Ok, ok. These recipes may not keep doctors at bay, but they do celebrate that glorious fall fruit: the apple. Sadly, most people relegate this delicious fruit to desserts only. So, while there is a fantastic apple crepe recipe below, I have also included savory recipes showcasing the delightful versatility of the apple. But, before you cook them, you need to know how to core them and slice them (so you can either cut in to sticks or cubes, as the recipe dictates). I made a short video showing you how. 

Baked Brie with Brown Butter Apples

Makes two “wheels”

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 sweet or sweet-tart apples (Gala, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, or Fuji work best)

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup water

2 small wheels soft ripened cheese such as Brie or a firm Camembert

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 egg scrambled with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Procedure:

In a medium skillet set over medium heat, add butter. Cook, swirling occasionally, until you see brown flecks forming at the bottom of the pan. Add apples, sugar, salt, thyme, and lemon juice. Cook until apples begin to wilt slightly. Add water, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until water has mostly evaporated and apples are very tender. Remove from heat and set aside until cool.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Split each cheese wheel horizontally with a sharp knife. Divide cooled apple mixture evenly to top two halves of the cheese. Replace “tops” of cheese.

Roll puff pastry out until it is large enough to wrap each wheel. Wrap each wheel in puff pastry, trimming excess, ensuring that pastry overlaps slightly at the bottom. Turn over so overlapped side is facing down and place on parchment or silpat-lined sheet tray. Brush lightly with egg wash. Use any excess pastry to decorate top of cheese and brush decorations lightly with egg wash. Place in refrigerator or freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Place in preheated oven and bake until pastry is golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, place on serving platter, and serve.

Caraway Braised Cabbage with Apples and Bacon

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

4 oz bacon, cut into lardons (see what this means and why you use the water in the recipe here)

½ onion, sliced thinly (see how to slice onions for cooking here)

1 medium Granny Smith apple, cut in ¼” sticks

1 sweet-tart apple (such as Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Rome), cut in ¼” sticks

5 cups cabbage (green, red, or a mix), sliced thinly

2 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

½ cup apple juice

1 ½ cup vegetable or chicken stock (depending on what you are serving it with)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus additional as needed

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Procedure:

Place bacon in a large saute pan. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan and place on medium heat. Cook until all water has evaporated, and bacon has turned brown and crispy. Remove bacon from the pan, leaving as much fat behind as possible. Set aside. Place pan back on medium heat.

Add onions to pan. Cook, stirring infrequently, until onions are translucent and softened. Add apples and continue to cook until apples begin to soften. Add cabbage and cook until cabbage has wilted. Add garlic and caraway seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, approximately 1-2 minutes. Add apple juice, stock, vinegar, and mustard. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.

Cook until cabbage is very tender, approximately 15 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about another 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir reserved bacon into the mixture and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed. Serve.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients:

Olive oil, as needed

2 large acorn squash

2 cups bread or cornbread cubes

2 tablespoons neutral oil such as avocado, canola, or vegetable, divided

¼ cup finely diced red onion (learn how a professional dices an onion here)

¼ cup finely diced celery

1 ½ cup peeled and finely diced Granny Smith apple

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (learn to mince here)

¼ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 ½ teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup chicken stock, divided

1 teaspoon stone ground mustard

8 ounces pork or chicken Italian or breakfast sausage, casings removed

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds. Cut a small sliver off the skin side of each half of the squash in order for it to sit flat. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the squash and season with salt and pepper. Place, cut side down, on a sheet tray and place in preheated oven. Bake until tender, approximately 45-60 minutes. When a fork can easily pierce the flesh, they are done. Remove from oven and set aside.

While squash is roasting, prepare stuffing. Place bread cubes on a tray and place in the oven until toasted, approximately 7-10 minutes. Place toasted cubes in a bowl.

In a medium skillet set over medium heat, add one tablespoon neutral oil. When heated, add onion and celery. Saute until onion is translucent. Add apple and sage and cook until apple begins to soften. Add thyme and garlic and saute until fragrant, approximately 30-60 seconds. Add ½ cup chicken stock and scrape brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add mustard and season mixture with salt and pepper. Add to bowl with bread.

Return pan to stove, and increase heat to medium high. Add remaining neutral oil and sausage. Cook until well browned and cooked through. Use remaining stock to deglaze pan, making sure to scrape up any brown bits. Add sausage mixture to bread mixture and mix together. Adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.

Turn cooked acorn squash over so the squash is resting flat on the sheet tray. Drizzle the maple syrup over the cut sides of the squash. Divide the filling equally between the squash. Return to oven until the filling is heated through and the top is toasted and golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Apple Crepes with Hard Cider Caramel

Makes 8-10, 8” crepes

Ingredients:

For the crepes:

4 large eggs, room temperature (learn the best way to crack them here)

1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk, room temperature

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for crepe pan

1 cup (4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the caramel:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon hard cider

¼ cup plus 2 tablepoons heavy cream, room temperature

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup light brown sugar

4 sweet-tart apples (such as Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Rome), diced in to ¼” pieces

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons cool water

For the whipped cream:

1 ½ cup heavy cream, cold

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

For serving:

Chopped, toasted walnuts

Procedure:

Make the crepe batter:

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain through fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

Make the caramel:

In a small saucepan, mix together cider and sugar. Using a pastry brush and water or wet fingers, wipe any granules of sugar off the side of the pan. Place on medium heat and cook, not stirring, until starting to turn a golden brown color. Swirl pan and cook until dark golden brown. Remove from heat and immediately stir in cream, butter, vanilla, and salt. Set aside to cool.

Make the filling:

Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add sugar and cook until sugar has begun to dissolve in the butter. Add apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and ginger. Cook until apples begin to soften and liquid begins to thicken.

Stir together cornstarch and water. Add to apple mixture and stir well. Return mixture to a boil and boil for 3 minutes to remove starch taste. Set apple mixture aside.

Make crepes:

Heat a crepe pan or 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush bottom of pan with a thin layer of melted butter. Using a ladle, pour just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan, tipping it to coat evenly. Place pan back on heat and cook until batter is set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the crepe and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute. If pan begins to smoke, remove from heat briefly and reduce heat. Transfer cooked crepe to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter, brushing the pan with more butter as needed and stacking finished crepes on top of each other.

Make whipped cream:

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add cream, sugar, and vanilla. Whip until thickened.

To serve:

Rewarm filling slightly if needed.

Place a crepe on a flat surface. Place filling covering ¼ of the crepe. Fold crepe in half over filling, then fold in half again, forming a triangle. Repeat with remaining crepes.

Place 2-3 filled crepes on each plate. Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with whipped cream and walnuts. Serve immediately.

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