One of our favorite harbingers of fall is the August apple harvest. Apples are such a versatile, delicious, and nutritious fruit and work well in all sorts of sweet and savory dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! At The Original Pancake House, we love to incorporate apples into our 
breakfast and brunch dishes, for example our Apple Pancake – stacked high with fresh sliced Granny Smith apples and cinnamon glaze – can’t be beat! And our golden brown Belgian waffle with fresh minced Granny Smith apples baked inside and lightly dusted with pure Sinkiang cinnamon sugar, whipped butter and warm homemade apple syrup is a memorable apple treat.
Here are a few of our favorite fall apple recipes to try out this season:
Slow Cooker Apple Cider – Perfect for that first cool fall afternoon!
Ingredients:
- 64 oz. apple cider
- 6 chai tea bags
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, split
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- Apple slices for serving
- Cinnamon sticks for serving
Instructions:
Combine apple cider, chai tea bags, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean in slow cooker. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. Discard tea bags; stir in lemon juice. Serve warm with apple slices and cinnamon stick.
Gruyere and Apple Tarts – These savory little tarts combine all the best flavors of fall with the 
perfect combination of sweet apples and savory cheese.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 small Yellow Onion
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- 2 large Braeburn apples
- 4 oz. Gruyère
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Sauté onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, on a work surface, roll out puff pastry to a 13 by 10 inch rectangle. Cut dough into four 6 ½ by 5 inch rectangles. Using a sharp knife, score 4 lines to create a ½ inch border all the way around each tart. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking pan.
- Divide half of onion mixture among tarts. Layer apples in 3 slightly overlapping rows on each. Top with remaining onion mixture and cheese. Dot with remaining butter. Bake tarts until apples are tender and cheese is golden, about 20 minutes.
Candied Yams & Apples – This warming side dish goes perfectly with any fall supper and couldn’t be easier to make!
Ingredients:
- 3 lb. yams
- 1 lb. Granny Smith apples
- 2 medium onions
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ¼ c. Honey
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and bake, stirring occasionally, until yams are tender, about 1 hour. Increase oven to 500 degrees and bake until liquid evaporates and yams are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Happy fall, Denver! We look forward to seeing you for breakfast in Denver soon!