I've been loading up on apples. I spent a very rainy day going through recipes -- recipe books, recipe files, stacks of recipes torn from magazines and newspapers, and recipes on the back of store receipts when that was all I had available and needed paper to jot down a sudden inspiration.  The majority of the recipes I set aside were for apples.  I made one, desperate attempt last week to buy peaches.  They smelled so good and I just wasn't ready to move on to "fall" fruits.  But they were horrible - mealy and tasteless.  It was then I knew I had to look seriously at apples. 

   Right now I've been buying McIntosh apples.  They are what I used to make the Apple Cookies with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts -- another recipe that has been languishing in my files for many, many years.

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                   Apple, Dried Cranberry and Walnut Cookies

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup finely chopped apples
• 1 1/2 cup regular oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1.  Cream butter; gradually add brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and water.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, beating until well-combined.  Gently stir in apples, oats, cranberries and walnuts.
2.  Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 375˚F for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove to a rack to cool.