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Apple Day

Held each year since 1907, Apple Day celebrates important events in the early days of the university that paved the way to its existence today.
Learn more about Apple Day on March 27, 2023

This Year's Apple Day Events

Apples on the Oval

Faculty will give out apples from 10:45 - 1:00.

Apples at the KTC

Faculty will give out apples from 11:45 - 1:00.

Apples at the Rec Center

Faculty will give out apples from 11:45 - 1:00.

Apple Dessert Contest

Drop off dessert entries 8:00-10:00 in the OSC Gorilla Crossing. Judging begins at 11:30, with awards presented and dessert handed out to audience at 12:30.

Trivia Night

Students can test their Pitt State knowledge for prizes from 7:00 to 8:30 in the OSC U-club.

Celebrity Bartenders

A fundraiser filled with cocktails made by Pitt State leaders from 4:00 to 8:00 at Brick + Mortar

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Apple Dessert Contestants

Put your baking skills to the test! Students, faculty, and staff can register through Gorilla Engage. Prizes are available for the top 3 contestants in each category.

Enter a Recipe

Dessert Contest Winning Recipes

1st Place: Savannah's Apple Cupcakes by Savannah Sargent

Apple Mixture

Ingredients

  • 3 T. sugar 
  • 3 medium apples, peeled and chopped 
  • 1 T. lemon juice 
  • ½ tsp cinnamon 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
  • 2 T. unsalted butter 
  • 2 tsp flour 

Steps

  1. Mix apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl 
  2. Melt butter in saucepan, add apple mixture, cook down until tender (~6 minutes) 
  3. Add flour, stir until thick 
  4. Remove from heat and cool completely

Cupcake batter

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups flour 
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder 
  • 1 cup chopped nuts 
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
  • ¾ cup sugar 
  • 2 eggs 
  • ¾ cup butter 
  • 2 tsp vanilla 
  • ½ cup whole milk 

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F 
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in mixing bowl 
  3. Cream sugar and eggs in separate bowl 
  4. Gradually add butter and vanilla to sugar and egg mixture – then, gradually add flour mixture 
  5. Add milk last 
  6. Stir in apple and nut mixture 
  7. Spoon into muffin tins, bake for 20-30 minutes 

Frosting

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup heavy cream 
  • 1 T. powdered sugar 
  • 1 T. sour cream 

Steps

  1. Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and sour cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form 
  2. Add to cooled cupcakes 

2nd Place: Apple Pie by Jenna Clark and Brianna Manley

  1. Apple Mixture

    Ingredients

    • 3 T. sugar 
    • 3 medium apples, peeled and chopped 
    • 1 T. lemon juice 
    • ½ tsp cinnamon 
    • ¼ tsp salt 
    • 2 T. unsalted butter 
    • 2 tsp flour 

    Steps

    1. Mix apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl 
    2. Melt butter in saucepan, add apple mixture, cook down until tender (~6 minutes) 
    3. Add flour, stir until thick 
    4. Remove from heat and cool completely

    Cupcake batter

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups flour 
    • 1 ½ tsp baking powder 
    • 1 cup chopped nuts 
    • 1 tsp cinnamon 
    • ¼ tsp salt 
    • ¾ cup sugar 
    • 2 eggs 
    • ¾ cup butter 
    • 2 tsp vanilla 
    • ½ cup whole milk 

    Steps

    1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F 
    2. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in mixing bowl 
    3. Cream sugar and eggs in separate bowl 
    4. Gradually add butter and vanilla to sugar and egg mixture – then, gradually add flour mixture 
    5. Add milk last 
    6. Stir in apple and nut mixture 
    7. Spoon into muffin tins, bake for 20-30 minutes 

    Frosting

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup heavy cream 
    • 1 T. powdered sugar 
    • 1 T. sour cream 

    Steps

    1. Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and sour cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form 
    2. Add to cooled cupcakes 

3rd Place: Apple Pie by Hannah Eckstein

Apple Mixture

Ingredients

  • 3 T. sugar 
  • 3 medium apples, peeled and chopped 
  • 1 T. lemon juice 
  • ½ tsp cinnamon 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
  • 2 T. unsalted butter 
  • 2 tsp flour 

Steps

  1. Mix apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl 
  2. Melt butter in saucepan, add apple mixture, cook down until tender (~6 minutes) 
  3. Add flour, stir until thick 
  4. Remove from heat and cool completely

Cupcake batter

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups flour 
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder 
  • 1 cup chopped nuts 
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
  • ¾ cup sugar 
  • 2 eggs 
  • ¾ cup butter 
  • 2 tsp vanilla 
  • ½ cup whole milk 

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F 
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in mixing bowl 
  3. Cream sugar and eggs in separate bowl 
  4. Gradually add butter and vanilla to sugar and egg mixture – then, gradually add flour mixture 
  5. Add milk last 
  6. Stir in apple and nut mixture 
  7. Spoon into muffin tins, bake for 20-30 minutes 

Frosting

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup heavy cream 
  • 1 T. powdered sugar 
  • 1 T. sour cream 

Steps

  1. Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and sour cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form 
  2. Add to cooled cupcakes 
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Pitt State Beginnings

Pittsburg State was first located in a borrowed building in downtown Pittsburg. The university’s founder, R.S. Russ, along with the Pittsburg mayor, lobbied to get lawmakers in Topeka to pass an appropriation that would fund a permanent building.     

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Founder R.S. Russ

During his lobbying of the Legislature, Russ broke a rule: he sat in a legislator’s seat. The Legislature fined the Pittsburg delegation a barrel of apples, which Russ and the mayor paid and distributed among the lawmakers.   

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The Tradition

The Legislature approved the request for funding, and when Russ and the mayor returned to Pittsburg, a joyful assembly of students fined the faculty a barrel of apples, which the faculty paid for and distributed to the students. Apple-giving by faculty is repeated annually to honor the founding of PSU.

Pittsburg.
Our Community.