The first thing I want to say while I sit here, hanging my head in shame is that I am sorry. There were obviously some eerie goings-on with my server, my email and my web site yesterday...for anyone whom I do not mention in this round-up, I apologize and encourage you to send me an email, yelling, screaming and generally throwing things in my direction. And I will add you then, I promise.

Now, on to all the fabulous desserts concocted with apples on Friday (yes, I know it's Sunday and I'm really late...but better late than never, right?!?):

Let's start off with Nicole of Baking Sheet - hers is a relatively new blog and I believe this is her first of any IMBB or it's subsidiaries. Her delicious looking and sounding Apple Pie Biscotti are going to be on my list of things to make...possibly for my wedding reception! They are really a dressed up version of biscotti, topped with a white chocolate almond glaze and then sprinkled with minced candied ginger...oh my!

On to Niki of Esurientes-The Comfort Zone -- another newish blog, by the way! Niki made a fabulous version of Nigella Lawson's Pumpkin and Apple Crumble. And even though apples are not at their prime in Australia in November, she muddled through (!) and this dessert looks so comforting and so yummy I wanted to lick my computer screen. Of course after the last SHF I vowed to stop doing that...

Next we go on over to Estelle's blog, le hamburger et le croissant (I love that name!) where she has created a gorgeous tart aux pommes (apple tart) in french as well as in english. She, like me had a huge amount of apples to contend with and therefore was happy to participate in SHF with it's apple-theme. Adding a layer of applesauce to her tart made it even more apple-ly than it had been originally and sounds like a delicious way to use up and serve the tastiest of the fall fruit bounty.

As we meander around we hit Allison's blog - Jinjurly - and her steaming, right-from-the-oven Cornmeal Apple Upside-Down Cake. A recipe I have been wanting to try for some time now. Of course upon tasting it, Allison decided that it had a baking-powder problem (or she did...I'm not sure) and hated it (oh no!) and made an Apple Pandowdy on Tuesday, which also doubled as an apple grunt. Phew! Allison must be tired today!

Next up, Zarah Maria of Food & Thoughts, who rather enthusiastically bought a book about growing and cooking apples (not for SHF specifically but whose counting?). Her Baked Apples (filled with scrumptious things like almonds, marzipan, raisins and muscavado sugar...mmmmmmm...) were so delicious that I swear I could smell them baking through the internet! Thank you, Zarah Maria!

And from there we head on over to Johanna of The Passionate Cook where we are fortunate enough to sample her childhood favourite, "Gebackene Apfelspalten auf Most-Chaudeau", or Tempura-Baked Apple Slices in Frothy Cider Chaudeau...a mouth-full to say and I'm certain it is a mouth-watering dessert to taste.

And...staying on the same track we find Ron of Love Sicily (and the creator of the Is My Blog Burning site where all things related to these international cooking events can be found) making Frittelle di mele, or Fried Apple Rings, which sound delicious and are making me want to make them myself! And, Ron: I have no idea what was happening every time you came here yesterday and Friday...my brother didn't get any apple-iscious desserts this week, that's for sure!

Alice of My Adventures in the Breadbox contributed to SHF this time around with some tasty looking Apple Dumpling Slices. And apples are not glamorous enough for you, hmmm, Alice? Well...! I never! These tantalizing desserts are apparently a combination of dumplings, pie, cobbler and sticky buns...who could possibly resist?

In true Viv style, the Seattle Bon Vivant shares with us her busy day, a new kind of never-before-heard-of-apple and a quick, healthy and delicious dessert/snack of Honey Crisp Apples & Dulce De Leche. I am always impressed with Viv's busy schedule -- I can hardly get dinner on the table some days and she's done eighteen things AND dinner before I've looked in the fridge for inspiration. Thanks, Viv!

Next up: Debbie of Words to Eat By wows us with Pistachio-Apple Cupcakes. Another new blog, she was participating in her first of the international blogging events this time around and has a strange food "issue" to work around: her (also relatively new) husband does not like cooked fruit. Um. Okay. So these cupcakes were not-too-fruity and had loads of nuttiness with pistachio paste and almond extract. But...no note on if they were a success or not...Debbie?

Over to Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and we are greeted at the door by the luscious smells of some Baked Apple Dumplings. After perusing the many online recipes for this dessert Angela made up her own and it looks as though they were a success. Thanks so much, Angela!

