Baked Apple Pancake

I had the opportunity to attend the blogher food conference in Chicago a few weeks ago.  It was my first blogging conference and I wasn’t sure what to expect.  There were about 600 people so it was easy to feel lost in the crowd. However, food bloggers are so friendly that it didn’t take long to feel like you were part of the group.  Some of the sessions were a little over my head but still very helpful.  My favorite part of the conference though was the small breakfasts that you could sign up for. The first morning of the conference I signed up to attend the breakfast sponsored by Stemilt, an orchard out of Washington state.  Everyone knows how much I love apples, so of course I signed up! It’s a family owned orchard where they grow apples, pears and cherries.  We learned how they hand pick the fruit and then store it in controlled atmospheric storage to extend the seasonability of the furit before it is shipped all over the country.  It was also interesting to hear how a large orchard like this handles the human side of the operation, providing a health care facility on site and housing for migrant workers. You could tell how passionate they are about their business.

We then got to sample a few different types and I discovered two new apples that I had never tried before, piñata and tango.  I am a huge fuji fan so I was surprised that I discovered two new types of apples that I actually like better. I wasn’t sure if I could find them in NC, but I found both at Whole Foods. The piñatas are harvested later in the year so they will still be delicious in the middle of winter.

After coming home from the conference, Stemilt contacted me and asked if they could send me some apples and pears.  Of course I said yes, and I went right to work to find a recipe where I could show off their fruit.  They came packaged in foam so no bruises, and they were unbelievably fresh.  I decided to try the apples in a baked pancake when the girls got home from college.  I used the piñata apples which were so sweet that the girls kept eating the slices before I could get them in the pancake.

 

This pancake is amazing.  We decided that it’s almost like a clafoutis but not as sweet. Taylor said it reminded her of kugel.  It was so delicious that we couldn’t wait for photographs, but I still had enough apples to make it again a few nights later.  Just as good the second time around and not bad for breakfast the next morning if you have any leftovers. You won’t need to add any syrup or even powdered sugar to this, the apples add all the sweetness you need.  We have now become a hugh fan of baked apple pancakes.

This is the first time a company has sent anything to me to write about, and I was honored that it was Stemilt.  I was very impressed with their organization and look forward to finding their fruit on our shelves.  So thanks for introducing me to piñata  and tango apples.

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