Apple Spice Bakery

About
1545 N. Main St - map it!
Apple Spice Bakery & Cafe is a cute new restaurant in Logan. They have multiple other locations throughout the US and offer cafe-style seating, delivery, and box lunches. There are in a convenient location but be wary of eating in their outside seating area, as it could get quite loud due to traffic.

Menu - view menu!
They have a great variety of soups, sandwiches (including paninis), and salads, as well as baked goods such as dessert items or freshly-baked bread. There is something for everyone, which is great because it's a healthy and delicious alternative to having lunch at common fast food places around, like Taco Bell or McDonalds (hey- I love those too, but sometimes a girl craves something healthy!). Apple Spice Bakery has an incredible selection of sandwiches and salads, so every visit there is something to discover!

Granny Apple Turkey on Honey Wheat Bread with (half-eaten) Pasta Salad

Price Range - $5-9
The cheaper items in the $5 range are breakfast items, which they serve until 10:30am. Other than the lone Mac n Cheese or the Garden Salad options at $5.99, all other menu options fall in the $6.99-8.99 range. A little pricey for lunch, but you pay for the creative options and unique variety you wouldn't find much else of in Logan. They do offer free delivery which is a great deal!

Freshly sliced turkey, havarti cheese, crisp apples, and lettuce on gloriously mouth-watering bread.

Verdict - 4.5 stars
The food was great and the atmosphere inviting, my only complaint is that it was a bit pricey for portion sizes (which is rightly justified by the creativeness and rarity of menu items but we were still kinda hungry after). But all the menu items seem thoughtfully crafted and delicious! I would definitely come back here again even without the "Buy one menu item, get one free" option from our Cache Valley Club Card.

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pies

Makes 3 pies

16 oz. pecans (Stone Mountain Pecan Company)

2 sticks margarine (Parkay)

16 oz. package light brown sugar (Domino or Dixie Crystals)

1 heaping tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) self-rising flour (White Lily)

16 oz. bottle light corn syrup (Karo)

1 tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) imitation vanilla

6 eggs

3 regular size (not deep dish) frozen pie crusts (Pet-Ritz)

Melt margarine in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until melted and set aside.

Prepare your pecans. Remove any unwanted brown pieces from the pecan crevices and shake out pecan crumbs in a colander.

Place brown sugar in a large bowl. Work out any lumps with the back of a spoon. If the brown sugar is too hard, you can loosen it up in the microwave. Heat it for a few seconds and it will be fine.

Add a heaping serving tablespoon of self-rising flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.

Add a bottle of light corn syrup. Then add 1 serving tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined.

Add melted margarine. Fold carefully into the mixture so it doesn’t splatter. Fold until the margarine is thoroughly worked in and disappears.

In a separate bowl, crack open six eggs. Remove the “roosters” and loosely beat the eggs with your spoon.

Fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.

Add pecans and stir until completely coated.

Remove three pie shells from the freezer at this point and check for cracks. If you do have a crack, thaw and knead the crack together and refreeze.

Pour the mixture evenly into the three shells. You’ll probably have a little bit leftover in the bowl. Tap tops with a spoon to check consistency and make sure there is the same amount in each pie. Redistribute pecans if necessary to make equal.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.

Remove and cool for about three hours. Store on the counter or in the refrigerator depending on how you like your pie.

Garlicky Cream of Broccoli Soup

Excellent for beginners, great for people who are on a time crunch to savor that lusciously rich, slow-cooked taste with only 15 minutes of work. Serves 2-4.

Ingredients:

1 cup small broccoli florets

2 cups chopped broccoli stalk and bigger florets

1/2 small onion, quartered - optional

4 giant cloves of garlic

1 pint half and half (or whole milk, but it's only 99 cents and well worth it!)

1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of celery soup

1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar (or really, any cheese)

salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of nutmeg (seriously)

To start, bring a well salted pot of water to a boil and toss in the 2 cups of roughly chopped broccoli, the chopped onion, and 2 cloves of garlic. Boil on high until the stalk pieces are fork tender and scoop out and blend in a food processor until smooth. Save 2 cups of the pot water and dump the rest.

In the same pot, mix the can of cream of celery and the carton of half and half. Add the blended vegetables and stir on medium heat. Mince (don't food processor it- no matter how tempted you are) the other two cloves of garlic and toss in. Add in the cheese and stir. As it bubbles away, periodically add the saved pot water to keep it from getting too thick. I used about a cup and saved the other cup to add when I boiled the soup again later for leftovers.

Remember to keep tasting as you stir so you can flavor it with salt and pepper accordingly. I did add quite a bit of salt and pepper, but I find broccoli usually requires more salt than most veggies do and I just plain old love pepper. Add the nutmeg and cover and let simmer on very low heat for however long you want. I let mine sit on low for 45 minutes since we were in no hurry and it was amazing. Serve with crusty sourdough bread!

Look Paula Deen, no butter! I love butter, but why add it when you can't even taste it in the end? This soup is plenty rich and flavorful without any. The nutmeg saves the soup from tasting too vegetable-y and gives it the right amount of fall spice. You can't taste the nutmeg too much, but it definitely makes a difference.