Page 61 - Passion4Baking The Magazine

Melissa and Steve from the Forever Farm,
my friend Janne and I went to visit Mercier
Orchards in Blue Ridge, Georgia earlier this
fall. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was
shining and we were all greeted by the lovely staff
that showed us around the orchards. The old and worn
buildings proved the longevity of the business, now in
its 4th generation. Mercier Orchards has been a family
operated apple orchard since its opening in 1943, and
since then it has expanded to include a bakery and deli,
a market store and a farm winery. The bakery produces
some amazing pies – apple, of course, but also pumpkin
and other fruit pies – and we got to taste them all.
The day before our visit I said to my followers on
Instagram that I was in the area, and if anyone
happened to live nearby it would have been great to
meet them. I would never have guessed that anyone
would drive for 2 hours to meet me, but lovely Angela
Richardson (@hookedonpink on Instagram) came to the
apple farm with her family, and I just loved her instantly.
After our tour around the beautiful grounds none of us
wanted to leave, and the smell of the amazing pies from
the bakery didn’t make it any easier. Mercier Orchards
inspired me, and I truly wish I could have spent the
entire day perusing the grounds and buildings, sampling
apples and the wide range of produce.
Pies can be hard and time consuming to make,
so I’d like to share the recipe for my easy apple crumble
pie instead. I hope you will enjoy the apple cupcakes
and the apple butter brioche buns, too.

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