by Meg Raines, The Evolving Plate
So far to date I have roasted, sautéed and baked with the Cosmic Crisp® apples, as well as eaten them raw. The first characteristic that stood out to me is the high sugar content. This brought a lot of natural sweetness to baked goods, allowing for a reduction of the sugar in the recipe. Making the Cosmic Crisp® apple a great choice for healthier baking and cooking. The high level of sugar also means that they caramelize well when roasted or sautéed at high heat.
The second noticeable characteristic is the texture and juiciness of the Cosmic Crisp®. The flesh of the apple is not too dense and dry, but not too watery and mushy either, so it strikes a perfect balance for baking particularly. The juiciness brings moisture to a baked good and adds liquid to pies which gets turned into sweet syrup during baking.
Because the texture is medium dense it holds it shape during cooking enough to make it pleasant to eat but does not remain crunch as some apples do when baked. I have shredded the apple and baked in into muffins, and it disappeared nicely into the final baked product. When I used them in larger slices, for roasting, sautéing and baking, they retained their shape but had a velvety smooth texture when cooked.
Overall, it is an excellent apple for baking and cooking purposes. For apple pie, the Cosmic Crisp® apple would pair well with a combination of tart and soft apples for the best texture and flavor outcome.
View Meg’s recipes for:
Sweet Buckwheat Crepes with Roasted Apples
Cosmic Crisp® Upside Down Cake
