Serves about 12.... unless it's just you and a fork.
It's that time of year for apples! This recipe uses up the bounty Mother Nature is squeezing out of the last warm months. It also is an opportunity to use up all those cherries you and the kids (in your enthusiasm to give them the experience you had as a kid) picked over at the local "you pick" orchard. I, as a child, never had to go to the orchard, as we were lucky enough to have fruit trees right in our backyard. My sister, Stacy and I were so excited one year when a tornado twisted our cherry tree right off it's trunk. No more hours of pitting for us girls! I wish now, that cherry tree was still there. Imagine the bounty, the experience and tasty rewards it would have given to my children.
In a deep 9x13 pan (I use the deep disposable foil pan. No clean up and it's recyclable!) add:
About 10 apples (any kind really), washed, cored and sliced OR a bag of frozen apple slices
1 large can of Thank you cherry pie filling
1 cup of fresh-pitted cherries (if you have them)
1 cup craisins
1 can of drained mandarin oranges
1/2 cup chopped walnut (more if you like them)
1 box yellow cake mix (any kind)
2 sticks of real butter
1 scoop of ice cream
1 bib
Mix gently until fruit is evenly distributed. Sprinkle one box of yellow cake mix evenly covering the fruit. Add two sticks of butter (yes, two), cut into pat-size chunks all over the top of the cake mix. Bake in a 350* degree oven for about 30 minutes or until butter melts and is slightly brown. Serve this baby warm and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It tastes pretty darn good cold at 2:00 am too!
