Tasty Homemade Apple Dessert Recipes for Grandparents and Grandkids – Yummy With Fresh Apples

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"Grandma, grandma. Could you make applesauce for me? Please, grandma, puh-leeeeeeze?" Awwww, who could resist that sweet and smiling face, with the little curls wisping down his head. Not I! So off my grandson and I went to make very simple, very tasty homemade apple sauce. And he loved! And I loved him! And that's about the extent of the apple cooking expertise of this Sandwich Generation granny nanny.

Fortunately I have great resources full of wise advice and intriguing ideas who love to share with us. One such great resource, Tawra and Jill, from Living on a Dime, provided me with a delightful guest post for SandwichINK full of delicious homemade recipes for using apples. What perfect timing! Autumn is here. Fall foliage is bursting out all over. And many grandparents and grandchildren are off to pick their own apples. Whether you are picking your own or buying them at the grocery store, enjoy – the fun, the tastes, and the sweet family memories!

Delicious Homemade Apple Recipes For Using With Fresh Apples!

by Jill Cooper

Living on a Dime

I've always dreamed of having an apple tree in my backyard. You know the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for?" Now that I actually have my own apple tree, I stand in my yard watching the apples piling up around me thinking, "Oh no — What do I do with this mess now?"

If I could make gasoline out of apples, I could retire, but since that is not an option and my frugal mind will not allow me to waste one apple, I have had to come up with some yummier "apple disposal" methods.

If you find that you have a few dozen more apples than you know what to do with, or if you just can't resist the great sales that stores have on apples this time of year, these recipes from Dining On A Dime will help settle your frugal dilemma.

Apple Tips:

• When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop it into pieces. Place in a microwave safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp. each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.
  
•  Core and slice apples very thin. Dehydrate and use in granolas, eat alone or soften in warm water to use in recipes.
  
•  Slice apples and use in pancakes or waffles.
  
• Freeze extra apples for later. Peel, slice and core them and then store in 2 cup portions in freezer bags.
  
• Use soft apples in cooking.
  
• Cut apples into small pieces and add to salads with a fruit based dressing.
  

Homemade Apple Butter

9 to 10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. salt

Place everything into a crockpot. Stir, cover and cook on high 1 hour. Cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thick and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. Stir with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or Freeze. Makes 2 pints.

Apple Pie Filling

9 cups baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

5 cups water

2 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender (6-10 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes. Then ladle into freezer containers or bake immediately. Makes two 9-inch pies.

Fried Apples

4 large apples, cored and sliced

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Heat butter in a large skillet. Put the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the skillet and cover. Over medium-low heat, cook apple slices 7-10 minutes or until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens. Serve coated with excess syrup on top. Serves 4.

Baked Apples

apples, cored

raisins (optional)

1 tsp. margarine

dash of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar

(These ingredient amounts are per apple.)

For each person, use 1 apple. Fill the center of the apple with all the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees until tender or put in a Dutch oven on top of stove and simmer on very low until tender.

Apple Snack

2 qts. apples, peeled, cored and halved

Coarsely grate apples. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 225 degrees until dry. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Apple Crisp

6 apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. cinnamon and/or nutmeg

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange apples in a well-greased baking dish. Blend all remaining ingredients except water. Spread evenly over top of apples. Pour water over the topping. Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and top is crisp. Serves 6.

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts, with tons of great recipes along with creative and practical ways to save money, and are the authors of the Dining On A Dime Cookbook. I've given that cookbook, and others, as wedding gifts to my own kids and to friends. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit Living on a Dime, sign up for their free Living On A Dime Newsletter and learn to save more!

Don't those sound delightfully yummy! Big thanks to Jill and Tawra!  My grandkids are going to love it when we try out the apple butter recipe together. Talk about fun kitchen activities for grandparents and grandchildren! How about you? 🙂