What flavors do you associate with fall? For me the ones that immediately come to mind are apple cider, cinnamon, caramel, ginger, cranberry, pumpkin and nut flavors. Here are a few ideas on how to incorporate these flavors into your cooking.
Apple Cider Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
- 1 cup apple cider
- Parsley for garnish
Directions
Put the potatoes, apple cider and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring once, until the potatoes are tender (25-30 minutes).
Mash the potatoes with the cider until it is smooth. Add the butter and the pepper and heat just until the butter melts. Garnish with parsley.
Pumpkin Ricotta Cheese Pie
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/3 cup of honey
- 1 cup of pumpkin
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
Crust
- 1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans
- Pinch of salt
- Butter
Directions
For the crust:
Place the crust ingredients, except the butter, in a food processor or blender and process until totally ground, but not powdery. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the crumbs for a topping.
Rub a little soft butter on the inside of a 9″ pie pan at least 1 1/2″ deep; use a deep-dish pan, if you have one.
If your pie pan isn’t at least 1 1/2″ deep, substitute a 9″ square pan.
Pour the crumbs into the pan, tilting and shaking the pan to distribute the crumbs across the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Place the pan on a baking sheet, to make it easy to handle once you’ve added the filling.
For the filling:
Beat together with an electric mixer the ricotta, mascarpone, pumpkin, honey, eggs and pumpkin pie spice.
Continue to beat until creamy.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust and sprinkle the top with the reserved crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until the top of the center of the cheese pie springs back to the touch.
Chill in the refrigerator prior to serving.
Apple Bars
Makes 20 bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (3 cups)
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted or cinnamon chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan; set aside.
In a very large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in the apples and nuts.
Add the egg mixture to the well in the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened (batter will be thick).
Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour to serve slightly warm, or cool completely.
Pear Crisp
6 servings
Ingredients
- 5 cups thinly sliced pears
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Topping
- 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the sliced fruit with the granulated sugar and place in the prepared baking dish.
For the topping:
In a medium bowl stir together the oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts.
Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden.
Cranberry Pecan Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats, uncooked
- 1/2 cup sweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- Cooking spray
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
Coat an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, oats, applesauce and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and thoroughly combine them.
Mix in the cranberries and pecans. It should have a consistency a little thicker than pancake batter.
Pour the dough into the loaf pan.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the loaf’s center comes out dry or an instant read thermometer registers 190 degrees F at the center of the loaf.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool before slicing.
