicious in these)

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1/4 cup milk

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tblsp. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3-4 tblsp. half-and-half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, beat shortening and brown sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add egg and blend thoroughly. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Add half of dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, apple and raisins (or cranberries), then stir in remaining half of dry ingredients, plus milk. Mix until well combined.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. While cookies bake, prepare glaze: combine powdered sugar, butter and vanilla and just enough half-and-half so that glaze is easily spreadable.

When cookies are done, remove to wire racks and generously glaze while still warm.  

Happy eating.

Please send all recipes or comments to PO Box 111, Old Forge, NY 13420, or e-mail them to lnwillard@hotmail.com" class="ApplyClass">lnwillard@hotmail.com.