With Michigan ranking third in the apple production in the US, one of our great autumnal traditions, and a birthday treat, is taking a trip to the Erwin Orchard and Cider Mill (where we visited last year) in South Lyon. At a time when most people (me included) were just getting up out of bed on Sunday morning, we'd grabbed our 1/2 bushel bag and were taking a tractor ride around the orchards.
Autumn calls for pies, it calls for thick, deep apple pies (clicky for my go to vintage apple pie recipe) with custard, for some more of that caramel apple jam I made last year and nothing beats picking it fresh from the tree. Granted a bit of tree climbing is always involved but that's half the fun. Slotted between the miles of rows of apple trees, pumpkins are getting lovely and rip, big fat orange balls of Halloween goodness. We ended up picking about 60 or so apples in total, a mix between Northern Spry - a tart cooking apple and McIntosh a lovely sweet apple which is an ideal mixed use apple.
While the raspberry patch is often overlooked compared to all the orchards, the cider and the doughnuts, we always like to top up on our stock, especially with apple pies on the horizon when i'll just throw a load in for good measure. That and jam, there's always a need for more raspberry jam.
So today (Friday) you shall find me in the kitchen baking apple and raspberry pies and trying out a raspberry loaf cake no doubt many of which will be enjoyed over the weekend.
Do you have any autumn traditions and favorite things to bake?
Do you have any autumn traditions and favorite things to bake?