A tribute to the apple, a gem in your kitchen

As we prepare to welcome the juicy and colorful fruit of spring and summer, I'd like to share with you some of my recipes with apples, the gem of the kitchen in winter - and all year round!

I use this type of apple, called Canada apple in France, to do my Apple Compote, or apple sauce. They have a dark rough skin. Peel them and you will see that when you cook them, covered, they become like a puree. I do not add any sugar or water at all, but a cinamon stick and a vanilla goose. If you like it smooth, you can blend it, if not, the soft pieces are very pleasant. Another easy recipe is the soft apple cake you see above.

A great variation of the upside down cake, is to forget the pine and leave apples - and add honey.

To bake them whole, you need apples that hold when cooked, like the boskop (pictured on the left). I put a piece of brown sugar that I bathed in Calvados in the center.

The thin apple tart is a hit! Mix 2 Tbsp of brown sugar, 1 Tbsp of flour, 1 tsp of cinamon, and sprinkle 3/4 of this mixture over the dough, before you place the apples, cut in thin slices. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 over the apples and bake over medium high heat until golden.

What is your favorite apple recipe?