Every year, my cousins and I all get together with our kids to apple pick. It’s a family tradition and we always look forward to the time we spend together. Truth be told, it turns out to be more of a family photo shoot but we all love it. On the way home this year, I gazed at the bags of apples that I hope wouldn’t go to waste like they did in previous years. I was determined to find a bunch of simple but delicious apple recipes and activities to start putting these apples to good use, instead of throwing them out rotten in a month or two! So I’m sharing with you mamas my favorite recipes and crafts for a fun and exciting fall.
1. Mini Apple Roses
These are perfect when you don’t want to make a whole pie and just want to snack on small, pastry-filled apples as an after dinner treat! They are simple, delicious, and look like they took you all day to bake!
Things you’ll need:
- 1 large apple (cut into very thin slices – these will serve as your “petals”)
- 1/4 cup of white sugar
- Tsp of ground cinnamon
- Frozen puff pastry (thawed)
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
- 2 tsps of water
- 1 egg
What to do:
- Set oven to 400 degrees.
- Put apple slices on a plate and microwave for 45 seconds to make them soft (covering with a kitchen towel helps!).
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and place to the side.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut two “3×12” inch rectangles. (This will hold the apples).
- Sprinkle the dough with melted butter and top with the sugar and cinnamon mix.
- Place the apple slices going in the same direction along the long edge of the rectangle. Leave a little room on the bottom so that you can fold the pastry up and over the apples to make a small “pocket” or “folder.”
- Beat eggs and water together to create an “egg wash” and then spread this over the apple pastry. Add more sugar and cinnamon.
- Starting from one end and rolling to the other, you will start to see your rose formed by the petals of the apples. Don’t make them too tight and close them with the other side of the pastry dough. Place them in a small loaf pan to ensure that they don’t fall over during cooking.
- Place them in oven for 45 minutes – when they come out, enjoy!
2. Loaded Peanut Butter and Apple Slices
These are your perfect after school snack! Simply cut apples into several thin slices (to resemble a cracker). Then place a dollop of your favorite kind of peanut butter on top (we love almond and cashew butter in our house). I put a bunch of healthy goodies in bowls on the table and the kids have a blast creating their own “loaded” slice. Some of our favorite toppings include:
- yogurt chips
- walnuts
- craisins
- chopped up pretzels
- chocolate chips
- granola
- chopped bananas
- shredded coconut
The possibilities are endless!
3. Apple Chips (Cinnamon-Sugar)
Want a guilt-free crunch while watching your favorite show? This 3 ingredient apple chips recipe comes to your rescue!
Things you’ll need:
- 3 apples
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp of cinnamon.
What to do:
- Preheat your oven to 200.
- Cut the apples horizontally into very thin slices (if too thick, they will not crisp).
- Arrange them on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle some of the sugar and cinnamon on top (saving the rest for when they come out of the oven).
- Bake for 1 hour (or until crispy). Take out to cool and sprinkle the rest of the sugar and cinnamon on top.
- Enjoy!
4. Apple Crafts
While apples are best eaten, there are so many crafts and fun activities that can be done using apples as well! (This is where the therapist in me always comes out).
- Fine Motor Apple Race Game: Place a bin of apples in the center of the room. Each child gets a pair of kitchen tongs to “grab” the apples from the middle. On each side of the room is each child’s personal bucket. When the timer goes, it’s a race to see who can fill up their own bucket with as many apples as they can. Perfect for kids working their fine motor skills without even knowing it.
- Apple Bowling: Use 6 (full) water bottles. Label each one with a number and roll the apples down to see how many you can knock over! You can also assign each “pin” a specific amount of points to see who can get the highest.
- Apple Stamps: Cut each apple in half. Pick items that you would like to stamp (some great choices are paper lunch bags, cards for friends or teachers, art work for the refrigerator, or on anything you choose. Pick any color paint you like and place it in a paper dish (I recommend using actual apple colors). Then simply dip them into the paint and “stamp” each chosen item for a cute fall craft! Feel free to add seeds using a sharpie marker or googly eyes to make the apples have faces!
So the next time you go apple picking, don’t dread lugging back the bags of apples because now you have so much to do with them! Happy Fall Ya’ll!
