How do you like them apples? / apple donut, chicken & apple chili with basmati rice, apple chutney stuffed porkchop and bruschetta

I've been a bit delayed uploading this post, since I've been overwhelmed recently with apples. 
Multiple times this fall I was invited out with friends to go apple picking, and as a result have been taxed with coming up with new ways to use up my dozens of apples without getting sick of them. Also, it's all for a worthwhile cause since emphasizing seasonal and local foods is great for the environment.  If you're struggling as I'm struggling, here's some help! Below are the ways that I used my apples:

Left: apple chutney stuffed pork chop with roasted brussels sprouts and basmati rice, Center: apple chutney bruschetta with whipped ricotta and salami, Right: white bean and chicken apple chili

Some relevant recipes for apple chutney and for the white bean and chicken apple chili (I used ground chicken, chipotle chile powder, and smoked gouda that I had on hand)

This was also a great chance to practice some apple carving.  One idea I had after seeing and trying an unsatisfactory apple fritter recipe was that an apple could be carved to give it more surface area, to emulate the layers of a cronut and the size of ideally thin apple slices that make up an apple pie filling. WARNING to people with trypophobia, impending jeebies

For your attempt, I'd recommend a smaller knife, like a Swiss army knife for apple carving

When battered, fried and tossed in cinnamon and sugar, these apple donuts had a crisp exterior and a tender, flavorful cooked apple interior reminiscent of an apple pie. 

Left: apple donut with carvings, Center: Battered in the same manner as Korean chicken wings and fried for the same duration as a cronut, about 2 minutes a side at 350-370, mostly just until golden brown, Right: So good

By comparison, an uncarved apple circle, battered and fried in the same manner, was uncooked in the center and had a soggy exterior - literally tasting like a raw piece of apple with a sad, uncrunchy shell.  An important lesson on the importance of surface area in fast cooking!

Left: uncarved apple ring, Center: Battered and fried apple ring, Right: Sadness

I also intended to make a gingersnap apple icebox cake (with cardamom whipped cream) for a potluck, but learned the hostess was allergic to apples. Imagine the following gif but with layers of my apple pie filling in between layers.  If you're not familiar with icebox cakes, they're a no-bake cake of just layers of typically very thin cookies and (possibly flavored) whipped cream.  The principle is the same as tiramisu, by letting the cake chill for hours, the cookies absorb moisture from the cream, softening the cookies and thickening the cream - since tiramisu doesn't rely on thin cookies, there's no reason thicker cookies don't work for icebox cakes.  

assembly of alternating layers of gingersnaps and whipped cream (with sugar and cardamom added to taste)

Left: Assembled and iced icebox cake, served apple pie filling on the side. Right: poor lighting picture of cross section

Finally, I just had some fun carving apples, jack-o-lantern (or apple-o-lantern?) style.  Again, carving here is easier with smaller knives like a Swiss army knife.

Left: apple o lantern. Right: Snow white style poisoned apple