Fruit makes fabulous fall treats

Halloween is over and my family looks to the next event where we will have a cause to get together and celebrate.

That occasion would be my mother's birthday. We will gather and all of the kids will play and enjoy the outdoors on the farm, while the adults catch up on all the family news. A wonderful reason to celebrate this week: Mom's birthday.

My friend Jayne McLeod sent me a new muffin recipe she tried recently and she said it was easy to make a delicious. I love cranberry and orange together, so I will definitely enjoy making this recipe.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

3/4 cup orange juice, about 1 large orange

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries, about 8 ounces

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Set aside 1 tablespoon of sugar. Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine rind, juice, oil and egg in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched in the center. Run a knife around outer edge of each muffin cup. Carefully remove each muffin; place on a wire rack to cool. Yields 16 muffins.

What fall recipe column would be complete without several apple recipes to share with you? I just recently got a new cookbook from the public library in Dexter, Mo., and found in it several apple recipes I marked to try this fall. I will share a few of those with you today.

Apple-Cranberry Crunch

3 cups unpeeled chopped apples

1 package cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup pecans

1 stick melted butter

Place unpeeled chopped apples, cranberries, and white sugar in bottom of casserole dish. Blend oats, brown sugar, flour, nuts and margarine. Crumble over apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Crumb-Topped Apple Pecan Pie

6 cups sliced, peeled, tart apples

2 teaspoons flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 cup sugar

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup soft butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine apples, pecans, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Arrange apple mixture in pie shell. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake in 425-degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35 minutes or until apples are tender. Topping: combine brown sugar, flour, butter, nuts and cinnamon. Mix until crumbly.

Apple Dumplings

2 pie pastry crust recipe

4 to 5 apples

Sugar

Cinnamon

Butter

Mix favorite 2-pie pastry. Roll out and cut into 6-inch squares. In center of each, pile 3 or 4 tablespoons dried or coarsely chopped apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Put a dab of butter on top. Fold up pastry edges and press to hold. Place seam-side-down in a baking dish. Make a 1/2-inch slash in the top of each to let out the steam or you will have a soggy dumpling.

Make syrup: 3 cups water

2 1/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Pinch salt

Mix the water, sugar, butter, and salt together. Bring to a boil and cook till sugar dissolves well. Pour over dumplings and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven until the crust begins to brown, then switch back to 375 degrees. Baste with syrup. The total baking time is around 45 minutes.

Baked Apples

1 apple for each person

1/4 cup apple juice per apple

2 tablespoons raisins per apple

2 tablespoons chopped pecans per apple

1 marshmallow per apple

Ground cinnamon

Peel apples halfway down and core. Stuff core with raisins and nuts. Put apples in baking pan and pour juice over apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Top each apple with a marshmallow for the last 2 to 5 minutes until melted.

Apple Crisp

6 apples, sliced

1 cup sugar

Juice of 1 medium lemon

Nutmeg, to taste

2/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons shortening

1 egg

1 cup flour

Pinch of salt

In an oblong dish, cover apples with mixture of 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Set aside. Cream the 2/3 cup sugar with shortening. Add egg, flour, and salt. Beat well. Spread over apples with spatula. It will be lumpy. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until top is brown and apples are tender.

I am all out of room for this week. I am anxious to try these recipes, and I hope some of them find their way to your table as well.

Until next time, have a wonderful week and happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.