A Taste of Autumn

Autumn: my favourite season of them all! Leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and the bounty of Neopian gardens is finally at its peak. Autumn is a wonderful time of year for its beauty, culture, and delicious meals that seem to congregate around this season. When I look back on every fresh fall I've experienced, I find one thing that always is a shining point in my mind; apples! Sure, it seems silly, and a little random, but this underappreciated fruit is the purest representation of the season! Apples come in a variety of species, are easy to eat and serve on their own, and are the base for hundreds of amazing dishes that Neopians can, and should, enjoy. For your pleasure, I've sat down, taken one for the team, and gathered a list of Neopia's fifteen most amazing apple dishes. Anchors away, it's apple time!

15. Apple Soup

Sure, it's a given, but Apple Soup needs a place on this list! This soup is surprisingly spicy, and it shows that apples aren’t just for dessert! Heated up, warm Apple Soup is the perfect first course for any autumn dinner. It's light, smooth, and sweet in all the right places. For the busy hostess, the pre-made bowl of a hollowed out apple makes prep time a snap! Just pop it in the oven for a few minutes and serve. Careful, that's hot!

14. Apple and Cheese Sandwich

Staying on the same flavour wheel, the Apple and Cheese Sandwich is next on our list of delicious apple dishes. This sandwich is everything a critic wants it to be! Crisp, cheesy, and made with whole wheat bread slices, this sandwich is 100% organic and 100% healthy for your family. Put it in your youngin's lunchbox, or serve it as a simply made snack. There's nothing like the fresh taste of apples in the afternoon!

13. Apple Achyfi

Neocola's greatest competitor brings us the ultimate drink for every diehard fruit fan - Apple Achyfi! Made with root extracts, and a serious concentration of apples, this fizzy beverage teeters on the edge of amazing. With a quick stop to the Achyfi Plant, I was able to get the real Apple Achyfi story from one of the creators!

"Yes'm, this brand of Achyfi is chock full of apples! We take our original Achyfi product, and fill it with the juice concentration of five whole apples. *clunk* Whoops! Looks like another apple fell into that can's mix over there! Someone's gonna' get a mighty good surprise, that's fer sure!" - Bob, the Achyfi Chia

What could be a better way to quench your thirst?

12. Spiced Apple Pie

While it may not look like your traditional fresh from the oven treat, Spiced Apple Pie is a delicious galactic great that will tickle your tongue (and possibly your nerves!). And the description is right! It IS just like my gnfard used to make!

11. Apple Cherry Tarts

There's no use in hiding this any longer... Apple Cherry Tarts are the prettiest apple treat available! Two golden tart cups have been filled with a cherry and apple mash, and then covered with the slices of an entire apple each. A heavy layer of sweet apple glaze and a cherry on top completes the masterpiece, making it as amazing to look at as it is to eat. If you're looking to serve up a sweet fall fiesta, then consider having some tarts along with a hefty helping of hot...

10. Apple Flavoured Borovan

Alright, just what IS borovan? Some say it's a soup, some say it's a drink... others say it puts hair on your chest! No matter the description, borovan is good, so it's no doubt that an apple infused borovan would take the cake. Next time it's a cold day and you're looking for something to heat you up, skip the hot chocolate and head straight to your borovan press! (With an apple, of course!)

9. Baked Apple Pi Pie

I don't know but I've been told, apple pi is good as gold!

There are so many delicious apple pies on the market that it sometimes seems impossible to choose a favourite. While this may not be the be all and end all of apple pies for me, it certainly tickles my fancy! Some skilled baker has taken the classic apple pie recipe and turned it up a notch, cavorting with math enthusiasts to create the perfect pi shaped pie! So grab yourself a plate, and cut yourself an awkwardly shaped slice of pi. I feel smarter already!

8. Caramel Apple Mince Pie

Now THIS is the be all and end all of apple pies! Rich gooey caramel sauce coats chunks of warm spiced apples and nestles itself in the warm confines of a sweet pie crust. Every bite delicious, and every moment your own. Enjoy this with a large glass of milk and a good book by the fireplace.

7. Vanilla Ice Cream Apple Lantern

My favourite in the apple lantern series, this Haunted Woods treat is a delicious alternative to the regular baked apple! Want to make one of your own? Here are the directions!

Materials:

Apples (as many as you want to make)

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Vanilla Ice Cream

Baking Pan

Spoon

Butter Knife

1. With an adult present, grab yourself a butter knife and a spoon. Slice open an opening at the top of the apple, and with the spoon, dig the bitter core and seeds out from the inside. Once the core is out, take the butter knife and carefully carve into the apple a spooky face.

2. Fill the hollowed apple with a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar. Lots please! You want this to be sweet!

