Grandma Lynn's Cranberry Salad

This recipe comes from the "north country" of northern Wisconsin near to where I was born and home of cranberry country. This is a nice refreshing jello salad to incorporate "must-have" cranberries for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients:

1 - 3 oz cherry Jello packet

1 - 3 oz orange Jello packet

1 cup sugar

2 cups boiling water

1 package of fresh cranberries, grind up or chop finely with food chopper

4 large Granny Smith apples, grind up or chop finely with food chopper

1 - 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Method:

Dissolve Jello and sugar in boiling water. Stir in ground up cranberries, apples, and pineapple. Mix well, pour into serving bowl and refrigerate until firm.

Apple Pear Tart

Another fall dessert that looked so good in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine that I found it in that I had to try it myself. Pears and apples are wonderful fall fruits they taste as good as they look on this yummy dessert. I don't have a "tart" pan so I used a 10 inch pie pan instead and it worked great.

Ingredients:

Crust:

10 shortbread cookies, crushed (1 1/3 cups)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/4 cup caramel (toffee-UK) ice cream topping

Topping:

2 medium firm ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into 12 wedges each

2 medium apples, cored and cut in 12 wedges each (do not peel)

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp caramel ice cream topping

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. In bowl combine crushed shortbread cookies, flour and the 1/4 cup melted butter. Pat mixture into bottom of a 14x5x1-inch tart pan or 10 inch round tart pan (with removable bottom). Bake crust for 10 minutes. Set aside.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add egg and 1/4 caramel topping; beat until smooth.

Spread mixture in bottom of baked crust. Bake 10 minutes more or until center appears to set when pan is shaken. Cool wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

In 12-inch skillet cook pears and apples in the 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat for 10 minutes or until tender but still hold their shape. Stir occasionally. Add lemon juice and heat through. Spoon fruit mixture on top of tart. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp caramel topping.

Apple Crisp

One of my most favorite desserts ever. It is absolutely amazing when it is served warm with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream or custard or a heap of cream dumped on it.

Ingredients:

6 cups baking apples, peeled and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup (110g) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup oatmeal

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

Spread cut up apples in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar, flour and cinnamon.

Mix together topping of butter, sugar, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon.

Sprinkle topping on apples. Bake at 350 F for 35-45 minutes (until bubbly).

Caramel Apples with Homemade Caramel Sauce

It's fall and a traditional treat for this time of year is the old fashion caramel apples. Since the nice little bags of caramels are not so readily available in the UK, I found a recipe for homemade caramel sauce on the website http://www.divinedinnerparty.com. These tasty treats are very sticky, so watch out if you have any loose fillings. I do have to say that I haven't had a caramel apple that tasted so good in a really long time. This will be a new fall tradition for me to make my own and experiment with different toppings.

Ingredients:

1 cup real butter
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 cups light corn syrup
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
8-10 medium-sized apples, sticks inserted in tops

Method:

Over medium-high heat, stir together the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a heavy sauce pan.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat slightly. Cook about 30-40 minutes (don't stir often, as you'll risk crystallization), until the caramel darkens and thickens.

It should reach the "firm ball" stage of candy-making. This means that, upon dropping the caramel into cold water, a firm ball forms.

This ball shouldn't flatten when you remove it from the water, but should still easily change shape when you touch it. With a candy thermometer the temp should read 245-250 degrees F.

Remove finished caramel from the heat. Stir in vanilla extract.

Dip apples into hot caramel. In order to get as thick a caramel coating as possible, dip each apple at an angle and rotate within the caramel.

Pull apple out vertically and allow excess caramel to drip off.

Then turn the apple right-side-up a moment and let the caramel settle for a few seconds. This prevents large bare spots at the top of the apple.

Place apples on greased wax paper or foil.

While caramel is still warm and soft, decorate as desired. (Unless dipping apples in chocolate, in which case the caramel needs to be allowed to set.)

Let cool to set.

***Gift-giving note: Give these tasty treats away as gifts by wrapping them in cellophane bags and securing the bag closed with a pretty ribbon.

Homemade Applesauce

My mom used to make homemade applesauce all the time when I was a kid and freeze a year's supply. We can't get the big jars of applesauce here in the UK like in the US so when British apples go on sale in the fall it's great to make up a batch of homemade sauce. I love to eat it warm right after it's cooked. I keep some refrigerated for a few days but the rest of it I freeze in small containers.

Ingredients:

8 medium cooking apples, peeled and cut up into fourths

1 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar or 6-8 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Makes 6 cups

Peel apples.

Core the apples and cut into quarters or you can use a special tool that does both for you.

Put apples in large pot and add water. I also add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, but you can also wait to add them after you cook the apples if you want to add to taste.

Heat apples and water to a boil over medium heat and stir occasionally. Reduce and simmer uncovered for 5 - 10 minutes until apples soften. Use a masher to smash up the apples and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. (You can add cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg now if you didn't earlier.)

For chunkier apple sauce, leave as is. If you like a smoother consistency, allow mashed apples to cool slightly and then puree in a blender.