How well I remember when I was a kid and my mom would go to a produce store in the fall and buy a bushel of apples. Instead of a basket, the apples came in a big box with handles cut out and tops that slid down over them.
Back then the apples cost $5 a bushel, although if the apples were smaller the bushel might cost $3 instead.
Since my mom wanted the apples to last, she usually chose hard ones that took a while to soften.
One year the store had none of her usual favorites, so she bought a bushel of a new type. These apples were huge and dark red. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted apples like those since. They were so sweet, juicy and soft inside. I stuffed my pockets with several every morning before going outside on the farm.
My mom made a few pies with them, but complained they didn’t hold up when baked and turned mushy. That was OK with me because it meant more were that left more in the box to just eat out of hand. I still don’t know what kind they were, but would love to find another bushel just like them!
This time of year, apples are plentiful, and there are so many ways to use them, from apple butter, to candied apples. You can use them in pies and cakes. And, of course, you can just eat one for a healthy snack. One of the best ways to use them, though, is to make Chewy Apple Brownies! I sometimes make mine in a skillet, but a brownie pan works too.
Every dessert tastes better with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream and these are no exception. The best part is any kind of apple tastes great in this recipe.
CHEWY APPLE BROWNIES
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 9-inch, cast-iron skillet in oven to preheat. Whisk together flour, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a bowl; set aside.
Beat together eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the melted butter in a mixing bowl. Toss apples and pecans in flour mixture; then stir that into the egg mixture until combined.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to preheated skillet, swirling to coat pan. Pour batter into hot pan and place in oven. Bake until sides are dry and a toothpick inserted into center of brownie comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar. Cool in skillet 20 minutes before removing and cutting into wedges. Top with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired, and enjoy.
Note: If you use a brownie pan, grease it with the melted butter, but there’s no need to preheat it.
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