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Favorite Activities For Fall In New England

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Peak colors are seen along the Kancamagus Highway in Albany, N.H., in October 2012. (Jim Cole/AP)
Peak colors are seen along the Kancamagus Highway in Albany, N.H., in October 2012. (Jim Cole/AP)

It's officially the first day of fall, and you can already feel it. The crisp autumn wind, the changing leaves. Here are some ways to soak up the season's flavors.

Guest

Amy Traverso, senior food editor of Yankee Magazine and author of the award-winning "The Apple Lover’s Cookbook." She tweets @amytraverso.

Amy's Favorite Massachusetts Apple Orchards:

Red Apple Farm, Phillipston

Nashoba Valley Winery, Bolton

Belkin Family Lookout Farm, South Natick

Russell Orchards, Ipswich

Honeypot Hill, Stow

Smolak, North Andover

Amy's Hidden Gems:

Thompson House Eatery — Jackson, N.H.: Kate and Jeff Fournier, who previously owned 51 Lincoln and Waban Kitchen, have decamped for the White Mountains, bringing city polish to a local institution supplied with ingredients from their own farm.

Ondine Oyster & Wine Bar — Belfast, Maine: Evan Mallett, who runs Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth, has expanded up the coast and opened Ondine in the space formerly occupied by Lost Kitchen. Oysters, charcuterie, farm-to-table.

Cape Neddick Inn — Cape Neddick, Maine: Justin and Danielle Walker, formerly of Arrows and Earth at Hidden Pond, have opened their own place. More casual than what we've known them for. You can have anything from a haddock sandwich to pork three ways with peach agrodolce.

Mad River Valley and Southern Vermont: Both have burgeoning food scenes, with restaurants and gourmet markets reflecting pride of place, connections to local farms

Recipe: Cider Doughnut Muffins:

Courtesy Yankee Magazine

Total Time: 55 minutes
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients for Muffins
2 cups sweet apple cider
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375° and set a rack to the middle position. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan and set aside.

Put the apple cider in a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside to cool.

Using a standing or handheld mixer, cream the butter with the sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. Add the vanilla extract and blend.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add a third of this mixture to the butter mixture and beat just to combine. Add half the reduced cider and beat to combine. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the rest of the cider, then the remaining flour mixture. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups and transfer to the oven. Bake until tops are firm and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.

Ingredients for Topping
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Instructions
Now, prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. As soon as the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush their tops and sides with butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This segment aired on September 22, 2017.

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