Apple-Raisin Bars with Red Hot Cinnamon Candies

My apple recipes last Fall featured Apple Almond Cake and Roasted Cardamom Applesauce. Both were simple and tasty recipes for apple picking families.

Somehow two other apples recipes got lost in the Fall shuffle and now that we’re headed toward cooler weather (only nights so far) here in New York State, I know it won’t be long before it’s apple picking time again. So, today I'm giving you one of the two recipes I've been saving for the right time of year: APPLE-RAISIN BARS WITH RED HOT CINNAMON CANDIES!

The apples pictured above are not ultra shiny (though I did polish them) and they are not blemish-free. But, they fell from the trees at my daughter’s house, were pesticide- free and had a wonderful taste. Taste is important. In my humble opinion, whether you're shopping at a supermarket or a farmers market or picking your own somewhere, it’s important to buy an extra apple for every recipe, an apple that you can bite into and test for taste and texture.

Speaking of shiny apples, I’m reminded of a Fall probably thirty or more years ago when I went to an outdoor political event at a big home on the edge of town. The event itself was forgettable. Not so the apples.

The host family was known for its prolific harvest of pumpkins but for that evening they had brought in bushels of apples and everywhere I looked there were apples. Baskets full of apples, bowls of apples, single apples set out on steps and tables. Hundreds of apples, I’m sure, unless my memory is bigger than reality.

Anyway, every single apple was as bright as a shiny new dime! I checked carefully and couldn’t find one that wasn’t polished to a high finish. Before I left that night, I cornered the homeowner and asked about those beautiful apples. His simple answer was that they used a clean towel to rub each apple till it shone. A good hint to remember for Fall party decorations.

Moving on, here is another way to use up the apples from your trees or from your trip to the pick-your-own orchards...


APPLE RAISIN BARS WITH RED HOT CINNAMON CANDIES
(based on a recipe from Family Circle magazine, December 2003*)

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients...

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. powdered cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (if using kosher or sea salt, use just a bit less than 1/2 tsp.)
2 c. packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened (original recipe says “or margarine”; I never use margarine)
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (original recipes does not specify, but I always use pure)
1-1/2 cup diced Golden Delicious Apples (I love GDs; the skin is so much easier to chew)
3/4 c. raisins (dark or golden, your choice; could even sub Craisins)
1/4 - 1/2 c. red hot cinnamon candies

Directions...

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease 9x13-inch pan.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.

4. With electric mixer, on medium speed, blend sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth.
5. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Do not over-beat.
6. Stir in apples, raisins and candies, then spread in pan.

7. Bake 35 minutes. Test doneness by inserting toothpick near center. If it comes out clean, the bars are done.
8. Cool completely before cutting.

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Pick your own apples in upstate New York.


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Keep an eye out for old magazines full of interesting recipes in the giveaway bin at libraries or laid out as reading material at the doctor’s office.

APPLE ALMOND CAKE

Fall is in the air and so is the aroma of apples, fresh and cooked. It’s the time of year to head to apple farms and pick your own. Then, when you realize you’ve picked way too many, you’ll be looking for new ways to use your abundance of these juicy fruits.

Apple Almond Cake is based on an Apple Cake recipe I found in Woman’s World’s 10/10/11 issue. I picked up a copy of the magazine as soon as I stepped into Wegmans and stood there leafing through the recipes hoping to find one that would inspire me.

I ended up buying ingredients for the Apple Cake and the Chocolate Chip Cookies recipes I found in Woman’s World. I followed the Apple Cake pretty much as directed, with one notable exception. This recipe contains almond extract and slivered almonds, so I decided it was more fitting to present it as Apple Almond Cake.

(Look for the Chocolate Chip Cookies which I intend to refer to as Chocolate Chip-Cranberry Cookies in an upcoming blog entry. Yes, raw cranberries are finally in the produce section! I always buy a couple of bags and throw them in the freezer.)


CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO SEE AN ENLARGED VERSION.



INGREDIENTS
--from Woman’s World 10/10/11

4 Gala apples, peeled, cored, halves thinly sliced
1-1/2 Heart Smart Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons sliced natural almonds
2 tablespoons apple jelly, melted


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Coat 9” tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.
...I used a 9” ceramic tart pan and after spraying it with cooking spray, I lined it with parchment paper and sprayed the parchment.
3. Peel, core and halve apples, cut into thin slices, keeping slices together in shape of apple half.
...I found it was easier for me to halve the apples, then core them.


4. In large bowl, combine Bisquick and sugar; whisk in buttermilk, egg whites and extract.


5. Top with sliced apple halves trimming to fit if necessary.
...My apples were small so there was no need to trim. I could have spread them out.


6. Brush with melted butter. Bake 30 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake 10 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
8. Cool completely on rack. Brush with apple jelly.
...I placed the apple jelly in a small microwave safe dish and nuked it for about 10 seconds, then stirred.


9. To remove side of pan before serving, run knife around edge of cake to loosen.

Every time I’ve used buttermilk in a recipe that calls for small amounts such as this one does, I end up throwing out the rest of the quart of buttermilk. Recently I read that buttermilk can be frozen, so I sprayed plastic ice cube trays and poured the buttermilk in them. Each “cube” is equal to just under 1/8 cup. Once they were frozen, I placed them in freezer bags for future use.

I sampled the Gala apples -- which I purchased at the grocery store -- and found that they were bland but stayed with the recipe. Next time, I think I’ll sprinkle them with lemon juice (which will also keep them from turning brown) and a cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Another variation I want to try is making this an Upside-Down Apple Almond Cake, sprinkling the bottom of the pan with cinnamon red hots (and the almonds) and placing the apples in the bottom in a some kind of pattern. As it was, I could have skipped the parchment and simply served the tart in the pan. Or is removing it from the pan what makes it a tart?



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Visit my other blog ~ Corning NY Step by Step, a pictorial view of the City of Corning NY.