Tea Travels!™... An Apple A Day - Apple Recipes
by Ellen Easton & Reva Paul ©2005-06 - All Rights Reserved

  Home    |   Recipe Indexes   |   Dinner Party Menus   |   Food History   |   Diet - Health - Beauty

Baking Corner |  Regional Foods | Cooking Articles Hints & Tips | Culinary Dictionary | Newspaper Columns


Follow What's Cooking America on Facebook


Photo By Ellen Easton ©2006 All Rights Reserved

Autumn is apple season. As a strong advocate for embracing nature’s natural bounty, the versatility of the apple lends itself to the pleasures of tea time. An apple a day keeps the doctor away or an apple for the teacher can be fun when incorporated into your afternoon tea menu with these wonderful apple recipes.

Check out more of Ellen Easton's Tea Travels articles and recipes.

Learn about the History of English High Tea and more delicious Afternoon Tea and High Tea Recipes.




Apple Butter

Recipe Type: Condiments, Afternoon Tea and High Tea Recipes, apples
Yields: 2 to 3 small jars
Prep time: 10 min


Ingredients:

1 3/4 pounds Golden Delicious apples
1/2 pound Granny Smith apples
2 1/2 cups dry apple cider
Sugar (1 1/2 cups per 2 1/2 cups of apple pulp), grated zest and juice of 1/3 orange
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 Lemon (Mylar, if available)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves


Preparation:

Peel, core and slice the apples.

In a large saucepan, place apple cider and bring to a rapid boil. Keep boiling until the apple juice is reduced by 1/3.  When apple juice is reduced, add sliced apples to the pan. If needed, add enough water to just cover the apples.  Half cover the top of the saucepan and simmer, gently stirring and crushing the apple pulp until the apples are pulpy, soft in the reduced liquid. NOTE: If pulp remains lumpy, remove and process in a food processor or blender to a crude puree. Remove from heat and measure the crude puree and then return to the saucepan.

Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar for every 2 1/2 cups of measured apple puree. Mix in the orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, and cloves.

Over low heat, stirring frequently, cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. After sugar has dissolve, continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until the majority of the liquid is gone. When a sliding spoon across the top leaves an indent, the mixture is ready. Remove from heat.

Place apple mixture into a clean, room temperature jar. Refrigerate. Once reopened, the shelf life is 3 to 4 days.

Yield: 2 to 3 small jars. Serve with scones or toast points.


apple

Apple Biscuit Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup of salt-free butter, chilled
2 apples, peeled, cored, sliced, and diced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon granulated brown sugar.


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, sift flour and baking powder together. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour until particles resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in diced apples, sugar, and golden raisins. Stir in beaten egg until dough is soft. NOTE: If the batter appears too soft, slowly add an additional 1/4 cup of flour until dough reaches desired consistency.

Place amount of dough on cookie sheet to fit desired scone size. Sprinkle brown sugar on the top of each scone.

Bake until risen and golden brown, approximately 8 to 15 minutes depending on size. Remove from oven and let cool.

Serve with Apple Butter.
 

 

Apple-Boursin Cheese Open Face Fingers

Ingredients:

1 eating apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 12 thin slices
Juice of one lemon
4 slices of walnut-raisin bread
1/4 cup Boursin cheese

Preparation:

Dip each apple slice into the juice of the lemon. Soak for 1 minute. Remove apples and set aside.

Remove the crusts from the walnut-raisin bread. Cut each slice of bread into three strips. Spread the Boursin cheese on the top of the bread strips. Place the apple slices on the top of the cheese.

Makes 12 servings.


 

Apple Tea Toddy

8 tablespoons of apple puree (see Apple Butter recipe above or store bought)
1 pint of decanted, pre-brewed black tea of choice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
1 to 2 teaspoons of Cognac (optional)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple puree and the decanted tea; bring to a boil. Add sugar or honey and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add liquor, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

 


  

Ellen Easton is a lifestyle industry leader, tea and etiquette authority, author of Afternoon Tea~ Tips, Terms and Traditions, A Tea Party Planner and Tea Travels™ For The Holidays (RED WAGON PRESS), as well as a hospitality, design and retail consultant, whose clients have included The Waldorf=Astoria, The Plaza, and Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon.

Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.

REVA PAUL, an internationally acclaimed confectionery artist, hand decorated floral sugars and mints are available by special order for teas, weddings, and special events. Wholesale/Retail - Bulk & Gift boxed. All prices on request via RED WAGON PRESS (212) 722-7981.

AFTERNOON TEA...TIPS,TERMS and TRADITIONS
 By Ellen Easton
72 pages of how to’s, 27 photos, history, etiquette and FAQ about afternoon tea, serving styles and more. “Tea is the luxury everyone can afford!™”

TEA TRAVELS™FOR THE HOLIDAYS
By Ellen Easton
64 pages, 21 color photos. A complete holiday menu includes 25 easy to prepare recipes; theme teas, decorating & gift ideas; invitation template and secret sources.

Each 5 x 7 paperback book fits into an A-7 envelope for easy mailing, great gift or party favor item. Each book is $20.00 post paid. Continental US Only. Final sale. (Wholesale and Fundraising accounts are welcome. Call for Special Prices) Please include your name, address and telephone number for shipping. Please make check or M.O. payable to: RED WAGON PRESS and send to: RED WAGON PRESS, 45 East 89th Street, Suite 20A, NYC, NY 10128-1256

TEA TRAVELS™, Wishing You Happy TEA TRAVELS!™, “Tea is the luxury everyone can afford!™” and Good $ense For $uccess™ are the trade marked property of Ellen Easton/RED WAGON PRESS.