Johnny Appleseed would be jealous of all these easy kids crafts featuring apples. You won't want to miss out on this Autumn crafting and cooking fun.
An Apple a Day is a Lot of Fun!
Autumn means time for apples - crisp red apples, tangy green ones or juicy yellow apples. Whether you buy them at the grocery store or the whole family goes to a pick your own orchard, apples are delicious. Not only are they tasty they are good for you as well.
The whole family will have fun trying these scrumptious recipes and then doing a fun apple project such as apple prints or apple-cinnamon ornaments. You can hang the ornaments in the kitchen or save them for your Christmas tree, a treat for your nose either way.
Apple Cinnamon Ornament
Materials Needed:
* Applesauce
* Cinnamon
* Cookie Cutters
* Straw
* Ribbon
Mix pretty much equal parts of the applesauce and the cinnamon until you get it to be a nice clay consistency. Roll the dough out on wax paper with a rolling pin until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use the cookie cutters to cut out holiday shapes. With the straw, poke a small whole towards the top of the shape. Put the shapes in a dry spot to dry. Be patient, this takes a few days. Once your sweet-smelling ornaments are dry you can string a piece of ribbon through the hole you made with and hang it up.
Apple Prints
Make a nature picture. Cut apples in half and stamp them onto construction paper after dipping them in poster paint. If you cut them in half the fat way you can see the star.
Applesauce
Applesauce will vary in texture and flavor depending on the variety of apple used. All-purpose apples such as Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, Fuji and Jonagold (as well as many others) produce good results.
* 8 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
* 1/2 (one half) cup water
* 2 lemon slices
* 1/2 (one half)cup sugar
* 1/8 (one eighth)teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/4 (one fourth)teaspoon cinnamon
Combine apples, water and lemon slices in a large saucepan. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or until apples are smushy with some chunks of apple left. Watch your applesauce closely; stir it often to keep it burning. Applesauce should be thick but if it looks to thick add a little more water if necessary. Leave sauce chunky or put apples and lemons through a food mill or coarse sieve. Stir in sugar to make it however sweet you like it. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve warm or chilled. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to one week. Yield 5 to 6 cups.
To make unsweetened applesauce: leave out the added sugar and select a naturally sweet variety such as Golden Delicious, Red Delicious or Gala. To freeze leftover applesauce:. Refrigerate until chilled. Pack cool applesauce into freezer containers to within 1/2-inch from the top and seal. To use: thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in cold water for 3 hours. Can be frozen for up to one year at 0°F.
Spiced Apple Cider
* 1 gallon naturally sweet apple cider
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
* 1 Tablespoon whole cloves
* 1 Tablespoon whole allspice
* 1/2 (one half) teaspoon mace (optional)
Tie cinnamon, cloves, allspice and mace together in cheesecloth or use a coffee filter tied with string. Combine cider and brown sugar in a large pot. Add spices. Bring mixture to a slow boil. Then turn heat down and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove spice bag from pot. Serve hot cider in mugs. Spiced Apple Cider may be kept warm in a crock-pot (slow cooker) on low setting. Yield 18 servings
The Frosty Apple
* 1 pint vanilla ice cream
* 1 quart naturally sweet apple cider
* 4-6 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional)
* Freshly ground nutmeg
Let a pint of vanilla ice cream soften at room temperature or microwave for 20 seconds. Put ice cream and cider into a blender or food processor and blend until frothy and well mixed. Stir in nutmeg. Pour into tall glasses and top with a scoop of ice cream, if desired. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Yield 6 one-cup servings.
Apple-Berry Salad
* 1/3 (one third) cup sugar
* 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1 1/2 (one and one-half)cups Michigan Apple Cider or Michigan Apple Juice, divided
* 1 tablespoon Cinnamon candies
* 3/4 (three fourths) cup unsweetened Michigan Applesauce
* 1 1/2 (one and one-half)cups diced, unpeeled red Michigan Apples
* 1 cup fresh blueberries or halved green seedless grapes
1. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and gelatin. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 cup of the Apple Cider and cinnamon candies, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Remove from heat and continue stirring, if necessary to dissolve candies. Add hot mixture to gelatin. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add remaining ½ (one half) cup Apple Cider and Applesauce. Chill until mixture starts to set and is syrupy. Stir in Apples and blueberries. Pour into serving dish or mold. Chill until firm, about 3 hours. Yield: 8 servings.
Suggested Michigan Apple varieties to use: Empire, Gala, Ida Red, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Red Delicious, or Rome. From the Michigan Apple Committee
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