Basket of apples turns into super applesauce, pie

(Apple-Cranberry Pie, Rugelah and Applesauce all came together from a big basket of apples)

October is slipping away from us, and that big basket of apples my neighbor gave me at the beginning of the month was begging for some attention this weekend.

So I rolled up my sleeves and cut up the less-than-perfect ones to make a big batch of homemade applesauce. Nothing could be easier.

(Place the quartered apples into a big pot and let them cook down for quick applesauce)

Just wash the apples and quarter them, skins, stems, seeds and all, and toss them into a big pot. Add a pinch of water to prevent sticking; bring to a simmer.

( Work the cooked apples through a sieve to remove skins and seeds)

Let the apples cook down (until they are soft), and then pass them through a food mill — that's it.

I added just a pinch of cinnamon to the sauce, no sweetener was needed, as the apples were tasty enough without added sugar. I put some of the applesauce into pint containers for the freezer and the rest I will enjoy all by itself, or with some yogurt, perhaps in a cake and definitely some potato pancakes later this week.

(Fresh applesauce is a simple treat that tastes like a cupful of fall)

But I couldn't cut up all those apples without baking a pie!

Fortunately, I had some homemade pastry tucked away in the freezer, so all I had to do was take it out of the freezer the night before, which made for a really quick pie the next day.

If you don't have any stashed away in the freezer, click here for a simple pie crust recipe.

For the filling, this is what I used:

(Dried cranberries add a burst of color, and flavor, to apple pie)

8 large apples, sliced and sprinkled with a little lemon juice in a big bowl

Add:

1. 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2. 1/4 cup brown sugar
3. 2/3 cup white sugar
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
5. dash of nutmeg and allspice (optional)
6. pinch of vanilla
   

I wanted to add some color to the apples, so I tossed in a handful of dried cranberries.

Mix well and allow to sit for about 15 minutes as you roll out the dough.

Place the filling in the uncooked crust, dot it with butter and roll out the top crust (or cut into strips for a lattice-work top).

Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for about 10 minutes; lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 50 minutes until browned and bubbly.

(Use the scraps of pie crust to roll up some quick rugelah)

If you have any leftover scraps of pie crust, roll them into a ball and then roll out the dough into a rectangle. Rub a little softened butter over it, add some chopped nuts, a sprinkle of brown and white sugars and a dusting of cinnamon. Roll it from the widest end until you form a log. Cut the log into 3/4-inch pieces and place on a greased baking pan. Pop it into the oven for about 10-15 minutes as your pie is baking.

These little treats are delicious dunked in coffee or hot out of the oven. (Try not to burn your mouth!)

Apples are the gems of fall baking, even when they tend to get away from you.
You can always whip up a batch of applesauce with little effort, a task that will be rewarding for months to come if you save small portions (2-cups works well) in the freezer.

Applesauce cake, anyone?