Apple Cranberry Pie

Apple Cranberry Pie

Dorcas Annette Walker

I’ve made it a habit to use the month of November to focus on things I am thankful for. I always try to have a thankful spirit, but it is easy in the rush of life to get sidetracked and concentrate on things that need accomplished or changed rather than counting my blessing for what I already have. Thanksgiving is ideal for showing our thankfulness by reaching out and sharing with others. At an early age I learned to share my mother on holidays. When working on the surgical team at a local hospital, Mom was often was on call over weekends and especially holidays. Often our mother was paged on Thanksgiving for an emergency surgery leaving us with an empty spot at the table. When my husband and I pastored churches out of state and were unable to get back home, we used Thanksgiving to reach out to others in the area. There always was someone, especially elderly folk, who were alone. Each of those Thanksgivings became a memorable time. At one church we attended a local assisted-living home during holiday celebrations in order to be a family for a man, who attended our church and was all alone. It meant juggling our schedule that was already packed with church activities, but seeing Gene’s face beam every time we showed up was worth the extra effort.

I want to share with you though one time I almost missed out on sharing with someone. I was right in the middle of last minute preparations for our Thanksgiving dinner when my husband came into the kitchen to inform me that a neighbor boy was at our door. Billy’s folk rented a run-down trailer down the road from us; these renters rotated every couple of months. The parents left their kids to fend on their own and invariably the kids would find their way to our house. When my husband suggested asking Billy in for Thanksgiving I said, “no”. We already had our daughter, her husband, grandkids, and another special guest. My table was festive with holiday decorations, each place was set, and I was in the process of putting the food on the table. I figured we could always feed Billy another time. A minute later my husband with a sheepish grin on his face came back with Billy. Billy, who was skinny and small for his age, loaded his plate with everything that was passed around. While my grandkids picked at their food, I tried not to stare at Billy, who crammed food into his mouth devouring a huge plateful and a second helping until I was afraid he’d become sick. Billy left with a big grin on his face, a bulging stomach, and some food to take home with him. I’ve always been so thankful since that my husband overruled my decision and interrupted my perfect Thanksgiving dinner. A couple of months later Billy and his family were gone.

This holiday season add a bit of zest to your apple pie with cranberries. My Apple Cranberry Pie will make a colorful dessert to finish up your meal. You can also add chopped nuts if you wish. The Apple Cranberry Pie takes around fifteen minutes to prepare (not counting baking time) and serves eight.

Apple Cranberry Pie

Enough dough for a double nine inch pie. Roll out the pie crust and line the bottom of the pie pan.

In a medium size bowl mix together:
5 to 6 large apples (your choice peeled and sliced)
1 c cranberries
1 c sugar
2 tb self-rising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
Pour into the pie then cover with a top crust. Poke holes in the top crust with a knife. Bake at 350º for one hour until the apples are soft.

Glaze:
Mix together ¼ c of powdered sugar and 1 tb of warm water. Spread on the pie crust while still warm. Can garnish the pie with fresh cranberries!

Weekly tip: Cranberries can be bought in bulk while in season and stored in the freezer all year long to enjoy out of season. Freeze cranberries in the package they came in!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com

Fried Apples

Fried Apples

Dorcas Annette Walker

This time of the year as one enjoys autumn’s brilliant display of colored leaves one can also see apple trees bent under the weight of fruit ready to pick. Stores and markets are filled with a wide assortment of apples to choose from. To me there is nothing like the smell of apples cooking or baking to make a homey atmosphere in one’s house. One chilly day this week as the fire crackled in my woodstove, I fried a pan of apples. It was up here in the mountains of Tennessee where I first discovered Fried Apples.

There are at least 7,500 recognized cultivated varieties of apples in the world; wild and crab apples have 35 species. Apples come in all kinds of different sizes, colors, and shapes. Each seed chamber contains two seeds for a total of ten seeds per apple except for the Northern Spy, which contains four seeds per chamber and therefore may develop up to twenty seeds. Most apple trees are partially self fertile and will produce a fair crop even in the absence of a pollenizer. Some apples are sweet while others are tart due to the different amount of sugar they produce. The flesh can be hard or soft; the skin thick or thin. Commercial apples are picked when not fully ripe to prevent bruising while shipping. Today the U.S. is the top apple producer country in the world with the state of Washington taking first place, followed by New York, then Michigan.

Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman, lived in the days of the America frontier. He dreamed of a country where no one went hungry due to the land being covered with apple trees. Beginning in his twenties for nearly fifty years, this nurseryman roamed the wilderness planting orchards in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. Johnny Appleseed changed the landscape and left a lasting contribution.

Research shows that apples promote good health. Apples contain numerous essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are beneficial to your teeth, skin, digestive system, nerves, and overall health. An apple a day helps prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. Studies have also shown a link between daily consumption of apples to lowering the risk of other illnesses including certain cancers.

Cooking apples is a genetic term used to describe apples that survive cooking well or are so tart that they aren’t as enjoyable unless they are cooked and sweetened. Some types of apples break down making them good for applesauce while others species hold their shape thus making them ideal for baking, stewing, or using in apple pies. The main difference between eating apples and cooking apples is due to the sugar content as cooking apples tend to be tarter and are better for storage. Apples that are good for eating fresh, in salads, and pies include: Red and Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Rome Beauty, Winesap, Criterion, Gala, Jonagold, Newton Pippin, McIntosh, and Gravenstein.

The mountain folk often eat Fried Apples with biscuits for breakfast. Fried Apples have a chunky texture that melt in your mouth and can be eaten by itself, cold or hot, or used as a side dish with pork chops or meatloaf. Cranberries, raisins or other fruit can be added as well as nuts if desired. Preparation time for my Fried Apples is thirty minutes and this recipe serves two.

Fried Apples

Melt a half a stick of margarine in an iron skillet. Then peel and slice four medium cooking apples. Add one half cup of brown sugar and one fourth cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until soft and golden brown. Garnish with cinnamon!

Weekly tip: To store apples for four to five months: use only perfect fruit, separate by size and eat the larger ones first (smaller apple last longer), wrap in newspaper, and store in open cardboard or wooden boxes in an unheated garage, cellar, shed, or basement. If any turn soft make into applesauce!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com