Apple Season Recipes - Apple Slaw, Cinnamon Apples, and Apple Squares

Last weekend, after our day at Oktoberfest, we stopped by a local farm stand to pick up some corn, and check for my favorite apple variety- Honeycrisp.  We were in luck, and the Honeycrisp apples were in and we brought a large bagful home.  So this past week was apple week around our house.

The first apple recipe I made was a delicious slaw to go with our steak and baked potato meal.  I love coleslaw, so it was fun experimenting with my recipe and making a sweet version.  Here's my recipe.

Apple Slaw:
1 head of cabbage chopped (chop into the size of pieces you prefer in your slaw)
1 1/2 to 2 cups apples peeled and chopped in to inch long matchstick sized pieces (I used 3 extra large honeycrisp apples)
1 1/2 cups golden raisins (regular raisins will work too but I really liked the golden raisins with this slaw)

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup sugar
a dash or two of salt to taste (I prefer sea salt)
2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (more to taste if needed)
1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl toss together chopped cabbage, chopped apples, and raisins, then set aside while you make dressing.  In a small mixing bowl add all dressing ingredients and stir together until totally combined.  Then give it a taste, sometimes I like to add a little more vinegar or sugar , if it is too thin add a little more mayo, too thick add a little more milk.  I like the taste to be a little sweet with that nice bite of apple cider vinegar, but not so much vinegar that it overpowers the sweet, I always work with it a bit to get it just right.  When the dressing is done, pour it over slaw and toss it well.  I find slaw tastes a little better if it has time to sit in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before serving.

This is a nice sweet slaw, the apples add a delicious crunch, it was a perfect side dish to our dinner. Normally I add a small amount of onion to my slaw, so the next day for lunch I chopped up a small bit of very finely chopped onion and mixed it in the slaw.  This was also good, and added a little kick to the slaw, I liked it both ways, the kids really seemed to like the non-onion sweeter version.  Either way this is a wonderful side dish, and the apples and raisins gave it a nice fall flavor.

The next day we had baked pork chops with stuffing, and what better side dish than homemade cinnamon apples.  This is a very simple side dish to make.  Just peel and chop up apples in good sized chunks, about an apple and a half per person or more if the apples are smaller.  Sprinkle cinnamon over apples, and add to a sauce pan with about a half cup of water (more water if you are making a larger batch) simmer on medium, covered, and stir frequently.  Cook apples until they are softened, add a tablespoon or two of brown sugar if apples are too tart.  If there is too much liquid turn up heat and cook on medium high with the lid off, stirring frequently until liquid cooks down.

This is a delicious side dish and the house smells wonderful while the apples are cooking!

The last apple dish I made this week was a yummy dessert that I have been making for years.  The recipe comes from an old international cookbook I bought back when I was in high school as a fundraiser for my French Club, A Norwegian recipe for Apple Squares.  I shared this recipe back in 2011, but thought I would share it again because it is one of my favorites.

Norwegian Apple Squares
Preheat oven to 375 F.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
3 cups grated apples
3 tablespoons sugar
cinnamon to taste

In a bowl combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup softened butter, mix until combined, then add two eggs and mix until combined, then mix in the flour.  Pat half the mixture in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.  In another bowl toss grated apples with 3 tablespoons of sugar, then spread apples over bottom layer of dough, and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Then top with remaining dough, I like to drop dough on by teaspoonful.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until light golden brown.  Cool and cut into squares.  The buttery crust is delicious with the apples!

So that was my apple filled week.

Cooking with apples is on of my favorite fall traditions, you might be interested in some of my other apple recipe posts.

Sausages with Apples and Onions
Baked Apples
Eve's Pudding
Crock Pot Apple Butter

Happy Fall!