Using Dried Apples

Do you have dried apples from the cannery in your storage? Are you using them to cook with or just to snack on? They are an excellent snack right out of the can but there is so much more you can do with them. Homemade dried apples are also wonderful (if you can keep them on hand long enough to do anything with them). Hopefully you are doing snacking on them as well as using them in your cooking and baking too. You just may decide you need more in your storage. Make sure that you have plenty. Here are some ideas for using them.

To reconstitute them use equal parts dried apples and boiling water. For example: 2 c. dried apples and 2 c. boiling water. Pour boiling water over apples and let set at least 5 minutes before using in recipes.

Applesauce from Dried Apples
2 c. dried apples
2 c. boiling water
Pour boiling water over apples. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Mash or blend well. For cinnamon applesauce add 3 T. Red Hot Candy to the apples before adding boiling water. For sweet cinnamon applesauce stir in ½ t. cinnamon mixed with 2 t. sugar; blend well.

Apple Pie Filling From Dried Apples
1 2/3 c. Dry Apple Slices
2 ½ c. Water
2 T. Cornstarch
¼ t. Salt
½ t. Cinnamon
2/3 c. Sugar
2 t. Lemon Juice
¼ t. nutmeg
Mix all dry ingredients together, then add water and mix well. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Heat oven to 425º and place mixture in a pie shell. Top with crust or strudel topping. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Apple Crisp using Apple Pie Filling (above)
¼ c. Flour
¼ c. Rolled Oats
3 T. Sugar
¼ t. Salt
¼ t. soda
1/4 c. Butter
Spread pie filling in greased square pan. Mix together flour, oats, sugar, salt and soda. Cut in butter till crumbly. Sprinkle over pie filling. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes.

Finnish Apple Cake
½ c. soft butter
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 c. wheat flour
1 ½ t. baking powder
dash of salt
1 c. light sour cream
3 apples; peeled, cored, and sliced about ¼” (or about ¾ - 1 c. dried apples, reconstituted in boiling water)
3 T. sugar mixed with 1½ t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350º. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add one cup of flour, baking powder and salt. Add cream. Add one more cup of flour. Mix until batter is velvety. Spoon batter into well-greased 9x13 baking pan. (Grease pan, then sprinkle with a layer of flour. Be sure to shake off the excess flour). Insert apple slices close together in two rows so rounded edge stands upright in the batter. Sprinkle the top of the cake evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixtures and bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes.

Applet Candy
2 ¼ c. dried apples
2 c. sugar
3 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin
1 t. vanilla
2 c. boiling water
5 T. cold water
1 c. walnuts, chopped
Powdered sugar
Break apples into small pieces about ½”x ½ “; do not grate. They should not look like applesauce when cooked. Pour boiling water over the apples and let stand at least 5 minutes in a 2 quart saucepan. Add sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Boil 1 minute. Turn the heat to simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. While this mixture simmers, put the cold water into a small bowl and add gelatin. Grease a square pan. At the end of the 30 minutes, turn off the heat and add the gelatin to the apple mixture and stir until it is dissolved. Add vanilla and chopped nuts. Stir well and pour into greased pan. Let cool for 2 hours. Cut into squares, roll in powdered sugar to coat and let set awhile before wrapping in plastic wrap. These will store up to 2 weeks in an air-tight container.

Cinnamon-Apple Popcorn
1 c. dried apples, chopped
5 c. popped popcorn
1 c. pecan halves, broken
2 T. butter, melted
½ t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1 T. brown sugar
¼ t. vanilla
Preheat oven to 250º. Place apples in a large baking pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and stir in popcorn and nuts. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle butter mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring well. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Pour onto waxed paper to cool.

Chewy Cranberry-Apple Granola Bars
3½ c. quick-cooking oats
½ c. whole almonds, chopped
½ c. sliced almonds
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 c. butter, melted
½ c. honey
1 t. vanilla extract
½ cup sunflower kernels
½ c. shaved sweetened coconut (regular coconut will do)
½ c. chopped dried apples
½ c. dried cranberries
½ c. packed brown sugar
½ t. ground cinnamon
Spray a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with cooking non-stick cooking spray. Add oats and almonds to the pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, mix the egg, butter, honey and vanilla together. Then add the sunflower kernels, coconut, apples, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to coat. Stir in oat mixture and press into a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 13-18 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Apple and Raisin Scones
½ c. dried apples, chopped
1 ½ c. wheat germ
½ c. whole wheat flour
1 T. baking powder
1/3 c. butter
½ c. raisins
1/3 c. milk
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400º. Coarsely chop apples; set aside. Combine wheat germ, flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins and apples. Combine milk and beaten egg whites; add to dry ingredients, mixing just till moistened. Turn dough out onto an ungreased cookie sheet; pat into a 9” circle. Cut into 8 wedges; do not separate. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Break apart; serve warm with butter, jelly or honey butter.

Apple Fritters
Adapted from www.butmamaimhungry.blogspot.com
1 c. flour
1 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
2 T. sugar
½ to 1 t. cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
½ c. plus 1 T. milk
1 ½ cups (about 3) apples, peeled and diced (1 c. dried apple slices diced, reconstituted)
Oil for frying
Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl with a wire whisk. Add egg and milk to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add apples to the batter and blend well. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil and fry until dark golden brown, about two minutes per side. Once done frying, let cool on paper towels. Dunk in glaze (recipe follows), covering fritters liberally. Place fritters on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath it, for easy cleanup. Let glaze harden and enjoy! Y: 12 small fritters.
Fritter Glaze
2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. milk (or more to desired consistency)
Mix all ingredients together until desired consistency is acquired, adding more powdered sugar or milk if need be.