Dough:
• 1 pound, plus 2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces butter, cubed
• 2 ½ ounces pork fat
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• Cold water
  
  Apples:
• 4 Honeycrisp apples
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cider
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• ¼ cup caramel (recipe follows)
• 2 pinches of corn starch or arrow root
  
  Streusel:
• 4 ounces butter, chilled and cubed
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cinnamon

  Smokey Roasted Apple Puree:

• 4 apples, such as Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, or Fiji
• 1 cup cider
• ½ cup caramel
• 1 ounce butter
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 2 ounces raw bacon

  Ice Cream Base:

• 25 egg yolks
• 14 ounces sugar
• 1 quart cream
• 1 quart milk

  Caramel:
  24 ounces sugar

• 7 ounces corn syrup or glucose
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 quart cream

Method:

For the Dough:
In a KitchenAid with a paddle attachment, work the flour, butter, pork fat, sugar, and salt until the butter is the size of tiny peas. Add the egg and about ¼ cup water, and work until the dough comes together. Form into a ball and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.

For the Apples:
Peel apples and cut them into ¼-inch cubes. Place apples in a large bowl and toss with all the other ingredients. Set aside.

For the Streusel:
Combine all of the ingredients in a Cuisinart and work until the mixture “crumbles.” Chill the mixture.

For the Smokey Roasted Apple Puree:
Quarter the apples. Toss with the rest of the ingredients and roast at 350°F until the apples are broken down and caramelized. Remove the bacon and discard. Puree remaining mixture in a Cuisinart until smooth.

For the Ice Cream Base:
Mix the yolks and sugar completely. Bring the cream and the milk to a boil; pour it over the yolks and mix completely. Put the mixture back on the stove, mixing constantly, until the custard is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Place in an ice bath and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the apple puree to taste. Freeze and process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Caramel:
In a heavy pot, combine half of the sugar with the corn syrup, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is dark amber in color.
Add the remaining sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Mix well after each addition. In another pot, heat the cream just until it comes to a boil. Slowly add the cream to the caramel, and let the mixture reduce after each addition.

To Assemble and Serve:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Trim and fit the dough into a pie tin or tart mold. Fill the Honeycrisp apple cubes to the top of the pie shell; pour some of the juice from the bottom of the bowl on top of the apples. Cover with the streusel. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the liquid is bubbling.

Serve with smoky roasted apple ice cream and caramel sauce.

Yield: 6 Servings

recipe courtesy of
Chef Mindy Segal of HOTCHOCOLATE – Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs.com

We’ve created a handy Apple Variety Guide with some characteristics and suggested uses for the many apples we grow here at King Orchards.  The apples are listed in the approximate order in which they are harvested. You can also download a pdf version of our apple variety guide to print and save at home.

Ginger Gold – early September
Oh, do we love this early-ripening apple. A sweet, firm Golden Delicious-type variety, everyone loves this new gourmet apple.

Paula Red  – early September
A beautiful variety that originated right here in Michigan. The best early season snacking apple, perfect for back-to-school lunches.

Jersey Mac – late August
A good choice for McIntosh lovers who are getting impatient for the Macs to ripen; another good choice for school lunches.

Gala  – mid-September
Another high quality gourmet dessert apple with an outstanding flavor. It is a great eating apple and cooks well, too.

McIntosh – mid to late September
Our favorite traditional apple. Excellent for eating fresh, in pies, salads, and sauce, you can’t go wrong with McIntosh.

Jonagold - late September
A unique combination of Jonathon tartness and Golden Delicious sweetness, juicy and crunchy, great for fresh eating and cooking.

Cortland – late September
A surprisingly good eating, tangy old fashioned apple, Cortland is also famous for cooking and baking. Cortlands are resistant to browning, which makes them especially good for salads. We have many customers who love them for applesauce too. Leave the skins on while cooking, then run the apples through the food mill or ricer, and your sauce will turn a naturally pretty shade of pink.

Honeycrisp – late September
Honeycrisp apples are considered by many to be the greatest fresh eating apple of all time. It is very crisp and has a sweetness that really is reminiscent of honey.  We’ve heard our Honeycrisp apples referred to as, “the best thing to ever grow on a tree!”

Empire – late September
This a great kid’s apple. It juicy and crunchy and not too big (perfect for small hands).

Mutsu – early October
Also known as Crispin, this is the apple we recommend for those who want “hard and tart”.   Mutsu apples are also some of our best keepers.

Golden Delicious – early October
Thin-skinned, crisp, firm, juicy flesh, with a unique aroma and flavor. When cooking it allows you to use less sugar in recipes.

Northern Spy – early October
“Spies for pies!” This famous 200 year old variety has been considered by some experts to be the best apple ever produced in the United States. One of the best cooking apples, Spy is a tangy, juicy fresh eating apple, too.

Ida Red – mid October
Hard and tart, big and red; that describes this apple. It is an exceptional variety for it’s keeping quality and wonderful for cooking.

If you need help selecting the right apple for yourself, or to ship as a gift to send a friend or loved one, don’t hesitate to drop us a line, or call us toll-free at 1-877-937-5464.

pples

First on our inspiration list was the size and quality of the apples. Boy, are they beautiful. Mutsu, Empire and of course Honeycrisp took the prize. Harvest of the Honeycrisp should start the last week of September.

Next, we couldn’t get over the squash and pumpkin patch. WOW!! 14 acres and again the size of the squash is huge. John has done a great job of keeping the field clean and nice for long keeping squash. Oh my goodness, you can not believe the size of some of the blue hubbard squash we have. Let me know of any contests for large squash.

Next on our tour was a stop at the pear orchard. The Bartlett and Bosc are, you guessed it, “big”. This is the year for pear lovers to can because the size is so good.

I’m going to be shipping Bosc pears this year in my gift apple boxes so be sure to watch for info on our shopping cart.

Last but not least are the plums. We grow Stanley Prune Plums. We have nick named my brother-in- law Jim, “the plum dumpling” because he is so good at waiting to harvest until the darn things are sweet. Most farmers pick a little too green but he waits and grows the best plums. Once they are in the market I probably eat 10 a day.

Rose is getting ready to dip caramel apples. She always get a callus on her finger from hand dipping these little wonders. I’m thinking of inventing a holder so she doesn’t need to twist them between her fingers. Any ideas pass them on.

Well, I’m ready for a great fall! Betsy