September is the month we squeeze every last ray of sunshine from summer while at the very same time trying to squeeze in a few extra weeks of autumn “feels” before fall even starts. A tight squeeze … but the main squeeze of September is apples! Visit a local orchard to pick up cider as a summertime activity, then try some of these recipes for your first taste of fall. Squeeze September for all it’s worth!
Apple Cider Cupcakes
Apple Cider Cupcakes Serving: Yield: 18 cupcakes
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 3 cups apple cider
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening
- 1¾ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting (See below)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring the cider to a gentle boil and reduce by half, around 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a muffin pan or fill with paper liners.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to the shortening mixture alternately with the reduced cider, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cups and bake 25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then frost with Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting.
Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting
Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting Serving: Yield: About 2 cups 2 cups apple cider 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened ⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting In a small saucepan, bring the cider to a gentle boil and reduce to ¼ cup, around 15 minutes. Cool completely. Mix with the cream cheese and sugar until the desired spreading consistency is obtained. Spread on cooled pastries.
Author: Tammy Algood
Hard Cider Shandy
Recipe Name: Hard Cider Shandy Description: A shandy is a British beer cocktail popular in most pubs. Serving: Yield: 2 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 12 ounces sweet or hard cider
- 12 ounces beer
- 2 lime wedges (half a lime)
Instructions
- Place the cider and beer in a pitcher and stir to combine. Pour into chilled glasses and serve each with a lime wedge. Enjoy immediately.
Crowd-Pleasing Mulled Cider
Recipe Name: Crowd-Pleasing Mulled Cider Serving: Yield: 8 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- ½ gallon sweet or hard cider, room temperature
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 2 tablespoons honey or sorghum syrup
- 1 orange, zested in strips and juiced
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Place the cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, honey or sorghum, orange zest, orange juice and nutmeg in a slow cooker. Stir, cover and turn to low heat for 2½ hours or longer. Serve in warm mugs.
Apple Cider Chutney
Recipe Name: Apple Cider Chutney Description: Perfect when dolloped over any grilled meat, or use it as a nontraditional shrimp cocktail sauce. Serving: Yield: 4 cups
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds tart apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ⅓ cup dried cherries
- ⅓ cup chopped dates
- ⅓ cup diced sweet onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, optional
Instructions
- Place the apples, garlic, cider, vinegar, sugar, raisins, cherries, dates and onions in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 50–55 minutes or until thick. Stir in the sage, if using, and simmer 5 minutes longer.
- Remove from the heat and spoon into clean, warm canning jars. After covering with the lid and ring, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Notes:
- Note: If you want to kick up the heat just a bit, add a heaping teaspoon of chopped, canned jalapeño peppers to the mixture as it cooks.
Fall Cider Sauce
Recipe Name: Fall Cider Sauce Description: Spoon over ice cream, pound cake or baked apples. Serving: Yield: 2 cups
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 1½ cups apple cider
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the cider in a medium saucepan and stir in the cornstarch until smooth. Place over medium-high heat and add the maple syrup, brown sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly before using warm or transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Brown Sugar Cider Pound Cake
Recipe Name: Brown Sugar Cider Pound Cake Description: Perfect when served with Fall Cider Sauce! Serving: Yield: 12 servings
Author: Tammy Algood
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (16-ounce) package light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Fall Cider Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.
- Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed until creamy, around 2 minutes. Gradually add the brown and granulated sugars and beat 5 minutes after both have been added to the mixture.
- Meanwhile, in a 2-cup glass measuring cup with a spout, combine the milk, cider and extract. Set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating just until the yolks disappear. Decrease the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture to the batter. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with generous drizzles of Fall Cider Sauce.
