An Apple a Day
Advice from baking experts
on the very best recipes for apples.
RECIPES & PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY
King Arthur Baking Company
As Vermonters, we wait all year for fall. When the heat of summer begins to fade and the days turn crisp and cool, we know that
baking season is about to begin in earnest. As the foliage flares into gorgeous shades of deep crimson and vermillion, setting
the forests ablaze with color, we head to the orchard or the market and gather apples by the bag and bushel.
There are so many excellent apple recipes to choose from, starting with the classics like apple pie and apple crisp, and moving into a
world of tarts and scones and cakes and quick breads. We love to bake with apples in every form, whether sliced or chopped or diced
or roasted.
When it comes to varieties, any will do! Some apples are better suited for pies and cobblers, whereas others have a firmer texture that
will stand up to sturdier batters and doughs. Taste them—find a type you like and see how sweet or tart it is. Pick a recipe accordingly.
With such an exceptional ingredient to start with, it’s impossible to go wrong when baking with apples. We love to experiment in the
kitchen all autumn long, mixing up cinnamon apple twist breads and caramel apple pies and sugar-crusted apple cobblers. But we find
ourselves returning again and again to some tried-and-true favorites, like a classic apple crisp with its soft apple filling and a crunchy,
sweet streusel topping.
Nothing’s quicker and easier on a cool fall morning than making a batch of fresh apple cinnamon scones, fragrant with spices, with
a delicate and tender crumb. You can even make the dough ahead, shape the scones, and freeze them so you always have a warm,
homemade breakfast at the ready.
When cake is called for (and when isn’t it?), make apple skillet cake. A simple buttery batter is topped with cooked apples and baked
right in a skillet. Serve it with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on top and you’ll find yourself with a new favorite dessert.
Armed with recipes this good, fall will quickly become everyone’s sweetest season.
52 VERMONT MAGAZINE