Fall baking and cooking, what are your plans for the season?

[helena]

We did our annual fall solstice apple butter. YUM! 

 

I'm thinking about doing a vegan pumpkin cheese cake this weekend but my kids don't like pumpkin anymore  :glare: and my husband has a gallstone situation that's suddenly changed his diet to... cucumbers and watermelon?? :)

 

I'm looking for beverages, main and side dishes, desserts, everything. Even with the stress of the diet changes for hubby, I want to do lots of cozy cooking. A little decadent for the kids and I and a lot super healthy for him. 

 

So... what are your fall cooking plans?

[lynn]

I made a pumpkin crunch cake lemon bars, pumpkin cookies, oatmeal/walnut cookies, pumpkin roll.   plan to make pumpkin snickerdoodles and pumpkin scones sometime in the next week.

 

I love cold weather cooking, I don't have to think of my heating the house when I bake.  I plan to make redcabbage with apples and smoked sausage for dinner tomorrow.  I made mom's porkchop ricebake this past week.    

 

Oh Yeah I forgot about my German recipes saurbrauten, rouladen(spelling), homemade spatzel, black forest cake.

 

I also make soups taco soup, tortelini spinach soup, potato cheese soup etc

 

 

[Chris in VA]

Our church makes apple butter this weekend--5 huge copper kettles/cauldrons, hours and hours of stirring over open fires! Great fun. I can count that, right? 

 

I'm making something new every week. This week was a beef tips recipe, and a strawberry avocado pico de gallo (which is more summery, but too bad).

 

I haven't chosen yet for the rest of season.

 

Apple pie for the fair, tho!

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Just did apple picking, so time to bust out my pie operation. Also due for another batch of soft pretzels, but I need to restock my local honey. Of course, just tonight we were talking to DD about making mini cheesecakes and her eyes lit up, so add Nilla Wafers to the list. I could use a prep chef.

[jenn-]

I made these low carb pumpkin muffins tonight.  They were yummy with a cream cheese frosting.

[AMJ]

DD9 has asked if she can get out her Easy Bake Oven again, so we are taking it along tomorrow when going to Grandma's & Grandpa's to meet up with more family.  She has a few mixes left, but I Googled "Easy Bake Oven recipes" and found a lot of sites with easy recipes using ordinary ingredients (not expensive and not-too-flavorful special mixes).  So, we will be trying brownies from scratch baked in an Easy Bake!

[Susan C.]

Its not exactly cold here... but highs under 80, so I'm making soups. I've made these the past few weeks. I did need to have homemade broth and pre-soaked and cooked beans on hand to make it easier to make them.

 

http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/2008/06/lentil-soup-with-chickpeas-and-quinoa

*double the recipe and cut "chilies" back, this isn't chili powder, but straight chili, I used chipotle

 

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/italian-vegetable-soup-no-stock-or-broth-needed/

*yes, 16 oz. of miso, I got by with 8-10 oz. this makes a ton, don't boil the miso, and its yummy cold and the miso makes it better each day

 

http://nourishedkitchen.com/kale-and-white-bean-soup/

[Dory]

Every fall I dehydrate hordes of apples with coconut sugar and cinnamon. I make some pumpkin tarts and can some pumpkin pie filler and hopefully have enough remaining to make some muffins. I make apple pie filler and can it and well as apple butter and applesauce. No sugar in any of it, just honey. I've made 16 dozen zucchini muffins and froze them for dh's lunches. I do up a big batch of chili and freeze some after we've had a meal from it (somehow chili just feels like fall to me). I also do up a large batch of bean burritos and freeze a bunch of them as well for future lunches. The apples and pumpkins are definitely my favorite part of the fall cooking. They always make the house smell amazing.

[Belacqua]

Fall and winter, we're all about the braise. And stews with dumplings or biscuits. Anything I can make in the Dutch oven. 

 

Onion marmalade. Roasted garlic. Scones. Froofy coffee drinks with flavored syrups.  Oatmeal cinnamon bread. 

 

And my favorite gingerbread cake that calls for lots of Guinness.

[Catwoman]

No matter what the season, I usually just go to the bakery. ;)

[Ali in OR]

Our apples are ripe, so this week I made an apple pie, applesauce, and an apple salad. Haven't thought about anything beyond apples yet! Pumpkin has to wait until October (says me).