3. Place the spiced apple on a cookie sheet, or a casserole dish, and turn your faerie oven onto low-medium heat. When the oven is ready, put your apple creation in, and let it bake for five to ten minutes or until the apple is softened and the spice mixture has gotten gooey.

4. When the apple is done baking, put on some oven mitts and carefully take the apple out. Again, have an adult help! That dish is probably hot.

5. Let the apple cool down for a few moments, but don't let it get cold! When the apple is cool enough to eat, use your spoon to dig out a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream and place it on the apple. You now have yourself a delicious ice creamy apple treat that you can enjoy!

6. Mega Apple Cinnamon Smoothie

Hello, holidays! This delicious smoothie is a rich blend of two kinds of apples, cinnamon, raw wart root, and a hefty helping of wheat grass. It blends the flavours of autumn, with the healthy additives any smoothie addict expects in their shake. If you're looking for a cool way to jumpstart your day, this smoothie will give you just the kick you need to keep going.

5. Dewy Apple

"Odd!"

That was the first thing I said when I finished chewing my first bite of my first Dewy Apple! In my search for amazing apple dishes, I one day found myself travelling to Brightvale for a taste of what they had to offer. To my surprise, they didn't have any apples! They did however have the cousin of the apple, the Dewy Apple! The Dewy Apple is a strange green little fruit that grows on vines in the safely cultivated orchards of Brightvale. It smells like apple and tastes just like the actual fruit! In fact, Brightvalians have been using it in their apple based dishes ever since the fruit emerged. Dewy apple pie, dewy apple dippers, even dewy apple sandwiches have emerged from the kitchens of crafty culinary experts! If you ever get a chance to make a visit to Brightvale, give this fruit a try. You'll definitely be surprised!

4. Apple and Custard Drops

*squeals* These are SO good! The first time I ever heard the words 'apple' and 'custard' together was when I was sampling a Baked Apple With Custard. It didn't make the grade, but a passing Lupe suggested I visit the Chocolate Shop for an even better blend of his two favourite flavours. While I was a bit hesitant to try the strange looking candy, I couldn't believe my luck when I did! Apple and Custard Drops are amazing! The sweet and tangy taste of green apples is mellowed out with the rich creamy flavour of custard, brought together to make the world's best apple candy. Now whenever I pass by the Neopian Bazaar, I'm carrying a basket and a bundle full of cash to stock up on these apple delights!

3. Chokato Toffee Apple

Every Autumn I like to stock up on candied and toffee apples. They're sweet, delicious, and make the perfect reward for a day of hard work! If you're looking for a fancy toffee treat to really make your day, why not try the Chokato Toffee Apple? A regular toffee apple has been carefully dipped in luscious chokato syrup, coating almost the entire apple, and left to dry to a glistening shine! The first bite is always the best, especially when you savour that satisfying crunch as you break through the hard chokato coating.

2. Apple Chia Pop

At an estimated eight million neopoints, there's no reason why this frosty treat should be standing anywhere but second! The Apple Chia Pop is one of Neopia's most expensive apple goodies. Its concentrated apple flavour and surprising side effect for Neopia's Chia reminds even the harshest of food critic why 'Gourmet' really is Gourmet. If you're looking to obtain one of your own, I'd suggest starting to save now. There's very few available, and any apple fan worth their seeds wouldn't let one go for less than a miracle. Yikes!

1. Sparkling Apple Juice

Here it is, apple fans, the moment you've been waiting for! After countless hours of traveling, tasting, and living and breathing apple, I've managed to find the number one apple dish in Neopia. Where did I find it? In the pantry of a sweet elderly Poogle by the name of Agitha Hilsbottom! Ms. Hilsbottom is one of Neopia's oldest citizens, and has a rather strange fondness for carbonated beverages, of which she keeps plenty around. Her favourite are the sparkling juices, and out of the four bottles she had, she opened a fresh one with some tarts and biscuits just for me! The Sparkling Apple Juice has to be one of the best apple treats around, and serving it is an experience all on its own!

When you first open the delightful green bottle, a soft pop sounds as the cork is removed, and the scent of fresh apple emerges. The sizzling of carbonation can be heard, and the colour is a very light green as the sweet drink is poured! When you finally get a taste, the flavour is out of this world! It's fresh, light, and full of crisp green apple. The Sparkling Apple Juice is truly a drink to cherish, and being retired from the market, there's too few opportunities to try it.

So there you have it! Fifteen amazing apple dishes and treats that are sure to blow your mind. Each listed item is a culinary amazement and has met the highest of flavour standards. I hope you enjoyed my reviews, and that next time you're looking for the taste of autumn, you'll go out and find yourself some apples.