9 wintery apple recipes to keep you cosy

Apples are down-to-earth delicious treats available in supermarkets all year ’round. The best eating varieties are in season at various times but cooking apples are available fresh all year. Apples are great for winter comfort desserts and cakes.

1. Classic apple pie

What’s not to love about a proper, baked-from-scratch apple pie, complete with handmade copha pastry? Give yourself some time in the kitchen to make this – it’s not as quick as putting a frozen pie in the oven – but the results are definitely worth it.

See CLASSIC APPLE PIE RECIPE

2. Apple meringue recipe

This recipe is from Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s mum who was a fantastic cook and contributed recipes to the Sunset Lodge cook book. It’s a comforting twist on lemon meringue and takes little time or effort to whip up.

See APPLE MERINGUE RECIPE

3. Walnut loaf with apple butter

This robust apple butter is made from roughly chopped apples, with the core and skin left on to give lots of flavour, colour and pectin. The butter takes more than an hour to cook, which gives you plenty of time to bake the walnut loaf – delicious for afternoon tea!

See WALNUT LOAF WITH APPLE AND ROSEMARY BUTTER RECIPE

4. Apple-topped tea cake

Slice some apples then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of this cake batter before baking in an oven for 25 minutes. This cake recipe creates a fruity toffee-ish top that’s better than any icing. You can use any apples you have on hand for this recipe, but eating apples that are in season will give you the best result.

See APPLE-TOPPED TEA CAKE RECIPE

5. Apple and cinnamon turnovers

This comfort food dessert is easy to whip up with frozen pastry sheets and some fresh apples cooked with a little lemon and cinnamon. You can pep up the apples by adding some freshly grated ginger, too.

See APPLE AND CINNAMON TURNOVERS RECIPE

6. Apple and hazelnut crumble

To make a crumble with a difference, add some roughly chopped roasted hazelnuts to the basic recipe. Mix flour and sugar together before rubbing through some butter with your fingers to create the powdery topping that goes all crunchy golden when baked in the oven. Yum!

See APPLE AND HAZELNUT CRUMBLE RECIPE

7. Apple and cinnamon frittata

This has to be one of the most unusual recipes for a frittata, but the apples and cinnamon mixed with orange rind makes for a great dish that everyone’s happy to eat once they have smelled it coming out of a hot pan.

See APPLE AND CINNAMON FRITTATA RECIPE

8. Fancy apple and hazelnut cake

This cake takes a bit of effort, but everyone who tastes it swears it is worth it. It’s definitely a recipe for a dedicated baker who enjoys whisking, beating and folding. The recipe can be made gluten-free by substituting gluten-free flour in the same quantity as flour or using 200g of hazelnut meal in place of the flour.

See APPLE AND HAZELNUT CAKE RECIPE

9. Caramel apples

This recipe is a good, basic caramel that has endless uses, and if you don’t fancy fiddling around with dipping and sticks, is also just beautiful when served as a little dipping sauce, maybe with some crushed toasted walnuts. Or let the caramel dipped apples on a stick set in the fridge and then give to some lucky friends as little presents.

See CARAMEL APPLES RECIPE

Do you have a favourite recipe which uses apples? Please share!

This post is part of Coles Fresh & Real campaign – fresh food made more inspiring.