[Onceuponatime]

We just polished off a very molasse-y gingerbread. I'll also be making molasses crinkles and homemade cake donuts. I love pumpkin custard ( pumpkin pie without the crust) for breakfast with a dollop of plain yogurt.

 

We go apple picking on Monday, but we've already had apple crisp  and lots of fresh macs.

 

I love soups and stews, especially with dumplings.

[AmandaVT]

Every year I get a bushel of dropped apples from one of the local orchards. It's a fair amount of work to cut away the bad parts, but for $16, I get a ton of usable apples. I'll make applesauce and apple butter and pies! The best ones we'll save for eating. 

 

Apple cinnamon oatmeal and pumpkin oatmeal and various yummy muffins. Mini apple crisps and pumpkin bread. mmmmm.

 

Lentil soup, potato, leek and corn chowder, chili, shepherd's pie, chickpeas and dumplings, and so many other fall favorites are on deck. We've transitioned to mostly plant based since last fall, so I'm planning on reworking some of my fall favorites, like braised pork chops, onion and apple and some of my favorite cheesy dishes. 

 

Pumpkin coffee is back in my morning coffee rotation and I can't wait for gingerbread in a couple of months! I love fall....

[Chris in VA]

Every year I get a bushel of dropped apples from one of the local orchards. It's a fair amount of work to cut away the bad parts, but for $16, I get a ton of usable apples. I'll make applesauce and apple butter and pies! The best ones we'll save for eating. 

 

Apple cinnamon oatmeal and pumpkin oatmeal and various yummy muffins. Mini apple crisps and pumpkin bread. mmmmm.

 

Lentil soup, potato, leek and corn chowder, chili, shepherd's pie, chickpeas and dumplings, and so many other fall favorites are on deck. We've transitioned to mostly plant based since last fall, so I'm planning on reworking some of my fall favorites, like braised pork chops, onion and apple and some of my favorite cheesy dishes. 

 

Pumpkin coffee is back in my morning coffee rotation and I can't wait for gingerbread in a couple of months! I love fall....

 

Can you tell me about pumpkin oatmeal? Is it sweet? How do you make it?

I'd like to start making some interesting oatmeals for breakfasts.

 

What would you serve with it to balance the carbs with protein? I feel better when I do that--

[helena]

Thank you for all the replies so far! I'm feeling inspired. :)

 

I bought a fall foliage garland from the craft store and ran some reddish orange twinkle lights through it. I have it up on the piano next to me. AHHH!!!

 

Susan C, it was in the 80s here today too. With the AC on, the curtains drawn, the lights, and the smell of a cinnamon broom... I'm pretending that we have cool fall weather.  :tongue_smilie:

[GSOchristie]

Fall and winter, we're all about the braise. And stews with dumplings or biscuits. Anything I can make in the Dutch oven.

 

Onion marmalade. Roasted garlic. Scones. Froofy coffee drinks with flavored syrups. Oatmeal cinnamon bread.

 

And my favorite gingerbread cake that calls for lots of Guinness.

And you are welcome to come to my house and bring any of this deliciousness any time :).

[Dory]

I forgot to add my carrot pies to that list. I just started making the pie filler for those today so that I can throw the pies together quick and easy for our Canadian Thanksgiving.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

just around the first of SEPT each year,I get the itch to bake....bake anything and everything LOL.....so far I've just made biscuits and apple biscuits (scones)....but I have plans to do pumpkin spice cupcakes,muffins,pumpkin/chocolate chip bread,probably banana bread.....I've made my own apple sauce.....and I made muffins a few weeks ago and sent leftovers to my sister's house-she's been raving about them since-guess I should make more....

[AmandaVT]

Can you tell me about pumpkin oatmeal? Is it sweet? How do you make it?

I'd like to start making some interesting oatmeals for breakfasts.

 

What would you serve with it to balance the carbs with protein? I feel better when I do that--

 

I add a couple of tablespoons to the oatmeal as it's cooking and usually some dried cranberries too. Then sprinkle on some pumpkin pie spice and a little bit of maple syrup. I find it's got enough protein as is for me, but if you cook the oats in some milk, that will up the protein content a good bit and make it creamier. :-)

[Belacqua]

And you are welcome to come to my house and bring any of this deliciousness any time :).

Love to! But if you want pie, you're in charge of making the crust. Piecrust (specifically, rolling it out without cracking it) is my culinary bete noire. 

