The end of summer is a very dark time until I remember apples. The crunch, the sweetness, the endless variety! Suddenly I have one mission—apple picking. Going apple-picking has nothing to do with actually needing apples. It’s a ritual, a pilgrimage. An Instagram ploy. “Sure, I’ll pick a bushel!” I tell the person at the orchard, who points me to a wheelbarrow. I don't know what a bushel is but I like the way it sounds. A couple hours later, it takes a team of oxen, or friends, to get that bushel home and I wonder, Will I be eating apples for the rest of my life?
Really the only thing to do in this situation is bake. Here’s how to get through your haul, with seven new gooey, flakey, creamy recipes from the October issue of Bon Appétit.
You’re thinking it’s kinda weird to poach your apples but this is no regular poaching we’re talking about. Listen to these five words: apple cider, maple syrup, butter. I won’t say I told you so.
One of those dishes that epitomizes comfort food. Citrusy, boozy custard studded with oven-roasted apples and fresh figs. Make it when you get home from the orchard and eat it for dessert, and again for breakfast the next day.
Basically peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for grown ups, topped with fresh apples and salted peanuts and baked until bubbly. Don’t let the word “pastry” scare you--you’re using pre-made frozen dough.
We all know coffee cake is just a vehicle for that streusel. This one makes apples the co-star, with a cameo from citrus glaze.
There’s no reason you have to wait until December to get your gingerbread on. In fact, there’s a very good reason to start now. Hint: it’s this cake, with apples baked in caramel under a gingerbread batter. Apples and gingerbread are soulmates. Let them be together.
Speaking of soulmates, apple and cheddar's love is evergreen. But never has this classic pairing looked so fresh and new. I'm talking about these beignets aka next-level doughnut holes topped with crisp-fried rosemary, honey, and sea salt.
[#### Deep-Dish Apple Pie
](http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-deep-dish-apple-pie)
Pie is the ultimate apple disposal. This extra-deep version will dispense with 4 pounds of your Pink Ladys right quick. Let it cook for two hours while you salivate at the oven window.