What should I cook today? A four-course menu featuring apples, with the most delicious autumn dishes.

Today's menu shows you four ways to enjoy apples. You'll find a variety of dishes, including fruit soup, baked chicken thighs with apples, classic apple pie, and homemade apple compote.

Fruit soup, like the one we used to like.

Fruit soup might immediately bring to mind school cafeteria food, but when made at home, it's a completely different experience. You can add pears, plums, or even a handful of frozen cherries to the apples. With cinnamon, cloves, and a little lemon zest, you can quickly create that fruity aroma that will whet your appetite while you cook. You can add sour cream or a dollop of cream, but for a lighter version, you can leave them out. It's delicious both cold and warm.

Tip: The secret is not to cook the apples completely. They taste much better if the pieces are still a little firm.

Baked chicken thigh with apple

Apples are one of the most popular ingredients for adding a special touch to a meat dish. During cooking, the apple juice blends with the meat juices, creating a dish that is sweet, spicy, and savory all at once. It pairs especially well with thyme, rosemary, garlic, and a touch of mustard.

Tip: It's best to choose an apple that doesn't completely fall apart during cooking. If you add the cloves to the flesh only in the second half of the cooking time, they will retain their shape better.

There's no apple menu without pie.

When it comes to apples, apple pie is practically a must. A good filling is juicy, flavorful with cinnamon, but not soggy. To achieve this, squeeze a little of the grated apple, especially if it's a very juicy variety. You can add lemon zest, raisins, walnuts, or even a touch of vanilla to the filling. And there's another simple trick: a little breadcrumbs or ground walnuts between the pastry and the apples will help absorb any excess moisture.

And what if we get hungry later?

We often forget about applesauce, but it's one of the easiest ways to use up leftover fruit. That's why it's the perfect dish for using up leftovers. Cut the apples into wedges and cook them briefly in water with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon zest. They don't need to be completely soft; they're much tastier if they retain a little firmness. You can serve them with roast chicken, as a dessert, or even with oatmeal or yogurt the next day.