Apple Season is Here! Find Some Great Baking and Craft Ideas for the Whole Family!

Recipes:

Traditional Apple Crisp...mmm
My mom has made this apple crisp for years and it is always a favorite fall treat! Try it with whipped cream or natural vanilla ice cream for an added treat

Ingredients:
*10 cups of sliced apples (this is usually about 6 or 7 small apples, 5 large should do it
*1 cup white sugar
*1 T all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
* 1/2 cup Water

*1 cup quick oats
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 tsp baking powder
*1/4 tsp baking soda
*1/2 cup butter, melted

Step One: Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C)
Step Two: Place Sliced apples in a 9 by 13 inch pan
Step Three: Mix white sugar, T flour, and ground cinnamon together, sprinkle over apples
Step Four: Mix oats, C flour, C brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 C melted butter
Step Five: Crumble mixture over apples and bake for about 45 minutes or until mixture is golden brown
Step Six: Enjoy!

Apple Pie:
This recipe is borrowed from: http://thanksgiving.allrecipes.com/az/ApplePie.asp

"This is a sweet, tart and delicious apple pie. Guaranteed to please. Be sure to use Granny Smith apples since they work the best."
Original recipe yield: 8 servings.
Servings:8 (change)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
7 cups thinly sliced apples (Be sure to use Granny Smith)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
4 tablespoons milk (optional)

Steps:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon peel.
Line one crust in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Layer 1/3 of apples into pie crust. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and repeat until done. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.
Place second pie crust on top of filling and flute the edges. Cut vents in top crust and brush with milk for a glazed appearance if desired.
Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes.

Homemade Apple Butter: (borrowed from allrecipes.com)
(this recipe takes a full day to complete, however it is worth the wait and the prep time is only 30 minutes!)

Ingredients:
5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Step One: Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
Step Two: Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
Step Three: Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
Step Four: Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Delicious Apple Cake
A quick and easy recipe which may be used as dessert or as a delicious brunch coffee cake!

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Step One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Step Two: In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs and apple pie filling. Pour into the prepared pan. Combine the brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon and walnuts. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.
Step Three: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
Step Four: Enjoy!

Creative Craft and Activity Ideas:

Apple Dolls:
This is a fascinating fun activity for children to enjoy. They literally get to watch apples dry up and transform into doll heads. This activity must be done with the help of an adult.
Materials: Several apples, a paring knife, magic markers and paint brushes, a pairing knife, fabric, hot glue, yarn, buttons, fabric, and old plastic pop bottles

Step One: Wash, peel, and core several apples
Step Two: Carve faces into the peeled apples, make sure to cut deep eyes and a smile, because once the apple shrivels it is harder to see the facial features
Step Three: Wait for the apple to shrink and dry out (this process can be sped up with a food dehydrator) Otherwise it may take several weeks for the apple head to be good and dry
Step Four: Get the body ready! Cut the base off of a plastic bottle, wrap it with fabric and fasten with a ribbon or glue. You may want to decorate the fabric with buttons and secure the fabric to the bottle using rubber bands
Step Five: Decorate the head (once it is dried and wrinkly) Use magic markers, yarn, watercolor paints, and any other art supplies to make the doll head even more artistic!
Step Six: Display the beautiful wrinkly apple dolls next to that expertly carved pumpkin or other festive fall display!

Apple Pencil Holder (paper mache)

Materials Needed: Balloon, 1 C water, 1 C all-purpose flour, Several strips of white paper, red tempra (poster) paint, green felt or green construction paper

Directions:
Step One: Mix the water and flour for the paste, add water if it is too thick, add flour if it is too runny!
Step Two: Run the strips of paper through the paste and apply by layering over the balloon
Step Three: Continue covering with ballon with about 2-4 layers of the paper mache (make sure to leave a hole about 2 inches in diameter for the pens and pencils to go through
Step Four : Alow 24 hours to dry
Step Five: Poke the ballon with a pin and remove it
Step Six: Using a damp cloth, readjust the hole to make sure it is the correct size
Step Seven: Crush the bottom of the apple so it stands without help (do this while it is still slightly damp, or set the dried apple on a damp cloth and gently push down for five minutes so it is flat on the bottom)
Step Eight: Decorate the apple! Paint with red poster paint, add green felt or construction paper as the leaves

Apple Puzzle:
No adult wants to find a worm in an apple, however, when a child finds a gummy worm inside their apple, they'll squeal with delight, this is a great treat for a Fall Holiday party
Step One: Core 6-7 apples, or however you need for the party (don't throw the cores away)
Step Two: Carefully slice out another section of the apple and insert a gummy worm inside
Step Three: Replace the section, along with the core, so that the apple looks somewhat normal
Step Five: Serve the apples, you could even have some apples contain more worms than the others as a type of contest

Make Carmel Apples: This delicious treat is easeir than most people think to make, enjoy it as a family!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
6 tbsp. water
Popsicle sticks
8 to 10 apples

Directions: Melt butter in saucepan, add brown sugar and water, stir until it is a smooth consistency, bring to a gentle boil and cover and let it simmer for 3 minutes. When the mixture is thin but somewhat sticky, remove it from the heat. Then pierce each apple with a popsicle stick and swish them around in the caramel mixture until well coated. Let apples sit on piece of waxed paper until caramel hardens, refrigerate for about at least one hour and enjoy!