Fall -- apples, apples, apples. Picking apples, baking with them and more.
A perfect fall day? Apple picking!
Windrose Farms in Paso Robles, CA
Willowbrook Apple Farm in Oak Glen, CA (80 minutes East of LA)
Ellsworth Hill Orchard & Berry Farm in Sharon, CT (2 hrs from NYC)
We read about this sinful sounding recipe on Daily Candy by the girls of Spoon Fork Bacon. Bake these for on a cozy fall day with apples you've picked yourself!
Caramel Apple CupcakesMakes twenty
Ingredients
For the cupcakes1½ c. all-purpose flour1½ tbsp. ground cinnamon1¼ tsp. baking soda¼ tsp. salt¾ c. unsalted butter, softened2/3 c. light brown sugar2 tbsp. sugar2 eggs¾ c. unsweetened applesauce¼ c. buttermilk2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Put all the dry ingredients except the sugar into a mixing bowl and sift together.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl between each.
5. With the mixer on medium speed, add the applesauce and buttermilk, and mix until just combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, ½ c. at a time, until fully incorporated. Fold the apples into the batter. Set aside.
6. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and fill each about halfway.
7. Bake about 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
For the buttercream frosting1¾ c. unsalted butter, slightly softened5 c. powdered sugar, sifted3 tbsp. whole milk2 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Whip together butter and sugar in a stand mixer until fully incorporated, 5-7 minutes.
2. Add milk and vanilla and continue to whip until light and fluffy.
To assemble1 c. store-bought caramel sauce, poured into a squeeze bottle2/3 c. toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1. Insert the tip of the squeeze bottle into the top of each cupcake and squeeze a small amount (about 1 tbsp.) of caramel sauce into the center.
2. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and sprinkle with hazelnuts.