Apple Desserts for a Fragrant Fall Kitchen
Nine classic apple dessert recipes, including pies, crisps, and cakes, are presented as a way to fill a home with the warm, spiced aroma of fall baking.
A collection of nine classic apple desserts promises to fill a home with the warm, spiced aroma of fall baking. The recipes, from Serious Eats, offer alternatives to scented candles for creating that cozy, seasonal fragrance.
These desserts are seasoned with traditional spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. The selection includes both baked goods and a no-bake ice cream, all designed to capture the essence of sweet, bubbling apples.
Perfect Apple Pie
This apple pie features a flaky crust and a well-spiced, juicy filling that avoids sogginess. The key technique involves pouring boiling water over the apples ten minutes before baking, which reportedly helps the fruit hold its shape and prevents a watery filling.
Quick and Single-Serve Options
For a fast dessert, a 10-minute microwave apple crisp for one is available. It uses an oat-and-brown sugar topping layered over a speedy apple filling and is recommended to be served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Apple hand pies are designed for crust lovers, maximizing the ratio of flaky pastry to fruit. Cornstarch in the spiced apple filling thickens it and absorbs excess juices from apples and cider, creating a firm filling that is easy to shape.
Elegant and Unique Cakes
The famous Tarte Tatin is an upside-down apple tart rumored to have been popularized at the Hôtel Tatin in France. It starts with homemade caramel, followed by apples and puff pastry, and is best enjoyed the same day with crème fraîche or whipped cream.
Gâteau Invisible, or Invisible Apple Cake, is a loaf cake where thinly sliced apples meld into a sweet, custardy batter. White miso is added to the cake and its caramel sauce to provide savoriness and depth, preventing excessive sweetness.
Fried Treats and Donuts
Apple fritters made with tart Granny Smith apples are described as crisp and golden, rivaling bakery versions. They are coated in a glaze of confectioners' sugar and apple cider while still warm.
The best apple cider donuts get concentrated flavor from fresh cider and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. After frying, they are coated with a blend of freeze-dried apples and cinnamon sugar for a sweet-tart finish.
Simple Crisp and No-Bake Ice Cream
A simple apple crisp is presented as an alternative to pie, offering similar flavor and aroma in about an hour. Apple pie ice cream is a no-bake option featuring real apples, cinnamon, and crushed tea biscuits for all the cozy flavors of fall in a creamy format.
