Although it may not be obvious by the weather, a sure sign of fall is the abundance of pumpkins and apples taking center stage in our produce departments. More than just festive centerpieces, these hearty fruits are perfect for easy-to-make autumn treats and eats.

Pumpkin Cookie Cakes

Active Time — 10 minutes
Total Time — 45 minutes (Makes 24 Servings)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup canned dulce de leche caramel
• 1 (24-count) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough*

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with spray. Whisk egg in medium bowl until blended. Stir in pumpkin and caramel until evenly mixed.
2. Separate cookie dough, placing one square in each cup of muffin pan. Using fingertips, press dough evenly into bottom of cup and up sides to form a crust.
3. Fill each cup with about 1 teaspoon of pumpkin mixture. Bake 25 minutes or until crust is golden. Cool 10 minutes in pan; turn out with a fork and serve.

* You’ll have enough pumpkin and dulce de leche caramel left to make a second batch of cookie cakes. Just be sure to pick up an extra package of cookie dough for the crust.

Green Tea Spiced Apples

Total Time — 15 minutes (Makes 6 Servings)
Ingredients

• 4 medium Golden Delicious apples
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Publix Deli Green Tea with Ginger and Honey
• 1 teaspoon ginger spice paste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Steps

1. Peel apples and remove core; cut apples into small cubes (4 cups).
2. Combine remaining ingredients (except apples and cornstarch) in medium saucepan on medium heat and bring to a simmer; cook 5–6 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly.
3. Stir in apples and cornstarch; cook and stir 4–5 more minutes or until apples are tender and sauce has thickened. Serve warm.

Turkey Apple Panini

Total Time — 15 minutes (Makes 4 Servings)

Ingredients

• 1 large tart apple
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup light Vidalia onion salad dressing
• 4 slices Publix Bakery White Mountain Bread
• 1/4 pound thin-sliced smoked honey turkey breast
• 4 slices smoked provolone cheese
• Cooking spray

Steps

1. Preheat 2-sided tabletop grill. Peel and core apple; slice apple thinly.
2. Combine mayonnaise and salad dressing until blended. Spread mixture evenly on one side of all bread slices. Place two bread slices on work surface (coated side up): add half of the turkey to each, then half of the apple slices, and top with half of the cheese slices. Assemble sandwiches with remaining two bread slices.
3. Coat grill with spray. Place sandwiches on grill and press lid down firmly. Cook 5–6 minutes, occasionally pressing lid, until crisp and golden. Cut sandwiches in half using serrated knife. Serve.

Hot Apple Cider

Total Time — 15 minutes (Makes 12 Servings)

Ingredients

• 1-in piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 gallon apple cider
• 15 cinnamon sticks, divided
• 5 whole cloves (or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Star anise (optional)
• 1 (14-oz) bag mixed apple slices

Steps

1. Peel and slice ginger; place in large saucepan. Stir in cider, 3 cinnamon sticks, cloves,nutmeg, allspice and 1 star anise; cover and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and remove cover; simmer 5 minutes.
3. Serve hot. Garnish with remaining cinnamon sticks, apple slices and star anise.

NOTE: For an adult drink, stir in 1 cup spiced rum just before serving.

Carve the perfect pumpkin

Publix associates will be star-struck after watching this pumpkin carving tutorial.Learn how to get creative with pumpkin carving this fall by tuning in to this month’s Publix News Live.

Snack it!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Active Time — 20 minutes
Total Time — 40 minutes (Makes 8 Servings)
Ingredients

• 1 large pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut hole in top of pumpkin; scrape seeds out (about 2 cups). Place seeds in large bowl of water; separate pulp from seeds, then remove seeds and dry with towel.
2. Combine pumpkin seeds with remaining ingredients until evenly coated.
3. Spread seeds in single layer on baking sheet; bake 15–18 minutes or until crisp.

Serve.

While the seeds are baking, it’s a good time to carve the pumpkin!

Customers love our fresh, quality produce

When it comes to produce, Publix focuses on finding varieties that are bursting with flavor. While you’ll always find some of the more familiar apples and pumpkins (also known as squash) in stock, you might want to try one of the newer or unusual fruits. Here’s a list of what you might see on display in our stores.

Apples

*Seasonal

Squash

*Seasonal

Apples: Did you know?

• More than 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the U.S., but only the crabapple is native to North America.
• Apples contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol and are a good source of fiber.
•  Apple trees take three to five years to produce their first fruit.

Dip it!

Looking for an afternoon snack or hors d’ouevre idea? These apple and pumpkin dips make the perfect party pairing.

Toffee-Apple Dip

Total Time — 10 minutes
(Makes 8 Servings)
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sweet apple slices
• 1 (8-oz) bag toffee bits, divided
• 1 (8-oz) tub whipped cream cheese
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 sheets cinnamon graham crackers

Steps

1. Cut apples into small pieces; set aside 1/2 cup apples and 1/2 cup toffee bits for later use.
2. Combine remaining ingredients (except crackers) until blended. Transfer dip to serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.
3. Top dip with reserved apples and toffee bits. Arrange graham crackers around dip and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Total Time — 30 minutes
(Makes 6 Servings)
Ingredients

• 8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (1.5-oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ground cinnamon)
• Cookies or crackers for serving

Steps

1. Thaw topping until softened.
2. Combine all ingredients; blend with electric mixer until smooth.
3. Chill 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Serve with vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or graham crackers.