Hurricane Sauce: A Good Use for Fallen Apples

Recipe courtesy of Polly's Pancake Parlor

It used to be that few people would let anything go to waste – and certainly not perfectly good apples that a hurricane might blow off trees as it swept through New Hampshire. No, they would be picked up and used. Back in the early 1970s Nancy Aldrich, owner of Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, got a recipe from a customer for Hurricane Sauce that was perfect for dropped apples, or any kind, really. They started making it as a topping for their pancakes and waffles.Customers loved it – and still do. “It’s extremely popular,” says Kathie Cote, Nancy’s daughter and now the owner. “I use it on my cereal, too.” If you can’t get up to Polly’s (though you definitely should go), the sauce is easy to make – just three ingredients (see recipe). For more information about Polly’s Pancake Parlor, visit www.pollyspancakeparlor.com.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter
2 cups pure maple syrup
3 cups unpeeled, thinly sliced tart apples

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the syrup. Mix and bring to a simmer. Add the apples.

Simmer the apples up to two hours as low as possible, occasionally stirring very gently so as not to break up the slices. The sauce is done when the apples are transparent. Remove the sauce from the flame and allow it to cool to slightly warmer than room temperature.

Serve over vanilla ice cream, cereal, on pancakes or waffles.