Hiya! How’s your week going? Is it still kinda hot where you are or have you turned the corner into the new season? Here in the Northeast we are definitely yoyo-ing between warm, sticky days that make you feel like summer is here to stay and coolish, almost nippy nights that make you know you’ll be saying hello to that winter jacket all too soon! Yup, the start of Fall is only a handful of days away now. And you know what that means? It’s time to go apple-picking!

Actually, we made an early trip to the orchards just this past weekend when we went to visit our middle guy for his birthday (we also picked potatoes which was a first for us—might also be the last, it’s a teensy bit frustrating finding those spuds!!) Anyhoo, I’ve got a nice big bag full of Galas which I am keeping my fingers crossed will lead to some yummy new treats to share with you, but until then, I thought I’d share these tried and true apple favorites that I make year in, year out.

It just wouldn’t be Fall without them!!

1. Cinnamon-Vanilla Apple Butter—autumn mornings will be so much easier to wake up to when you know you have a few jars of this in your fridge and it’s super easy to whip up too. Love, love, love it on toast or on top of pancakes!!

2. Divinely Delicious Roasted Applesauce—the name says it all. Once you’ve made homemade applesauce, particularly this roasted version, it will be next to impossible to go back to the jarred version and again, like the apple butter, there is not much more to this than peeling and chopping apples, roasting them and mashing them up. Also, you kind of need it to make the Caramel Apple Cake that’s listed below (though you could sub in store-bought applesauce in a pinch—I’ve done it but the cake just won’t be as intensely apple-y)

3. Caramel Apple Cake—the cake is wonderful on its own—it’s just a simple, homey bundt cake full of cinnamon, apple and brown sugar goodness but the caramel icing elevates it to a special, special treat that people just cannot get enough of. Bring this to a potluck or party and I guarantee that adoring fans will beg you for the recipe!

4. Apple Crumb Pie—I have been making this pie ever since my kids were tiny-they love it and I can’t say I blame them. It’s loaded with apples and a sweet crumbly topping and will make your house smell divine. Now that none of my kids are living at home 😂😂 I will probably just have to wait and make this for Thanksgiving—but if you’ve got apple pie on the brain, you can’t go wrong with this one!

5. Caramelized Apple Crepes—this is a breakfast favorite that my middle guy and my husband really love and it’s nice to make as a special weekend autumn treat—it comes together quickly and is much lighter than pancakes.

6. Caramel Apple Crisp—don’t hold the awful photos against this truly wonderful apple crisp (it was one of the first things I blogged way back in 2014 and let’s just say that my photography skills left something to be desired) The apples get coated in a homemade caramel sauce and then topped with a buttery, cinnamon streusel—really does life get any better?!!

More apple-y dishes to come…