The Fall Baking Season

 Now that cooler weather is here, it's time to think about fall baking,. Many of us have been baked out , thanks to the pandemic and the quest for the perfect sourdough. Yet baking is much more than that. It's trying well loved recipes and putting new spins on old ones. It's a whole bake shop of different ideas.

Of course apples are big right now.Everyone is baking pies however apples can be used in a variety of other recipes too. A fun variation are apple dumplings. These are basically apples en croute with a cinnamon laced dough wrapped around them.  They're good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. An apple galette is another delicious baked treat. Many home bakers balk at creating a fruit galette, thinking it's a fancy tart but it's really a free form pie. An apple galette is the perfect autumn dessert that can end a fancy meal or just a simple one. Apples can also go healthy with being a vital ingredient in muffins. They 're just sliced and grated into the other ingredients. Fall is also pear season. This elegant fruit can be the main ingredient of a tarte tatin, a buttery crusted pie with a caramelized interior. A tasty appetizer is a pear and Brie cheese baked en croute. This is a savory and sweet dish that has a Brie or Camenbert baked with spicy pear compote.

Spices play a big part in autumn baking. Everybody loves a kitchen redolent with the aromas of allspice , cinnamon , ginger and nutmeg .  These can be used together or separately in a variety of different baked goods. Together they create the ubiquitous pumpkin pie spice which is all over right now. Use them for what they were originally used for  - pumpkin pie. It's still a great way to end a meal whether  it's a Thanksgiving feast or just a Sunday dinner. The recipe can be varied. Home bakers can try their hand at pumpkin pie tartlets or turn the filling into a pudding and then fill in an already made crust.  Another spicy treat is a spice cake. Think of a double layered one with a cream cheese frosting (sort of like a carrot cake but without the carrots and raisins). This can easily be turned into a batch of cupcakes too, as a fun treat for a fall backyard barbecue. Cinnamon is another fall spice that's versatile in baking. A cinnamon cake is a nice alternative to a vanilla one and it can be served without icing or just with a simple dusting of confectioner's sugar. Cinnamon bread and rolls take the chill out of a cool morning and are an easy bake the whole family can participate in. Ginger and nutmeg are perfect in gingerbread along with clove and allspice. Add some cocoa powder to truly elevate this classic recipe as NIgella Lawson did with her gingerbread cake recipe.

Celebrate the fall baking season with a buttery apple stuffed galette or spice cupcakes topped with a blog of cream cheese frosting. It's the season to create delicious pies, cakes breads cupcakes, and cookies. Have fun and be creative , as you welcome the cool weather with fresh from the oven treats.