Did you, as well, just get home from the orchard with two bushels of apples?
Did you look at them, taking over all of your counter space, and wonder if maybe you bought too many?
You did not buy too many. Instead, you just blessed yourself with a month-long adventure in making ALL THE APPLE THINGS!
Here are all of OUR favorite apple things:
- apple cake. I apparently made this a decade ago and then promptly forgot about it (good thing that I blogged about it, though!), and then made it for only the second time this year. It's DELICIOUS and I'm never going to forget about it ever again.
- apple cider doughnuts. Syd is still super into doughnuts. I've never been able to bring myself to deep-fry anything, but we'll try any baked doughnut recipe that we encounter. If deep-frying didn't horrify me, though, I'd also be making these apple fritters, because those are MY favorites!
- apple peel jelly. Our apple peels are the rightful property of our chickens, but maybe your apple peels want to be jelly!
- apple pie. I don't actually like pie crust, so apple pie with a crumble topping is my favorite!
- apple print bunting. I really like the simple materials used in this project. Another good option is fabric paint on canvas buntings.
- applesauce. This is how we make our applesauce, except we don't even put in water--we just peel and core apples, put them in a pot, put the lid on, turn it on low, and show up every now and then to stir. Fruit blends are fun to make from whatever other fruit you've got kicking around the freezer.
- baked apples with oatmeal. Will, especially, loves these baked apples. I can get leftover oatmeal eaten by baking an apple, warming the leftover oatmeal, and then spooning into the hot apple's core. Don't tell Will she's eating leftovers!
- bird feeders. We like hanging these bird feeders in front of the playroom window in the autumn and winter.
- candy apples. Candy apples are my FAVORITE (or at least they used to be, since I probably haven't had one since I was Syd's age!). This is one of those recipes that I've always wanted to try, but I'm afraid of candy making. As soon as I get brave enough to figure it out, though, the next thing that I'm making is galaxy candy apples!
- caramel apples. Syd has long been obsessed with caramel apples, and I swear that we've made them a zillion different ways. Decorating them with melted chocolate and candy is the best part!
- caramel apple monsters. Here's a fun pre-Halloween way to eat caramel apples in a more manageable serving size. Candy eyes are always a bonus!
- cast iron apple crisp. EVERYTHING tastes better when made in a cast iron pan.
- cinnamon applesauce quick bread. It's really good!
- cinnamon dough. Who wouldn't love a delicious-smelling oven-dry clay? This dough uses a ton of cinnamon and applesauce, and makes a sturdy, sweet-smelling clay that we like to use for Christmas ornaments.
- cinnamon sugar apple blondies. I generally prefer my sweet things to be chocolatey. Unfortunately, Syd doesn't like chocolate--the horror! So apple season is my time to indulge her with all the apple treats that we both like.
- clove apple pomander. This is a sweet nature craft that goes well with a read-aloud of Little House in the Big Woods.
- DIY apple cider vinegar. Think about all the crazy projects we could get into if we only had our own apple orchard!
- fruit leather. I actually make this with only fruit and spices--you don't need sweetener when you're eating applesauce! You can use homemade applesauce, blended with whatever other fruit purees and spices you prefer.
- Mummify an apple. Experiment with the Ancient Egyptian method of mummification to figure out how best to preserve your apple for the afterlife.
- shrunken apple heads. Here's a good beginner carving project for young ones. Dry them or, if you're having a Halloween party, pop them straight in with your punch.
Do YOU have a favorite thing to do with apples? Tell me about it and I'll probably do it--I've still got half a bushel on the kitchen table!
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