Spartan Apples and Applesauce Cookie Recipe

I have a great story about the Spartan apples. When I first joined the Lapacek family (15 years ago) they were always supposed to leave me alone only if the crates of apples were all labeled. Well of course this didn't happen and of course when they left me one afternoon, an adorable couple (who happened to be my neighbors) came in looking for a bushel of spartan. Even now that I know more about apples, Spartans are pretty tricky to identify without the labels. To solve my problem I grabbed a Spartan sample, took a bite, and then went to the bushels in the back and kept tasting apples until I figured out which ones were the Spartans! I did figure it out and it turns out this couple got a bushel of Spartans every year to make applesauce.

Approximate Ripening Date: September 16th

Flavor: This sweet-tart apples has a great aromatic, vinous flavor. The flesh is pure white, juicy and crisp.

Baking: The spartan is right in the middle when it comes to cooking - slightly chunky but baked down more than not.

History: Mcintosh x Newtown Pippin cross developed at the British Columbia Station and introduced in 1936.

Featured Recipe:

Applesauce Cookies

by Becky Shutz

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 T vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/3 tsp cloves

1 cup applesauce

Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually and blend until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Add shortening mixture, alternately with applesauce. Blend. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350-degrees for 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.