Pumpkin, cinnamon, salted caramel ­— fall is full of flavor, but apple may be at the top of our list. Yankee Magazine Senior Food Editor Amy Traverso spent four years writing a love letter to apples, all culminating into her book, “The Apple Lover’s Cookbook.” While it may be over 20 years old, the recipes are still fresh off the tree, and Traverso even released an updated edition in 2020 with more recipes, information on the best ciders and even a list of the best apple festivals. Here are a few of our favorites from it to inspire you to go to the orchard and get you cookin’!

Cardamom-Apple Soufflé Pancakes   

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes

Photo by B-Roll Photography

Ingredients

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons ground cardamom

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon table salt, divided

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup sweet apple cider, at room temperature

1 large tender-tart apple, such as McIntosh, peeled, cored, and finely diced

Vegetable oil spray for cooking

Butter and maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Set a flat griddle to medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cardamom, baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk and vanilla until smooth. Add the cider and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk just until smooth. Do not overmix.

In a large bowl, using a standing or handheld mixer, beat the egg whites with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt until they reach firm (but not dry) peaks (when you lift the whisk out of the eggs, the whites should form a peak that curls over only slightly). Gently fold half the egg whites into the batter until mostly evenly mixed. Repeat with the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Fold in the apple.

Spray your griddle with vegetable oil spray. Spoon out about ⅓ cup batter onto the griddle at a time, leaving plenty of room between each pancake. For extra height, let the pancakes set for a minute, then spoon a few tablespoons of additional batter on top. Cook just until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Spray the top of the pancakes with a bit of cooking vegetable oil spray, then flip. Cook until the bottom sets, 2 minutes more, then transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the oven until the center sets, about 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm, with butter and maple syrup.

Sausage, Apple and Squash Sheet-Pan Supper with Fragrant Herb Oil  

4 to 6 servings

Photo by Adam DeTour, styling by Kendra Elizabeth Smith for Yankee Magazine

In this easy one-pan supper, apples and squash provide the sweetness, cranberries the acidity, and herbs and sausages the rich and savory flavor. 

The sheet-pan supper is the answer to every busy person’s daily struggle to get a great dinner on the table with minimal effort. It’s a one-pan wonder with very limited prep work and plenty of walk-away time. In this dish, apples and squash provide sweetness, cranberries serve up some acidity, herbs and sausages are richly savory. It’s fall on a plate. 

Note: Sage, thyme and rosemary all work beautifully in this dish. You can use any combination of each, or just use a single herb.

Ingredients

⅓ cup olive oil

1–2 sprigs each fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary

2 medium (1½ pounds total) unpeeled Honeynut squash (or equivalent amount of peeled butternut squash)

1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

1 large firm-tart apple, such as Granny Smith, cored and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

½ cup fresh cranberries

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 fresh (uncooked) sweet or hot Italian sausages (about 1½ pounds total)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° and set a rack to the middle position. Combine the oil and herbs in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the herbs have wilted and the oil is very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove herbs from oil and set aside.

Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-moons. In a large bowl, combine the squash with the onion, apple, cranberries and the herbs from the oil. Pour the oil, to taste, over the vegetables (you can use any leftover oil in a vinaigrette, or drizzled over potatoes). Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Gently stir everything together with a spatula, then turn out onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread into an even layer.

Prick the sausages several times with a sharp knife, then lay them over the vegetables. Roast, turning the sausages and stirring the vegetables halfway through, until the squash is tender and the sausages are browned and sizzling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Apple & Mustard Grilled Cheese Sandwich  

Makes 2 sandwiches

Photo by David Muhmadi

Tangy mustard, tart apples, sharp cheddar, and crusty bread work together to make these seriously delicious grilled
and gooey cheese sandwiches. 

You can make this sandwich with or without a panini press. 

If you don’t have a panini press, try the technique below, and you’ll have a perfect crispy-melty grilled cheese sandwich without the grill marks. A number of different cheeses work equally well here, so feel free to experiment.

Ingredients

1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

4 slices sourdough bread

2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

⅓ large firm-tart apple (about 3 ounces; see “Apple notes,” below), unpeeled, cored, and sliced very thin

4 ounces sharp Cheddar, aged Gouda, Gruyère, or Havarti cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

You’ll need one large skillet and one medium-size one, preferably cast-iron (the heavier the better). Set both skillets over medium heat and let them get hot.

Meanwhile, butter one side of each bread slice; then lay slices butter-side down on your cutting board. Spread equal portions of mustard on two slices; then divide apple slices into two portions and lay on top of mustard. Divide cheese slices and lay over apples. Top sandwiches with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

Lay sandwiches in the large skillet. Cook until bottoms are browned, 3-4 minutes; then flip. Set the preheated medium-size skillet on top of sandwiches as a press. (If your skillet isn’t heavy, weigh it down with a water-filled kettle or a few large cans of tomatoes.) Cook until both sides are evenly browned, about 2 minutes more.

Apple notes: Use whatever variety you have on hand, but a firm-tart apple (such as Granny Smith) goes well with the mustard and cheese in the sandwich.