By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Northborough – The aroma of apples, cinnamon and spice permeated one of the community meeting rooms at the Senior Center on Sept. 20 when five members of the community gathered to judge this year’s entries in the 29th Annual Applefest Bake-off featuring recipes where apples reign supreme.
Applefest Grand Marshal Joann Sharp was joined by Northborough Police Lt. Joe Galvin, Northborough Firefighter-Paramedic Jeremy Peters, Ron Doucett and Dana Volke as they judged 14 entries which ranged from Dutch apple tartlets, brownies, blondies, apple-apricot squares and cakes of many varieties including apple crisp cheesecake and an apple pound-cake, to name a few.
“It’s a wonderful organization [Applefest] that brings so many wonderful people together for fun and celebration of this great community,” said Sharp. “Today we are all celebrating with a bake-off for those who bring in their pastries; we get to taste and, as a judge, it’s difficult because everybody does such a great job.”
The judges indeed had a tough decision. Criteria included presentation, creativity, taste and overall impression. The results were shared at a special Applefest Luncheon held at Bistro 119 in the Senior Center.
Henry Squillante, assistant treasurer of the Friends of the Northborough Senior Center, had the honors of tabulating the results which were announced by Kelly Burke, director of the Senior Center.
First place honors went to Donna Finn-McArthur who baked the Apple Crisp Cheesecake; . second place went to one of last year’s first place recipients (it was a tie), Nancy Berglund who entered her Apple Brownies; and third place went to Linda Thomasino who submitted Apple Maple Blondies.
photos/Melanie Petrucci
