Granny Smith’s Apple Flapjacks with Warm Cider Syrup, and Anticipating the Sweetness of Fall

Although fall “officially” begins September 22, I, for one, certainly don’t need an official date to begin bringing out the fall-inspired recipes.

After all, fall is my favorite time of year; and once all of the various sweet, juicy and crisp apple “varietals” begin appearing more and more in the produce isles, and the local orchards start inviting us to participate in their “U-Pick” festivities, then I start to have a very hard time resisting the temptation to begin brainstorming comfy-cozy and kitchen-warming new recipes that center on the spicy-sweetness and golden color of fall produce.

For me, the fall is a particularly cozy season; there’s a softness and a slight hush that begins to settle in after the hubbub of the high-energy summertime, and the evenings take on a warm golden hue that allow me to get lost a little in my fantasy of fallen leaves, orange-yellow-green pumpkins and brisk evening strolls as the sun dips down and out of sight into a moody evening sky.

Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve always absolutely adored the reflective melancholy of the fall and all of the delicious possibilities for comfort that it brings with it.

Homemade, thick and fluffy flapjacks (or “pancakes”—whichever you grew up saying works) hot off the pan are something that we find a lot of joy in preparing in our home.

We often have our “pancake nights” on Saturday evenings, especially in the colder months when the warmth and fragrance coming from the kitchen just naturally seems to elicit a good appetite in us.

With apples now becoming a very plentiful fruit-of-the-moment, the thought of fall-inspired and spicy-malty apple flapjacks with a warm and buttery cider syrup just wouldn’t stop dancing around in my mind. They’re divine on a sleepy and slow-paced weekend morning, or decadent and fun for a breakfast-for-dinner evening meal.

Pure fall comfort on a plate, which is something that sounds utterly perfect to me right now.

So as the sun slowly begins to set earlier and earlier, and as a milder and cooler breeze begins to whisper through the trees in the evenings, fall will begin to make its presence known and invite us to open ourselves up to all of its wonderful golden-glowing colors, scents, and flavors.

It’ll nudge us into our kitchens to warm them up with the sweetness and coziness of a plateful of thick and fluffy apple flapjacks drenched in buttery syrup, and share in the richness and the soft mystery that it contains.

Taste what’s good and pass it on.

Ingrid

And btw, if you happen to want more “apple-full” recipes? Check out these Old Mill, Apple Cider Hushpuppies; this moist Apple Cider Spice Cake; or this Caramel Apple “Stacked” French Toast!)