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It had been a while since I spoke with the matriarch of this column, Alice Nelson, but she called us up at the office earlier this week to chat, and it was so nice to share some time with her. She certainly brightened my day! 

We had so much to talk about that we didn’t even approach recipe ideas, which was a mistake on my part! She has so many that I should’ve grabbed at least one apple one from her!

Here’s to the apple picking season, and crisp fall weekends in Minnesota. Whenever we are in the middle of a -30 stretch in the winter and people ask how we can live in this state; days like now are the answer. These beautiful, colorful, fresh fall days. Enjoy them while they last!

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These meatballs are best served over a bed of mashed sweet potatoes, so I’ve included a quick recipe for those in with it!

PORK, APPLE & SAGE MEATBALLS

SAGE SWEET POTATOES

3 Tbsp. salted butter

12 fresh sage leaves

2 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

MEATBALLS

1 1/2 lb. ground pork

2/3 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/2 Granny Smith apple, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1/2 cup)

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage

1 garlic clove, grated

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450˚. For the sage: Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until the foaming stops. Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. 

For the sweet potatoes: Add the potatoes to the pan, tossing to coat in the butter. Pour in 1 cup water and the heavy cream, then add 1 teaspoon salt. Stir, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. 

Remove from the heat. Uncover, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper and mash well. Keep warm. 

Meanwhile, for the meatballs: Mix the pork, panko, apple, chopped sage, garlic, salt, pepper, allspice and egg in a large bowl with your hands to combine. 

Form into 24 meatballs (2 tablespoons each) and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake on the top rack until cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the meatballs are browned, about 2 minutes more. 

Serve the meatballs over the potatoes. Top with the crispy sage

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I’ve used this recipe in the past, but it was a popular one, and it tastes so good that I decided to use it one more year. Here’s the heavily requested favorite apple cinnamon cake that has been a hit with anyone who tried it!

APPLE CINNAMON CAKE

Apple Cake

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 c. red apple, peeled and roughly chopped (approximately one apple)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. Greek yogurt

Cinnamon Topping

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. butter, melted

Sugar Glaze

1/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1–2 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 8 or 9 inch round cake tin with baking or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Add chopped apple and stir briefly to combine.

In a separate bowl, add eggs, vanilla, oil and yogurt. Whisk briefly just to break up the egg yolks.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with a wooden spoon until combined – but be careful not to over mix. Spoon batter into prepared tin.

 To make cinnamon topping, combine cinnamon, sugar and butter. Mix together until lumpy and wet. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake cake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix together sugar and one tablespoon of milk. Stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk. Drizzle glaze all over the cake.

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Cake cookies are some of my favorite desserts, but I had never had pie cookies before these. They are right up there with the cake cookies!

APPLE PIE COOKIES

3 Tbsp. salted butter

2 apples, peeled and diced 

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tbsp. apple juice or cider (or use water)

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 (14-oz.) package refrigerated pie dough (2 crusts) 

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook until they start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and lemon juice, bring to a simmer and cook until the apples are soft and the liquid is starting to reduce, 3 to 4 more minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple juice and cornstarch and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out 1 piece of pie dough into a 12-inch round. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut out 12 small rounds and arrange on the baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps and cut out 2 more rounds. Roll the other piece of dough into a 12-inch round. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Cut the strips into shorter 3 1/2- to 4-inch pieces (you should have about 56 pieces).

Arrange the dough rounds on the baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of the apple mixture in the center of each. Lay 2 parallel strips of dough on top, then lay 2 more strips perpendicular to the first to look like a lattice. (Alternatively, weave the strips into a lattice.) Trim the edges of the strips, then press around the edges with a fork to seal. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

For the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and cardamom. Drizzle over the cookies.

TFD: “Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day.”

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