Quick and Easy Recipes for Over-Ripe Apples

If you hate to throw away over-ripe apples, then these recipes will give you an excuse to whip up quick and easy apple dishes. Just because apples have lost the desired crispness for eating raw, doesn't mean they can't be enjoyed cooked.

Apple Walnut Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze

This flavorful apple coffee cake whips up in a hurry and is a great way to use extra apples. This is one my favorite go-to recipes when I discover my apples are not quite crisp enough to eat raw any longer.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 self-rising flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon, divided
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

glaze: ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flours and 1 tsp. cinnamon and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the other ½ tsp. cinnamon into the other 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Add the walnuts to the sugar mixture. Set aside.

Put the milk in a large mixing bowl and lightly whisk in the eggs and sugar. Fold in the chopped apples and the flour mixture, mixing lightly just until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the greased pan and sprinkle the reserved brown sugar and walnut mixture evenly over the top of the batter. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

For the glaze, place the powdered sugar in a small bowl and add 1 Tbsp. each of milk and maple syrup. Mix the glaze thoroughly until smooth. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top of the cake while it's still warm. Slice the apple walnut coffee cake into generous squares.

Microwave "Baked" Apples

This is such an easy way to cook apples that taste like old-fashioned baked apples. I started using the microwave to cook apples after I complimented a favorite restaurant about their delicious baked apple side dish. The server told me the restaurant's apples were cooked in the microwave instead of baked in the oven. Although I didn't get an actual recipe from the restaurant, I tried their method and I've been using the microwave to cook my "baked" apples since then.

This recipe is a great way to use extra apples that are starting to get over-ripe or beyond. That's one of the things that makes this recipe so appealing. This a great solution to keep from throwing away apples getting slightly soft or that has brown spots that can just be cut away.

It only takes minutes to cook the apples with this method. You can experiment and tweak the ingredients to suit your preference.

3 to 4 apples, any variety
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ stick butter or margarine

Wash and peel the apples if you'd like. I like the peeling on but my family prefers the apples peeled. Either way, the apples are delicious. Slice the apples and place in a covered glass microwave safe dish.

Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top of the apples and dot the butter on top.

Cover the dish and cook on high in the microwave for approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Microwave ovens vary in wattage and it's best to test the tenderness of the apples after 3 minutes. Continue to microwave the apples until desired tenderness. Spoon the sauce over the apples when serving. It really is that simple!

Quick Apple Crisp

Now that you've "baked" the apples in the microwave, take them a step farther for a delicious dessert. Cooking the apples in the microwave cuts down on the time it usually takes to bake this dessert.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oats (quick cooking or regular)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Mix the first 5 ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the microwave "baked" apples. Dot the butter over the top and place in the oven and broil on low for approximately 3 to 4 minutes. If your oven doesn't have a low setting for broil, place the apples on the lowest rack of the oven and check frequently after 1 minute. The goal is for the crumb topping to just begin to brown and get slightly crisp. Serve the apple crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt.