Autumn on a Plate

Erica Glaze, an East Coast transplant, grew up among apple orchards. She considers apples a part of her core memories. Naturally, she loves this time of year, when she can draw on those memories to build the menu at her bakery.

Perhaps the best example at The Pig & The Plow is her apple cider donut muffin, a callback to the apple cider donuts she ate as a kid. Her family still takes them back after they visit her in Fort Collins.

“They are delicious, even if they come a little crumpled and a couple days old,” Glaze says.

Her muffin became a year-round offering after it repeatedly sold out. She makes each batch with apple cider and applesauce, then she coats them in butter and cinnamon sugar—a treat well worth the calories.

Colorado’s apple season generally runs from the end of August to the end of October, at least when the weather cooperates and the apple trees can produce. This was not one of those years.

Mike Biwer, who owns Adam’s Apple Orchard & Country Store in Ault with co-owner Will Perez, says his trees bloomed early because of the mild winter. Then a late freeze in May wiped them out. Adam’s Apple, which typically sees around 18,000 visitors each year, is among several local apple orchards that have reported a lost crop.

However, that doesn’t mean the season is ruined. Adam’s Apple and others are still offering plenty of homemade apple products this year. Here are a few local establishments celebrating the season with classic apple treats and a few unique twists.

Orchard goodies

Adam’s Apple Orchard & Country Store

Adam’s Apple partners with a couple of orchards on the Western Slope, so they bring in apples for their loyal customers even when their own trees are bare. They’re offering 15 to 20 varieties of fresh apples this year, along with apple jelly, apple butter, apple salsa and their famous Real Deal Apple Cider, which is their best seller and one Biwer says hits the spot for customers who are familiar with traditional East Coast cider.

“It has no sugar added and features five different varieties of apples,” he says, noting that the varieties are specifically chosen to give the cider a balance of flavor and natural sugar content.

Adam’s Apple Orchard also offers wagon rides and entertainment on the property through the end of October. Their Country Store is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

 

YA YA Farm & Orchard

YA YA Farm & Orchard in Longmont fared a little better this year, as they managed a small harvest of late season apples. However, their U-Pick It reservations sold out earlier this year.

They are still offering fresh apples from their orchard and a large assortment of apple products at their Farm Stand. The crowd favorite is their apple cider donut, according to farm helper Grace Morrow.

“We call them little circles of love,” she says.

The donuts are light and airy, with a mouthwatering cinnamon and apple flavor, and are made fresh every day, along with YA YA’s caramel apples. The caramel apples are made with apples from the farm, which tend to be smaller than commercially grown apples, so they are easy to eat right off the stick.

In addition to donuts, YA YA offers more than a dozen apple products, including their Apple Pear Sauce, BerryApple Bourbon Sauce, Candy Apple Cinnamon Spread and apple pie. Those who like sweet and savory treats should try their Apple Salsa, a sweet salsa with a hint of spice that makes a great addition to salmon or chicken.

The Farm Stand is open Tuesday through Sunday until the end of October (hours vary). YA YA also hosts an annual Applefest, which will be held from 3:30-6 p.m. on Oct. 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18 this year. Tickets are available at yayafarmandorchard.com and include a plate from Nordy’s Bar-B-Que & Grill, plus apples, apple cider donuts and live bluegrass music.

“It’s a big country picnic hangout,” Morrow says.

Other apple treats

Heirloom Foods

For a unique treat, Heirloom Foods in Fort Collins releases their spiced pickled apples every fall, which are made with apples harvested at Avogadro’s Number and other backyards in town.

“They have a very unique flavor, almost like a cinnamon spiced apple cider,” says co-owner Sage Burnham. “They’re very crisp, and the vinegar has just enough bite to offset the sweetness and cut through rich or fatty foods.”

The pickled apples pair well with cheese, pork and roast meats, and they are great on a sandwich for an extra crunch, she says.

Heirloom’s apple butter is also available year-round. Visit heirloom-foods.com for these and other pickled treats, or visit the Fort Collins Food Co-Op, Folks Farm & Seed or The Comedy Fort—all located in Fort Collins—or the Symphony Sweets farmstand in Johnstown.

 

The Pig & The Plow

In addition to the apple cider donut muffin, The Pig & The Plow is offering several other baked apple goodies this fall.

“I adhere to the apple a day philosophy,” says Glaze, who is offering customers a multitude of ways to partake. Her fall offerings include apple galettes, apple pies, an apple custard tart and a vegan apple butter bar.

“And whatever other baked goods we can put apples in,” she adds, promising a few apple surprises at her midtown Fort Collins bakery.

Her honey apple galette is a rustic treat layered and cooked until tender and encased in a crusty dough. Her apple custard tart is a more sophisticated dessert, with a rich homemade custard to complement the apples.

The Pig & The Plow’s baked treats feature eggs, dairy, flour and grain sourced from local farms—as well as Colorado apples and apple products—all part of Glaze’s commitment to support local farmers and growers. Her goodies can be found at both her bakery and her stand at Northern Colorado farmers markets.

Recipes to Make at Home

Apple Pie French Toast

Courtesy of YA YA Farm & Orchard

French toast filling INGREDIENTS

1 loaf French bread, cubed

1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

6 large eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

¼ cup brown sugar

1 quart YA YA’s Apple Pie Filling

Topping ingredients

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

½ cup quick cooking oats

Caramel sauce

Steps

1. Make the filling: Mix cinnamon, eggs, milk and brown sugar and pour over cubed bread in a 9×13” baking dish. Spread apple pie filling over the top of the bread mixture.

2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Make the topping: Mix butter, brown sugar, flour and oats. Spread over French toast mixture.

4. Preheat oven to 350° F and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.

5. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.

 

Salted Caramel Apple Bars

Courtesy of The Pig & The Plow

Crust ingredients

½ cup salted butter, melted

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose)

Filling ingredients

2 large Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping ingredients

½ cup old fashioned whole rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼c up flour

¼ cup salted butter, chilled

Homemade salted caramel or store-bought caramel sauce

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 300° F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper. Leave enough paper to hang over the edges.

2. Make the crust. Stir the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from the oven.

3. Make the apple filling and topping while the crust bakes.
Filling: Combine the sliced apples, flour, sugar and spices into a large bowl and mix with your hands until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
Topping: Mix the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together in a medium bowl. Add in the chilled butter and mix with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

4. Turn the oven up to 350° F. Evenly layer the apples on top of the warm crust. Layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the top of the apples with the topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.

5. After removing from the oven, cool for 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight. Pull the bars out of the pan and cut to your preferred size. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce.

 

Apple Pie Filling Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Frosting

Courtesy of YA YA Farm & Orchard

Cake ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix

1 quart YA YA’s Apple Pie Filling

Frosting ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup brown sugar

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon half and half, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps

1. For the cake: Combine cake mix and only the eggs called for on the cake mix. Mix and bake per cake mix instructions.

2. For the frosting: Combine all ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.