Recently, we were in Door County, Wisconsin, for a few days to get away and enjoy the fall beauty. The weather was wonderful and the trees were just starting to turn color when we left.

Pumpkins and fall decor could be found all over the communities we traveled to. Apple orchards, wine tastings, and festivals are popular events in the area. I hope you enjoy a couple of apple recipes that I ran across.

Apple Betty Dessert

You may wonder why this dessert is called Apple Betty. This recipe consists of a fruit, most commonly apples, baked between layers of butter crumbs. Betties are an English pudding dessert closely related to French apple pies. Other fruits such as peaches, pears and berries can be used as well. This recipe, I am sure, is in many of the old church recipe books.

Ingredients

2 cups apples, sliced

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Dash of salt

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup quick oatmeal

1/3 cup butter or oleo

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Mix apples with the first ingredients listed. Put into a buttered baking dish. Mix all topping ingredients together. Crumble on top of apples. Bake at 350 degrees until the apples are tender. Serve warm or cold, with ice cream or Cool Whip.

Easy Apple Dip

Serving apples with dip makes a tasty treat, which our family enjoys. This quick and easy recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of apple dip. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Ingredients

1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Add softened cream cheese, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer blend till smooth, well combined and fluffy for about two minutes.

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dip can be served with sliced apples, pears, or any other fruit or pretzels.

To serve, take the dip out of the refrigerator at least 10 minutes before serving to allow it to reach room temperature. This will make it easier to dip the fruit into.

Grandma B’s Ham Balls

Looking for a new dish for supper? For this recipe, the ham loaf may be found at a local grocery store’s meat department. Otherwise, some people grind up their own ham through a meat grinder or food processor. This takes more time than many people want to take. My sister’s daughter-in-law makes these every Christmas when we get together. Everyone loves them.

Ingredients

2 pounds ham loaf

1 pound hamburger

18 graham crackers (1 1/2 cups crushed)

1 cup milk

2 eggs beaten

1 can of tomato soup

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon of dry mustard

Instructions

Mix ham loaf, hamburger, crushed graham crackers, milk and eggs. Mix lightly but well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place in layers in the pan.

Next mix tomato soup, brown sugar, vinegar and dry mustard. Pour over meat balls, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Meat should be 160 degrees to be done.

Cran-Yam Bake

This is a recipe that a friend shared with me. This easy recipe would be a great dish to serve when company is coming or when you want something different from the common baked potato dish.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries

2 (17-ounce) cans yams, reserve juice

1 cup chopped pecans

Place in a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Add 1/2 cup juice from drained yams. Sprinkle in one-third of the topping mixture listed at right.

Topping Ingredients and Instructions

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup softened butter

Mix and cut butter well, using a fork, as in making pie crust. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over yams and cranberries. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Happy Cookin’!

Loretta Krahling is a columnist with over 38 years of newspaper experience. Have any favorite recipes or tips you would like to share? Email them to krahling@gmail.com.