Dear PJH, Based upon your response to "Alice" where you lambasted her for not having made this cake and writing the blog a year ago; I find your response to her offensive. Maybe you need a vacation or some time away from having to write on the blog as well as The King Arthur Baking Sheet. All you needed to say is that there are many different varities, available at different times of the year that will work for this or many of the apple recipies posted in this blog; and that they should feel free to experiment with apples that are good for baking/cooking. I haven't met you presonally, but I have been to the store in Norwich as well as having taken a professional class that Jeffrey Hammelman taught. My 8 days in class around the store and as well as around that area of Vermont, I never ran into anyone who was that hostile or took out their frustration on a customer. An aquaintance of mine who also took the class (Mike T.) told me that you were very nice, helpful and funny...but in this case your anything but. I feel that you owe Alice an apology for your frustrations that were taken out on her. Oh my goodness, Nancy - I think you misunderstood. I wasn't "lambasting" Alice for not having made the cake a year ago - I was "lambasting" myself for not having been organized enough to do so! If I was TRULY organized, I would have tested that cake last year with fresh orchard apples, then sat on the results till apple season came around again (now), and published them. Instead, I started a month ago, when there were no fresh apples... so had to use the Granny Smiths. WOW - I hope no one else read that as an attack. I hope other readers don't think I'm hostile, and take my frustrations out on customers, because that is absolutely, positively 180° away from where I want to be. At any rate - I can see I inadvertently upset you, and I am SO sorry. Please accept my apologies. And Alice - if you felt attacked, I apologize to you, too. PJH

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