Caramel Apple Walnut Squares, Fresh Apple Cake, and Taffy Apple Pound Cake

It's apple season! The many wonderful apple orchards and farms in the area mean delicious fresh apples for our house all season long. Since I was a child accompanying my parents to Rouster's Apple House, I have adored autumn ventures to choose apples and drink cider. Following are three of my favorite apple recipes, all of which appear in the Junior League of Cincinnati's most recent cookbook. (The Fresh Apple Cake recipe was also featured in one of the League's previous cookbooks, RiverFeast. All of the JLC's cookbooks are must-haves, in my opinion.) Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Walnut Squares

Ingredients:
1.75 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooked oats
.5 cup firmly packed brown sugar
.5 teaspoon baking soda
.5 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
1 cup chopped walnuts
20 caramels
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 21-ounce can apple pie filling

Directions:
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, soda, and salt. Cut in margarine until crumb consistency. Reserving 1.5 cups crumbs, press remainder in 13x9x92-inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Combine caramels and condensed milk in heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Spoon pie filling on partially baked crust. Spread caramel sauce on apples and sprinkle with reserved crumbs mixed with walnuts. Bake for 20 more minutes. Serves 12. Delicious served with scoops of ice cream!


Fresh Apple Cake

Cake Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1.5 teaspoons salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 cups chopped unpeeled apples
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
juice of lemon, to consistency and taste
0.25 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In large mixing bowl, cream sugar with oil until smooth. Beat in eggs. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in apples, vanilla and walnuts or pecans. Spread batter in greased and floured 10-inch tube or fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare frosting. Beat powdered sugar, lemon juice and salt together until smooth. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, invert on serving plate, and spread with frosting.


Taffy Apple Pound Cake

Ingredients:
16 light caramel candies
3.25 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
4.5 cups powdered sugar
1.5 cups butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 eggs
1.5 cups coarsely chopped peeled apples

Directions:
Cut each caramel into 8 bits and set aside. Sift flour, cinnamon, and allspice. In large mixing bowl and using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar with butter and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add dry ingredients to egg mixture, mixing well. Fold in apples and caramels. Spread batter in greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, checking after 1 hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert on serving plate. Serves 16.