Here’s what to do with the bumper crop of apples this year

Apple Crisp recipe from Inn at Harbor Hill MarinaThe Distinctive Inns of New England are excited about the bumper crop of apples expected in the region this fall. According to the New England Apple Association blog, the 2015 New England apple crop is estimated to be approximately 4.03 million 42-pound boxes; 18-percent higher than the region’s five-year average of 3.42 million-boxes. This is also about 14 percent larger than 2014’s fresh harvest of 3.55 million boxes. The innkeepers at the 12 Distinctive Inns of New England are gearing up for apple season with some fabulous recipes featuring apples that will be hand-picked throughout the upcoming weeks from area orchards.

Why so many apples this season? “Growing conditions were outstanding in early spring and summer, with good weather during the pollination period throughout the region, and little or no damage from frost,” according to the New England Apple Association blog. “Parts of New England have been dry for the past month, notably areas of Connecticut and New Hampshire, and there has been scattered hail damage in some areas, but overall the crop is shaping up nicely.”

Apple picking is a favorite activity among those visiting the Distinctive Inns of New England. Each of these inns is perfectly poised for guests to enjoy a day in the nearby orchards. Ask your innkeeper about the closest orchard for pick-your-own apples and take home a bushel or a peck. And don’t forget the hug around your neck too, which your grandmother always used to tell you. In fact, ask your innkeeper, and he or she may just join you to pick some for the inn too. Many of the Distinctive Inns of New England offer culinary vacations and fun outdoor getaway packages for those who love to combine food, nature and a romantic New England escape.

Meanwhile, you can bet that the Distinctive Inns of New England will be whipping up some of their own favorite apple recipes. After a weekend of apple picking in DINEcountry, surely an apple pie or apple crisp is in your near future. Put some of your fresh apples into one of these dishes from the Distinctive Inns of New England.

Apple-Cheddar Bread Pudding with Spice Maple-Butter Sauce from Chesterfield Inn

Serves 8 – 10 people

Apple recipes from Distinctive Inns of New EnglandBread Pudding Ingredients:

4 Large Eggs

2 Cups Whole Milk

1-Cup Sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

7 slices firm white bread, crusts removed and cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 3 ½ C)

1 Large Apple, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes

2/3 cup (lightly packed) Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Bread Pudding Method:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter 8×8 inch square glass baking dish and set aside.

In large bowl, whisk eggs to combine. Add milk, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt; whisk again until sugar is dissolved. Add bread, apples and cheese and stir gently to combine.

Transfer mixture to prepared dish, distributing solids evenly. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until pudding is golden on top and set all the way to center. Dust with additional cinnamon and serve warm with Maple-Butter Sauce.

Maple-Butter Sauce ingredients:

2 sticks Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Vermont Maple Syrup

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground allspice

 Sauce Method:

In small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add maple syrup and cook, whisking occasionally, until butter blends with syrup and sauce is slightly thickened. Serve warm over bread pudding.

Apple Dollar Pancakes from Captain's House InnApple dollar Pancakes from Captain’s House Inn

4 tspn   Fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp Grated lemon peel

4 Medium Granny smith apples, halved and cored

5 Cups All purpose flower

6 Tbsp Golden brown sugar

4 Tbsp Baking powder

2 1/4 Cup Whole milk

6 Large Eggs

3/4 Cup Melted butter

Cinnamon butter

2 Cups Butter, salted, SOFT

2 Cup Confectionary sugar

4 tspn Cinnamon, ground

2 tspn Orange peel, grated

Apple cider glaze

2 Cups Sugar, Granulated

1/4 Cups Corn scratch

4 tspn Cinnamon, ground

4 Cups Apple cider or juice

1/4 Cups Lemon juice

1/2 Cups Butter softened

Method:

For Pancakes-

  1. Combine lemon juice and peel in a bowl. Coarsely grate apples into a bowl, tossing to coat with juice.
  2. Whisk flower, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in centre of fry ingredients.
  3. Brush griddle with some of the remaining 1/4 cup of melted butter.
  4. For each pancake drop 1 heaping tablespoon of batter onto griddle, spacing pancakes apart. Cook until golden on bottom and bubbles start to form on the surface, 3 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook for a further 2 minutes until golden.

Cinnamon butter

  1. Using electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon and orange peel in a small bowl until blended.
  2. Separate the mix into about 4-5 pieces and roll into logs. Wrap in saran and freeze until needed.

Apple Cider glaze

Mix the cider, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and corn starch in a pot and whisk. Heat SLOWLY to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until clear and translucent. Whisk in butter and keep warm until service.

Garnish plate with slivers of apple and sauce.

Grafton Inn's Apple Cheddar PieFor more recipe ideas featuring appleishous dishes from Distinctive Inns of New England, visit our blog and get some great recipes for Apple Pie from Grafton Inn and Apple Crisp from the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina. Here’s a recipe for Apple Cranberry Crisp from the Chesterfield Inn too.

Visit each of the Distinctive Inns of New England by clicking below on links that will take you directly to each of their websites:

In Maine:  Captain Jefferds Inn in Kennebunkport & Camden Maine Stay Inn in Camden

In New Hampshire:  Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness & Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield

In Massachusetts:  Harbor Light Inn in Marblehead, Gateways Inn & Restaurant in Lenox, Deerfield Inn in Historic Deerfield and Captain’s House Inn in Chatham on Cape Cod.

In Vermont:  Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford & Grafton Inn in Grafton

In Rhode Island: Cliffside Inn in Newport

In Connecticut: Inn at Harbor Hill Marina in Niantic.