[nmoira]

I'm not an enthusiastic baker, but we do have a few faves.

 

Quick breads: banana bread, pumpkin loaves, gingerbread, Hungarian sour cream cake (the first three are kinda healthy)

 

Cookies: shortbreads (our big Christmas thing), ginger snaps

 

Cakes: rum cake, Mandarin cake (gluten free)

 

Tarts: butter tarts, lemon tarts

 

This year we're going to make proper rum balls and I picked up assume fancy 9" tart pans, so I'm casting about for some recipes to put them to use.

 

Aside from the quick breads, shortbreads and butter tarts, most baking is for entertaining.

[LostSurprise]

Freezing helps slow the inhalation of superior home baked goods. 

 

Its the only way to keep me out of them, anyway. 

[HollyDay]

Considering it is still 90+ degrees, I'm not doing much baking yet.  And it makes me sad.  I so want hot apple cider, oatmeal muffins with homemade pumpkin butter.  *sigh* 

 

But, I did place a King Arthur Flour order today!  Hoping for cooler weather soon!!!

[Slartibartfast]

I had to make a pot of butternut squash soup, the soup thread had me craving it. :)

 

Dh freaking loves pumpkin so I will probably make pies, bread, maybe some cupcakes again if I get crazy. Once I made pumpkin bread pudding and he was completely blown away but I am a bit scared of how many calories it contained.

 

 

Since we moved south I have not gone into the downward spiral of making beef bourguinon over and over in a desperate attempt to find some comfort under a foot of ice. 

[helena]

Its not exactly cold here... but highs under 80, so I'm making soups. I've made these the past few weeks. I did need to have homemade broth and pre-soaked and cooked beans on hand to make it easier to make them.

 

http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/2008/06/lentil-soup-with-chickpeas-and-quinoa

*double the recipe and cut "chilies" back, this isn't chili powder, but straight chili, I used chipotle

 

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/italian-vegetable-soup-no-stock-or-broth-needed/

*yes, 16 oz. of miso, I got by with 8-10 oz. this makes a ton, don't boil the miso, and its yummy cold and the miso makes it better each day

 

http://nourishedkitchen.com/kale-and-white-bean-soup/

I'm eating the lentil soup right now. YUMMY!!!!!

I can't wait for my family to come home and try it.

 

Thank you :)

 

P.S. Another hot day...  :cool:

[Negin]

DOUBLE LAYER PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Serves 8

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (and at room temperature)

½ cup sour cream

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs (at room temperature)

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

8 oz. can pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Fold sour cream in. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

Bake in a water bath at 350 for 1 hr (till the middle jiggles like jello), then turn off the oven, prop the door open and let the cheesecake sit for another hour, I promise you it will not crack at all.

Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Cover with whipped topping before serving.

 

----

 

 

PUMPKIN AND CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

Yields: 24 muffins

8 ounce(s) cream cheese

3 eggs

2 1/2 cup(s) sugar

2 1/2 cup(s) flour

1/4 cup(s) pecans, roughly chopped

3 tablespoon(s) butter, melted

2 1/2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

2 teaspoon(s) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda

1 1/4 cup(s) solid-packed pumpkin

1/3 cup(s) vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

 

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat two 12-cup standard muffin tins with oil and set aside.

Mix the cream cheese, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Toss 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pecans, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon in a large bowl.

Lightly beat the remaining eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour the pumpkin mixture into the well, and mix with a fork just until moistened.

Evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin cups.

Place two teaspoonfuls of cream cheese filling in the center of each cup and fill with the remaining batter.

Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin and bake until golden and a tester, inserted into the muffin center, comes out clean -- 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool on wire racks.

 

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE CREPES

6 eggs

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups cornstarch

4 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons pumpkin puree

 

Ingredients for the Cheesecake Filling:

8 oz. Cool Whip/Thick Cream

1 lb. cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Optional: caramel sundae sauce and pecans for topping

 

Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cornstarch, sugar, and pumpkin puree. Set aside.

Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the cream cheese until it’s smooth, without lumps.

Cream in the sugar, salt, lemon juice and vanilla.

Mix in the cool whip until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick spray, and pour 1/4 c. batter into the center of the pan.

Lift the pan by the handle and rotate so the batter spreads in a large thin circle.

Let cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges and top look dry (not like cracking kind of dry, just so you can tell it’s obviously not loose batter anymore).

