3 Crab Apple Recipes that are not jelly....

Another way of using up crabapples other than Jam Jelly or wine.. From my friend in Canada...

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

• ½ baguette or loaf of good-quality crusty bread, or an assortment of bread ends (raisin bread works well here)
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup pure maple syrup or honey
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups Half & Half or evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• A shake of cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 10-15 crabapples, sliced or quartered
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Cut or tear the bread into one-inch chunks into a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, cream and vanilla. Pour over the bread and let sit for an hour or overnight, stirring or turning the mixture once in a while. All the liquid should be well absorbed, but the bread shouldn’t turn to mush.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour the bread mixture into a buttered baking dish. In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat and cook the crabapples for a few minutes until they start to soften. Sprinkle with sugar and cook until they start turning golden. Stir the apples into the bread mixture or sprinkle over top.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until puffed and golden. Serve warm, with whipped cream if you like. Serves 6.
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Pickled Backyard Crabapples (Courtesy of Robberecht)

• 3 cups whole crabapples, stemmed
• ½ cup red vinegar
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 lemon sliced
• 4 stems of tarragon
• 1 cup apple juice
• 4 cups white sugar
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• Salt & pepper

Place all ingredients into a pot, making sure crabapples are covered with liquid. You can add more apple juice if you need to. Bring apples and liquid to a boil, then remove pot from heat. This step you have to watch — do not let the apples continue to boil or they will become mushy and overcooked. Let apples cool down in liquid.

Remove core from apples — this step is a labour of love: time consuming, but worth it. Place back into poaching liquid until you are ready to serve.
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Crabapple Tarte Tatin

• small or medium crabapples
• 2/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 Tbsp. honey, maple syrup or Roger's Golden Syrup
• pastry for a single crust pie or 1 pkg. puff pastry, thawed

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stem and halve your crabapples; if you like, cut out their cores.

In a heavy ovenproof or cast iron skillet cook the sugar, butter and honey over medium-high heat for roughly five minutes until it turns smooth and golden. Place enough apples to cover the bottom of the pan into the hotcaramel and cook for another three minutes.

Remove from heat and turn the apples cut-side up using tongs. Roll the pastry out until it’s a little larger in diameter than the skillet; cover theapples and tuck in the edge of the pastry. Cut a few slits in the top and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Carefully invert the tarte tatin onto a plate while it’s still warm. Serve with whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup. Serves 6.