In honour of September, the month of apples.

By Pooja Sachdev

While Thailand’s four seasons may be hot, wet, dry, and more hot, in other parts of the world, September brings us to the beginning of Autumn. While the temperatures here may only cool down marginally, and the leaves won’t change colours, it’s still a great time to celebrate this ‘month of apples’ with some homemade recipes using this delicious fruit.

Everyone’s heard of the phrase, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away,’ and this may actually have some truth – apples are known for their numerous medical benefits, including aiding digestion and immunity, and lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure. There’s no better reason to go out with your family and pick some apples, because we’ve put together a list of recipes that will go perfectly with the season!

Healthy Apple Cake

Ingredients

• 4 (1 ½ lb) medium sized apples
• 2 cups spelt flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup cane sugar or white sugar
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large lemon, zest and juice
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon, divided
• 2 tbsp Baking powder 
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/2 or 1/4 inch slices, and mix with lemon juice and cinnamon
3. Grease a cake pan (mine is a 9-inch round pan) with butter or cooking spray, or simply line the pan with parchment paper (in this case, there’s no need to grease the pan)
4. In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar very well, as you want to dissolve the sugar properly. Then add oil, lemon zest, and yoghurt. Mix into a smooth consistency
5. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon (but save 1/4 tsp of cinnamon for the top), and a pinch of salt until thoroughly combined
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined (do not overmix)
7. Fold in a handful of apple slices (about 8-10 pieces), then scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, and smooth the top
8. Arrange the apple slices nicely on top, gently press them into the batter and dust with about 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
9. Bake for 30-45 minutes
10. Optional: Lightly glaze the cake with warm apricot or lemon jam, which adds shine and a golden color

Parsnip and Apple Soup with Black Lentils and Vegetable Crisps

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 2 white onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 600g parsnips cut into 1-inch chunks
• 400g apples cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp curry powder

For the toppings:

• Black lentils, cooked
• Spring onion, sliced
• Parsley
• Chilli flakes
• Root vegetable crisps

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in the bottom of a large stockpot. Roughly chop the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Mince the garlic cloves, add and saute for another 1-2 minutes
2. Add the parsnip, apples, and curry powder and stir so everything is coated, cook for 1-2 minutes then add the vegetable stock and simmer for 30 minutes, until the parsnip is completely soft
3. Using a blender or a stick blender, blend the soup until completely smooth. This soup is very thick, so if you like your soup a little thinner, add some more vegetable stock until you get the consistency you desire
4. Garnish with the toppings suggested above, and enjoy!

Apple Oatmeal Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Frosting 

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup lightly-packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups apples, diced small (about 1 large apple)

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2–4 tbsp milk or cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 165°C
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat
3. In a large bowl, toss together the quick oats, flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix together until just combined. Fold in the diced apples
6. Using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoons, drop rounded cookie batter about 2″ apart onto the prepared baking sheet
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cookies cool completely before filling
8. To make the filling: Using an electric mixer, combine the peanut butter and powdered sugar. Add the milk or cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a spreadable consistency

Recipe source: https://theclevermeal.com/what-to-do-with-apples-25-delicious-recipes/