Wednesday, October 17, 2001

A taste of fall in your kitchen

Who doesn't love the smell of fresh, hot apple crisp baking in the oven on a chilly fall night?

These days, it's hard to find the time to make homemade baked goods, yet the flavors of autumn are hard to pass up. But with a little preparation and the right oven, you can bake with autumn fruits and vegetables and still have time to enjoy the fall season away from your kitchen!

"There are many ways to enjoy the tastes of fall without spending your entire day cooking in the kitchen," says Jill Means, senior consumer scientist with Maytag's Center for Home Solutions. "For instance, the Maytag Accellis 2X range cooks a meal in as little as half the time of a traditional range because of its rapid-cook technology allowing you more time to spend with your family this fall."

Means goes on to explain, "The Maytag Accellis 2X is a full-size oven that uses rapid-cook technology, which combines conventional radiant heat and low-level microwave energy to provide foods that are browned and crisp, yet moist and flavorful.This full size oven allows you the best of both worlds delicious foods and quick cooking."

Try these family-oriented tips for enjoying fall fruits and vegetables from Maytag's Center for Home Solutions, dedicated to providing solutions for your home:

· Visit the local farmer's market where you can choose from an array of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Try experimenting with favorites such as baked squash, which traditionally bakes in 60 minutes, whereas in a Maytag Accellis 2X, it can be baked in only 30 minutes. A wonderful fall side dish for any meal.

· Celebrate Halloween by preparing pumpkin treats with your children. Expand beyond the traditional pumpkin pie and make some kid-friendly pumpkin bread, muffins or bars. Make mini-muffins that take 20 minutes in a traditional oven and only 10 minutes in the Maytag Accellis 2X.

· Escape the busy sounds of the city and plan a trip to a local apple orchard. Tour the orchard, drink apple cider and of course, grab a basket and pick the apples! When you get home, create your own family fun by bobbing for apples or making a fall favorite: homemade apple crisp.

For more tips on quick cooking from Maytag's Center for Home Solutions, log on to www.maytag. com.

Maytag's Quick Homemade Apple Crisp

5 cups of sliced, peeled baking apples (Granny Smith, Rome Beauty or other tart apples are recommended)

3 tbls. sugar

Topping:

3/4 cup quick rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

6 tbls. butter

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix apples and sugar. Put in 2-quart baking dish.

For topping, in medium bowl combine the quick rolled oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over apples.

Accellis 2X Baking Instruction: Select "Baked Goods" speed option, 50 Auto Set. Time is automatically cut in half. In 25 minutes the apple crisp is ready.

For conventional baking instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45-50 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden.

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