The Reporter (Lansdale, PA)

Apples make for satisfying desserts

The sturdy fruit makes for simple but satisfying cool-weather desserts

- By Cathy Thomas » Special to MediaNews Group

There’s something about apple desserts that makes them remarkably alluring. The fruit’s sweet-tart personalit­y builds flavors that, in all fairness, are hard to beat this time of year. Plus the smell of cinnamon and other spices is comforting.

For the home cook, there is joy in the simplicity of apple-based desserts. Sure, there’s time spent peeling and coring, but it can become a pleasing, Zen-like motion with the right background music.

When it comes to which apples to use, some varieties are best cooked, while others are better eaten raw. Some are delicious either way.

Granny Smiths are often the first choice for baking. Their pucker-up tartness and crisp texture often make them the first choice in tarts, pies or crisps. But don’t rule out the crunchy texture and sweeter flavor profiles of Honeycrisp, Fuji and Gala apples; they are great for snacking as well as baking, although their increased sweetness and juiciness can require a sugar reduction as well as a shorter baking time.

Here are formulas for three apple desserts. Each one contains nuts for added texture contrast as well as a rich flavor that some describe as buttery. Recently a reader told me she doesn’t like to add nuts to baked goods because they taste “nasty.” It turns out she was storing them at room temperatur­e for long periods of time. Most nuts are quite perishable. Store shelled nuts at room temperatur­e for no more than three months. After that they need to go into the fridge or freezer. Store shelled or unshelled nuts in the refrigerat­or for up to six months, or in the freezer for a year or so.

First, here’s a twist on apple crisp, a dish that most often boasts a crisp oat topping. This version replaces the oats with shaved almonds that get crunchy once combined with a flour-sugar-spice-butter mixture and baked until golden.

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 ?? PHOTOS BY CATHY THOMAS ?? Apple Cake Bars with a little whipped cream can work as a dessert, or by themselves for breakfast.
PHOTOS BY CATHY THOMAS Apple Cake Bars with a little whipped cream can work as a dessert, or by themselves for breakfast.
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