Reporter Ryan Robinson takes a break from his studies at VMS to provide residents with information on local apple picking.
The Scenario
Economy is bad. Food Prices go up. Gas barely going down. You want a healthier lifestyle.
The answer?
Go to Masker Orchards!
Masker Orchards has been around since 1913 in very close Warwick, NY. It is a car friendly orchard in which you can drive to the apples and pick them. Plus, if you buy 2 bags of apples, you get a free jug of cider! We have been going to Maskers for years now and after a while it sure becomes a tradition. They have so many apples there ranging from Prime Reds, Macs, Courtland (my favorite), Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Empire, the list goes on! And The pumpkin patch opens September 20th.
It can be a full day if you plan on taking in some of the other activities available. You can visit the animated cider factory, pony rides every Saturday and Sunday beginning August 30th, and horse drawn wagon rides Saturdays and Sundays, starting September 6th. There is also what they call “MacFest” with live music and more on most weekends through the season. You can check for dates on their website.
So, do you want to go? You have some time left before the season ends, but I would hurry before they are all gone! The season “ends” around mid to late October, so you only have a month left. Here are easy directions to get from Oakland, NJ to Masker’s!
Follow I-287 North to NY State border; cross border stay north on I-87 (Albany); To Exit 15A; off ramp, make left; follow 7 miles to Rte 17A make left; follow Rte 17A west – 13 miles to Ball Road; make left to Masker Orchards.
Seasonal Recipes
I bet you were thinking APPLE PIE! true, that’s a fall classic, but there are some other great fall and upcoming Christmas baking goods that you can make! here are some good recipes!*
All American Apple Pie
PREP TIME 25 Min
COOK TIME 45 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 10 Min
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cold milk
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 Fuji apples, cored and sliced
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To Make Crust: In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, oil, milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and salt until evenly blended. Pat mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, spreading the dough evenly over the bottom and up sides. Crimp edges of the dough around the perimeter.
3. To Make Filling: Mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples and toss to coat. Spread evenly in unbaked pie shell.
4. To Make Topping: Using a pastry cutter, mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and butter until evenly distributed and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle over apples.
5. Put pie in the oven on a cookie sheet to catch the juices that may spill over. Bake 45 minutes.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.
Pumpkin Raisin Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until smooth. Add the egg, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Finally, stir in the raisins and walnuts.
3. Drop cookie dough by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, cookies should be light brown around the edges. Brush with the spice glaze, and transfer to racks to cool.
4. To make the spice glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons of warm water until there are no more lumps. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more water.
Apple Quick Bread
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup peeled, chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 Tbsp. milk
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until blended. Add chopped apples and pecans. Mix together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon and add alternately with the buttermilk to the apple mixture.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9×5″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until bread tests done when tested with a toothpick. Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan when done, place on wire rack, and drizzle glaze over warm bread.
Note: The batter is thick, but be sure that you carefully measure flour by scooping it into the measuring cup with a spoon, then level with the back of a knife. Do NOT scoop the flour out of the bag with the measuring cup. That can result in adding 25% more flour to the recipe, making your baked goods tough and dry.
Gingerbread Cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (11 ounce) jar Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup milk
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large saucepan, melt syrup with butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon and mix well. Add the syrup mixture along with the egg and milk and mix until combined. Spray a 9″ square pan with baking spray and pour in the batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes until set and gingerbread begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. Best served warm.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
1 (16-ounce) package white pound cake mix
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl on low speed, combine cake mix, 1 egg, butter and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice until crumbly. Press into bottom of 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, remaining 2 eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix well. Pour over crust, sprinkle nuts on top.
Bake 30- 35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator. Cut into bars.
Write back and tell us how the recipes are!
*Some recipes are from our own cookbook while others were from online. All rights to recipes to their respectful bakers!