Apple Seasons
Every year I add another apple recipe to my collection. Some of them are discovered that year, some of them perfected (meaning I finalize them in a way I like them the most), some of them are my memories from the past. Every year the apple recipe becomes symbolic for a particular year, like a clue for what happened in my life, like the next bead on my mental neckless. I flip through my fall recipes for the last few years and they remind me how I felt every fall. It’s fun, almost like going through the picture in my family album. This year is one of the most difficult for many people around the world. For me too. I guess that’s why I’ve been looking to make something extremely comforting with the first apples of the season. Brioche.
Texas Honeycrisp
Right now, Central Market is hosting Texas farmers market special showcase:
Let’s celebrate our local Texas growers, ranchers, farmers, and creators! From the panhandle to the coast, we’re proud to bring you home sweet homegrown favorites like High Plains wine and Palacios striped bass. Local suppliers bring Texas-sized passion and creativity to their work, and it’s an honor to help support their dreams and their families. Together we build a stronger Texas!
There’s so much to see, to taste, to experience. I was surprised to find Texas-grown Honeycrisp apples among other delicious fruit and vegetables! It looks like a trend — great produce is introduced to Texas and then local farmers start growing it. It’s possible this brioche tastes so good because of Texas apples. Make it with your local apples!
Tips and Tricks to Prep Apples
There is Plumcot Pies recipe that shows a fast and easy way to prep apples and step-by-step instructions to shape the pies. The key is to slice apples thinly, to sprinkle them with sugar (turbinado preferred), and place a thin slice of butter on top of apples.
Making an apple confiture is also simple and effortless, but takes longer, but it’s totally worth it! I described the method in Family Recipes: My Mom’s Apple Rogaliki:
Fresh apples are washed, peeled, cored, and sliced. Then mixed with sugar and left at room temperature for 1-2 days to macerate. At the end of the process, apple slices are swimming in the sugary apple juice. To become a confiture, they are slowly brought to simmer and immediately taken off the heat to cool down to room temperature twice a day 3-5 times.