Well, it’s no secret. Things do tend to quiet down a bit here in Bayfield once Apple Festival is over and the fall colors begin to quiet down. It’s true. There is something special about this time of year though as well. There is something so incredibly cool about the sounds of the northeast winds blowing through the towering pines around this old house. The waters have begun to cool, but they have a certain sparkle at this time of year – no idea why, but these waters sure do twinkle at us when it’s sunny. Speaking of sunny, that is certainly something that we have had plenty of this harvest season. The weather has been amazing, and looking at the extended forecast we’re in for more! This is ideal hiking weather, and when you get that chill from the cool breezes, come inside, read your book by the fireplace and enjoy a delicious cup of tea.
While there may not be as many water activities to participate in at this time of year, there is still plenty to keep one occupied. There are still plenty of shops open, restaurants to dine at and of course trails to hike. Please contact us if you’d like more information on things to do at this time of year. Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that we have some great specials running right now! If you stay with us during the midweek (Sun-Thur) you can get as much as 25% off your third night, or come in November and don’t miss out on the “Two for $222″ special.
Finally, this is a particularly nice time of year for baking! There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh bakery warming you after a long cool hike. We have been sampling some newer recipes this year, and I think that this is one of our bigger successes:
Caramelized Apple Bread Pudding
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Apple filling:
4 Dudley apples, cubed (or any firm, tart baking apple)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Bread Pudding:
1 tsp nutmeg
1 loaf french bread (or any bread you prefer)
8 large eggs
1 cup half-n-half
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash salt
Topping:
about 1 cup rolled oats
about 1 cup pecans (or nuts of your choice) chopped
left over liquids from apples
1. Slice and cube bread and place in 9×13″ baking dish (spray pan, or use parchment paper)
2. Melt butter in large frying pan, add brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg – add apples to mixture and saute for a couple of minutes – careful not to over cook the apples (keep them firm)
3. Using a slotted spoon spread the apples over the bread cubes. Reserve butter mixture.
4. In a large bowl mix the eggs, milks, sugar, extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt – whisk well and pour evenly over bread and apples. There should be enough liquid to almost cover the bread.
5. Cover with foil and let rest in the fridge overnight.
6. Take the reserved butter & brown sugar mixture and mix with rolled oats and pecans – you’re looking for a pretty “goopy” consistency here.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
8. Before putting in the oven, spread the topping over the bread and apples, and bake for 45-60 minutes.
9. Let rest for 10 minutes or so before serving to let the custard set.
Serve & Enjoy!
While it is still August, and there are still temps in the 80′s, the time has come to start preparing for Bayfield’s Fall harvest. Several of our neighboring orchards have reported that their early apple varieties are ready for the picking. There are reports of outstanding crops this year. We are all so very fortunate to have such an abundance of local foods in our area, and we are excited to share many of these flavors with our guests.
