Apple Pie=Autumn

I picked up a sack of Autumn Beauty apples, and went to work.  I don't remember how my Mom actually prepared the apples for her famous apple slices.  I never peeled apples for her, unlike the thousand pounds of potatoes I've peeled in my lifetime.  When they say you are what you eat, I am a potato, no question.  Back to the apples.  This is what I do.  I wash the apples with a drop of dishwashing liquid, and rinse well.  I use this apple cutter/corer and drop the apples into cold water that has some lemon juice in it.  One lemon to a large pyrex bowl of water.  When they are all cut and cored, I peel each slice with a paring knife back into the lemon water.  I then drain the apples and place them into a large bowl for mixing. 

It works perfectly and the apples never brown this way.  I made 2 dutch apple pies.  The crumb crust for the tops, I had left over from making pumpkin bread last week.  Flour, brown sugar, oats, a little nutmeg and butter. I used frozen piecrusts, just like Mom! ;-)

 They look good and smell even better!

 I throw 2 cups of sliced apples into the food processor for these apple cupcakes.

They are for a charity dinner that some of our Guild will serve today .  I'll frost them with cream cheese frosting,  a dusting of cinnamon, and a small candy decoration. 

If you don't bake your own apple pie this time of year, I'm sure most families buy at least one. For many people it's a year round treat, but for me, it says, Autumn!  The bounty of our apple harvest, is a small slice of the abundance we enjoy here in the US.  Another thing to be grateful for.  If you're in the neighborhood, stop by for some pie!   Have a great day my friends.