“We are looking for a place to eat dinner. Could you please give us your best suggestion?”
The answer to this question exceeded our expectations.
Our organization’s conference inserted a free day into our schedule, so Larry tossed aside our meeting mentality and headed to the mountains. The spectacular ride up through Big Thompson Canyon awed us at each turn.
At the top, Trail Ridge Road guided us through Rocky Mountain National Park where the Continental Divide served as our point to turn around. Delicate wildflowers offered exquisite beauty, and the sight of elf peacefully strung out across the side of a mountain slope left us mesmerized.
Once back down in Estes Park, we strolled the lively streets, bought decadent chocolate fudge, and sat on a rock beside a bubbling mountain stream to breathe in the fabulous alpine air.
Now with appetites the size of a bear, Larry and I turned to a local shopkeeper for advice, “Where do you suggest we go for dinner?”
In a heartbeat, this gentleman gave us, not only an answer, but an invitation to ongoing adventure: The Baldpate Inn.
Indeed, a few miles outside of town, our destination welcomed us, both that evening, and on multiple occasions since, when we have been fortunate to return with family, friends, or colleagues in tow. Charming, quaint, and hospitable, this spot is always worth the pilgrimage.
At this wooded lodge on the National Register of Historic Places, the menu remains consistent — soup, salad, muffins, and pie. (Just insert the word yummy.) Reputation has it that even Duncan Hines awarded this dining room a 5-star status in the 1940s and ’50s.
On one visit, my request for their Scandinavian Apple Pie recipe was graciously granted. Now, the recipe is yours. May the delectable dessert enhance your 4th of July holiday, and tide you over until you, too, have a chance to visit The Baldpate Inn.
Scandinavian Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 T. all-purpose white flour
¾ C. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 C. sour cream
Topping:
½ C. white sugar 1/3 C. white flour 1 t. cinnamon 6 T. chilled butter
Instructions:
Toss apple slices with sugar, flour, and salt. Blend egg, vanilla, and sour cream in a separate bowl then mix together. Pour into an unbaked pie crust and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until almost set.
Meanwhile, grate chilled butter into the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Toss gently to create crumb topping. Sprinkle over the nearly-baked pie. Return the pie to the oven about 15 additional minutes or until the top is golden and dry.
