Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) an ironic, rhetorical demand, ‘What do you think of that then and what are you going to do about it?’ The implication is that whatever one thinks, one can do nothing.

1911		L. Stone Jonah 31: The rag-pickers daughter leaned forward, and inquired: ‘’Ow d’ye like yer eggs done?’ At this simple inquiry the drunkard stamped her foot with rage, calling on her enemy to prepare for instant death.
1923		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 47: How dye like them apples.
1935		H.L. Court ‘Live Bait’ in Spicy Detective Stories Nov. 🌐 How do you like them apples, Frazier?
1937		Joe Archibald ‘Crash on Delivery’ in Flying Aces Nov. 🌐 How do you like that for apples, you freckledfaced baboon?
1937		T. Thursday ‘Good Luck is No Good’ in Federal Agent Nov. 🌐 ‘I’ll slip you five grand!’ said Shrimpo. ‘What d’yer think of them berries?’.
1937		T. Thursday ‘License for Theft’ in Ten Detective Aces Sept. 🌐 A dick just walked in here an hour ago and took the car to headquarters. How d’ya like them berries, hey?
1942		J. Archibald ‘Knife Thrower’ in Popular Detective June 🌐 How is that for apples, Felix, you vaudevillain!
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 185: She says thats my todays hot tip for you soldier — How you like them onions?
1958		Murtagh & Harris Cast the First Stone 150: How do you like that pot of apples?
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 73: We got you for assualt [...] How do you like them onions?
1979		G. Swarthout Skeletons 143: ‘How d’you like them apples?’ she beamed.
1993		C. Hiaasen Strip Tease 110: The judge says I’m an unfit mother. How ’bout them apples?
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 293: ‘How do [you] like them apples, Mr Lyons?’.
2015		N. Cummins Tales of the Honey Badger [ebook] ‘How you like them apples?’ [...] I grinned at my loser companions.