THE FLY CREEK CIDER MILL COOKBOOK: More than 100 Delicious Apple Recipes
Brenda Palmer Michaels, Bill Michaels
Agate
May 17, 2016
$22.95/Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1572841949
Brenda Palmer Michaels is president and co-owner of the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design and holds a BFA with honors from Pratt Institute. She received the WISE (Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) Award, among many others.
Bill Michaels is the co-owner of the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard. He took over the Mill with his wife, Brenda, in 1999. He has served as Councilman on the Town Board of Cooperstown, NY, his hometown community. He has won numerous awards as an entrepreneur and small business owner.
Released to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard, this cookbook captures the history of this celebrated mill through stories, photographs, and more than 100 apple- and cider-based recipes.
First opened in the mid-1800s, Fly Creek is one of New York State’s oldest working mills. Owned by authors Brenda and Bill Michaels, the mill sits on the picturesque banks of Fly Creek near historic Cooperstown and attracts more than 175,000 visitors a year.
This region is becoming a mecca of agritourism, and people visit to the flavors of Central New York through farm-direct products such as apple salsas and butters, apple cider doughnuts, apple pies and breads, and of course, sweet apple cider. THE FLY CREEK CIDER MILL COOKBOOK will help readers recreate these heritage recipes—many of them from the kitchens of mill staff, family, and friends—in their own homes.
This book will appeal not only to home cooks in search of some nostalgic goodness, but also those interested in the history of a resilient American enterprise and the farm-to-table food movement.
SOUR CREAM-APPLE COFFEE CAKE
Makes 1 13-inch cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups peeled, finely diced tart apples
Optional Topping
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, peanuts, or pecans
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Coat the interior of a 13 × 9 × 2–inch baking pan or other 2-quart baking or cake pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
Place the butter in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low to soften. Add the brown and granulated sugars, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down the edge of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
With the motor running, alternately add the reserved dry ingredients and the sour cream to the creamed mixture, occasionally scraping down the edge of the bowl with a rubber spatula. When completely blended, remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the rubber spatula, fold the apples into the batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
If using, prepare the topping. Combine the nuts with the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl, stirring with a fork to blend well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the batter.
Place the cake in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Note: Although the topping adds a nice crunch, it is not necessary. Plain or with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar is absolutely delicious also.
APPLE-CHEDDAR QUICHE
Makes 1 19-inch quiche or 6 individual quiches
- 2 large tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into thin slices
- 3 tablespoons apple cider
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 9-inch tart pan lined with Mill-Aged Cheddar Pie Pastry (see page 37) or 6 4-inch tart pans lined with pastry (see note)
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Place the apple slices in a large frying pan with the cider. Bring to a simmer and immediately remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a double layer of paper towel to drain well.
Combine the eggs with the cottage cheese and Cheddar cheese in a blender jar. Add the milk and season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
Place the drained apples in the bottom of the pastry-lined pie pan. Or, if making individual quiches, place an equal number of the apple slices over the bottom of each pastry-lined pan. Carefully pour the cheese mixture over the top, keeping the apples in an even layer over the bottom.
Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until the point of a small, sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Note: If you don’t have time to make the pastry, a refrigerated pie crust will work just fine. Or, you can bake the cheese mixture in a well-buttered deep-dish pie plate if you want to eliminate the crust altogether.
Reprinted with permission from The Fly Creek Cider Mill Cookbook by Brenda and Bill Michaels, Agate Surrey, 2016
Contact: Jacqueline Jarik
847.475.4457, Ext. 4
jarik@agatepublishing.com