Give it a quick flip with a spatula, let it cook for a few seconds on that side and then remove from pan.

Repeat with the remaining batter.

Remove pan from heat in between each crepe for a few seconds. This will keep the pan from getting too hot and burning the crepes.

Fill each crepe with the cheesecake filling, top with caramel sauce and pecans.

 

PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST BAKE

Sweet and spicy pumpkin french toast is made the night before for an easy, early-morning preparation.

Serves: 10

 

One 8 oz loaf French or Italian bread – crusty, whole grain is best

7 large eggs

2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup pumpkin BUTTER (or 1/2 cup pumpkin puree) – double this

3-4 tablespoons brown sugar for topping

Nuts, like pecan or walnuts (optional)

 

Cut any kind of bread into 1-inch cubes.

Fill a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish with bread cubes.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, pumpkin butter and pie spice until well combined.

Pour over bread and push down with a spoon or your hands until it’s all soaked and mostly covered.

Cover with saran wrap or lid and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees, uncover and top with brown sugar, additional pumpkin pie spice and nuts (optional).

Bake for 35-45 minutes or golden brown and no longer wet.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar.

Notes

For the bread cubes, just use as much bread as it takes to fill the bottom of your dish generously, plus up about 1 to 1.5 inches. If you’ve added too much to soak up the liquid, just remove some. And if it looks too wet, add some more bread.

I HIGHLY recommend using pumpkin butter as it has a concentrated pumpkin flavor and is much sweeter than puree. But if using puree instead of butter, it’s important to compensate the flavor by adding a bit more puree, pumpkin pie spice, and a little agave nectar, brown sugar or maple syrup to the batter. Otherwise, it will lack that delicious fall, pumpkin flavor you’re going for.

 

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup milk

6 tablespoons pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg

:

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves in a medium bowl.

Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, butter and egg in a separate bowl. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook approximately 3 minutes per side.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

 

[unsinkable]

Fall and winter, we're all about the braise. And stews with dumplings or biscuits. Anything I can make in the Dutch oven.

 

Onion marmalade. Roasted garlic. Scones. Froofy coffee drinks with flavored syrups. Oatmeal cinnamon bread.

 

And my favorite gingerbread cake that calls for lots of Guinness.

Care to share any recipes? Esp. For the marmalade, oatmeal cinna. bread and gingerbread cake?

[shukriyya]

In response to nmoira's comment on butter tarts...

Haven't had those since my childhood in Canada!

[Belacqua]

Care to share any recipes? Esp. For the marmalade, oatmeal cinna. bread and gingerbread cake?

 

You bet!

 

You could make the onion marmalade without the pork tenderloin, of course (though they are divine together).

 

This is the gingerbread cake. Warning: when you add the soda to the beer/molasses mixture, it foams up. A lot. Have a big pan. 

 

I'll have to go scrounge up the bread recipe, as it's from an actual book. Will post the recipe soon.

[Belacqua]

Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread (from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Bread)

 

1 1/2 c. rolled oats

1 1/2 c. boiling water

3 T butter

3 T honey

1 T brown sugar

2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp yeast

2 eggs, room temp.

4-5 c. flour

3 T butter, melted

1 c. sugar

2 T. cinnamon

 

1. Grease two 8x4 loaf pans

 

2. In large bowl, mix oats and boiling water. Stir to blend. Add butter, honey, brown sugar, salt. [you can also put in 1/2 c. raisins here, though I never have]. Let mixture cool to 130 degrees.

 

3. Add yeast. Add eggs and 2 cups flours. Stir 2-3 minutes. Work in additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Knead 8 minutes.

 

4. Put dough in buttered bowl. Cover. Let rise about an hour.

 

5. Turn out dough and divide into two pieces. Shape each piece into an 8 by 12 inch rectangle. Butter the dough and sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon.

 

6. Roll up dough as if for a jelly roll. Press the seams. Drop each into a pan, seam down, and push into the corners and ends with your fingers.

 

7. Cover and allow to rise about 45 minutes.

 

8. Heat oven to 375 about 20 minutes prior to baking.

 

9. Bake about 40 minutes until crusts are browned. Bottoms may be sticky [as if that's a bad thing!]. Turn loaves onto cooling rack.  Brush tops with melted butter. Let cool.

 

 

 

[trulycrabby]

Right now it's pumpkin muffins with white chocolate chips. Yummy!