Apple Harvest Festival In Waynesville, North Carolina

Enjoy all the fun at the Apple Harvest Festival in Waynesville, North Carolina on Saturday, October 16th.This will be the 22nd year for this fine venue.There will be apples, apples and more apples plus mountain music and dancing. More than 125 exhibitors will be showing their wares. Imagine ice cold cider, fried apple pies, apple cakes and more. Join in on the fun! Take home a peck of locally grown apples from the county apple growers association.

To celebrate this time of year I find all my apple recipes and start baking! This is a favorite from epicurious.com. These individual desserts are fun, modern version of pineapple upside down cake.

Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cakes

    2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
    1/4 cup water
    2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
    4 large Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds), peeled, cored, each cut into 8 wedges
    1 3/4 cups cake flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/2 cup whole milk

    Vanilla ice cream

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until color is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with pastry brush dipped into water, about 8 minutes. Working quickly, divide hot caramel among six 1 1/4-cup custard cups. Using pot holders to protect hands, tilt and rotate custard cups to cover bottoms with caramel. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apple wedges and sauté until just tender, about 12 minutes. Arrange apple wedges in bottoms of caramel-lined custard cups.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1/2 cup butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in another medium bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time and beat until well blended after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with whole milk in 2 additions. Spoon batter over apples in custard cups, dividing batter equally (about 1/2 cup for each).

Bake cakes until light golden around edges and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto plates. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

We love doing dessert for breakfast at Andon-Reid Inn Bed and Breakfast. This one is a winner!


Rachel Reid, Very Happy Innkeeper at Andon-Reid Inn our Bed and Breakfast in Waynesville, North Carolina
Top Stories