Sam of Becks & Posh contributes her Almond Apple Marzipan Tart...and her childhood saying "If I had been Eve, we would all still be running around naked, because I don't like apples!", making me drool and giggle (not a good combination!) at the same time. This tart looks quite yummy and, incidentally, it sold for $3 (US!) a slice at her bake sale. Yay, Sam!

From there we head on over and pay a visit with Fae of Tiny Fork, who outdid herself with THREE apple desserts: a Sticky Apple Pudding, a Caramel Apple Pecan Tart and some Caramelized Apples with Maple Syrup. Yes, Fae, my teeth hurt just reading about it! They all sound delicious.

Next up: Jeanne of World on a Plate gave herself the challenge of NOT making an apple pie (did anyone make an apple pie??) and presents us with an Apple Cider Pound Cake that I am sure smelled absolutely scrumptious. She also gives us quite a thorough lesson on apple cider in the same entry...very useful!

And then we go to Cheat Eat and sample ST's version of Nigella's Apple Syrup Upside-Down Pie, which she served with Ben & Jerry's Fudge Central ice cream (I have never had chocolate ice cream with apple pudding/pie...what on earth did that taste like, ST?).

On to Emily, the Baking Beast who did in fact participate in the first Sugar High Friday with some rather decadent-sounding White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies, but I never received her email...! This time around Emily presents us with a really lovely sounding Apple Financier Tart...thanks for sticking with me, Emily...!

Next, in my very own neck of the woods, Clement of A La Cuisine! shows us that food can indeed double as art with his beautiful rendition of Pierre Hermé's Apple Melody Cake. Delicious sounding and beautiful to look at I am tempted to try this recipe myself someday soon...thanks so much, Clement!

And, last but certainly not least we come to Celia of English Patis, who actually went out and bought a brand new Le Creuset pan to make her apple dessert in (rather than buying shoes...which is what I ended up having to do to calm my frayed nerves yesterday when my server was, for all intents and purposes, crashing). Her Tarte Tatin sounds like apple perfection to me!

And, I suppose the last entry I will mention here is my own; I made Baked Apples...which tuned out quite scrumptious, if I do say so myself. An easy to make, yummy to eat dessert is always a good thing in my books.

Thank you to everyone who participated, and if for some reason I haven't mentioned your entry here, please email me...hopefully I will receive it!

Okay...not so fast, it seems. I missed two entries, for which I appologize profusely and add them here:

Renee of Feeding Dexygus Seconds (the blog is named after her dog and her cat, I think...?) made a rather impressive looking Pucker Apple Sorbet from Sour Apple Pucker, a fluorescent green apple schnapps... can I just say "wow". She served it with Cinnamon and Black Pepper Cookies, Black Pepper Creme Fraiche and fresh apples. Wow. Delicious!

And lastly (I think? I hope?), Kevin of Seriously Good (who emailed me at the beginning of the week to let me know he was participating...sorry, Kevin!) made some really tasty sounding Apple Crepes filled with marscapone and topped with pecans...ah, a dish after my own heart, Kevin!

Anyone else? Please, let me know!

And of course, one more:

Mik of L'Art de Vivre made the coolest looking Snowy Apples; poached apples stuffed apples covered in a snowy white meringue...amazing! They're stuffed with dark chocolate and walnuts...oh my goodness! I'm really impressed.

I knew I couldn't possibly have gotten them all:

Carolyn of 18th C. Cuisine made a simple but delicious looking Tarte aux Pommes which she glazed with apple jelly before serving. Yum...and a blog I think I am going to be adding to my must read list pretty soon! Thanks, Carolyn, and I am sorry for losing all of your emails up until now.

And one more...unless there are others!

Cathy of My Little Kitchen made Apple Tart Bars -- twice! Cathy went forward with two attempts at deconstructing and reinventing a Maida Heatter Cinnamon Almond cookie recipe, adding apple slices to the tops of the cookies. Can you say tasty? I can. And although it might have taken some work, I think this recipe has some staying power, for sure!

And of course there was another one...why would I have even thought that there wouldn't be???

Sasha from Pabulum made an actual, honest-to-goodness Apple Pie with Walnut Oatmeal Crumble. It is going to be her entry at the CIA for an Apple Pie Scholarship, and you can read the essay she's written about her love of apple pies here. This original recipe sounds quite good and looks as though it makes quite a huge pie!