Every year, I look forward to autumn. The crisp air, the changing leaves and, most importantly, the food, are what made me fall in love with this time of year at a young age. Autumn and the upcoming winter holidays are perfect times to flex your cooking and baking muscles. I personally seem to ramp up my time in the kitchen this time every year.
Here are some seasonally inspired recipes that are simple for both your own weekly meal planning and for holiday parties. Taking inspiration from well-loved recipes and family traditions, these dishes bring a fresh twist to the season’s enchanted flavors.
Autumn Morning Parfait
2 cups plain yogurt
1 apple
1 cup raisins
2 cups granola
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Makes 2 parfaits
Our family recently played around with this fall-inspired fruit and yogurt parfait. One of my favorite breakfast items, the parfait is a healthy start to the day and can be reworked with many different fruits and flavors. The combination of crisp apples, raisins and cinnamon adds a special seasonal flair. The great thing about parfaits is there is really no wrong way to make them. If you prefer more of any ingredient, feel free to adjust the recipe to your taste.
Pick out 2 mason jars or decorative glasses for your parfaits. Chop 1 large apple into small chunks, leaving 2 slices for garnish if you would like. Using half of your chopped apples, place an equal amount at the bottom of each glass. Top each set of apples with ½-cup of yogurt. Next, add ½-cup of granola to the top of each yogurt layer. Top your first complete parfait layers with ¼-cup raisins, 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Complete a second tier: apples chunks, then yogurt, granola, raisins, cinnamon and sugar. Dress up your parfait with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon over top. Serve with a sliced apple to garnish.
Roasted Roots
2 potatoes
1 sweet potato
2 carrots
1 beet
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
olive oil
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Makes about 4 side servings
A simple, yet delicious recipe, this version of roasted root vegetables is perfect to make for weeknight dinners and large get-togethers. I love the sweetness and color that this combination of vegetables brings to the dish. Chop some veggies, stick them in the oven and enjoy a hearty, satisfying fall side dish.
Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Cut all of the vegetables into roughly 1-inch chunks and place into a large bowl. Top with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the rosemary leaves. Toss the mixture to coat the veggies. Arrange the cut veggies around a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast your root veggies in the oven for about 45 minutes or until they achieve a golden color. Serve right away.
Fall Sausage Bake
1 pound sausages, cut into 2- or 3-inch pieces
2 or 3 apples, cored and sliced into wedges
2 onions
Olive oil
Cinnamon
Sugar
Makes 4-6 servings
This is a fall childhood favorite that my mom discovered in a church cookbook years ago and made quite often for our family. It’s easy to make, it’s savory and sweet, and it’s usually a hit with both adults and kids. I added caramelized onions to this version for an extra treat.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop the onions into circular rings, and spread them around a large baking dish, greased with olive oil. Drizzle a small amount of oil over the onions and top with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Place in the oven for 10 minutes to start caramelizing the onions, while you cut the sausages and apples. After 10 minutes, remove the onions from the oven. Scatter the sausage pieces around the baking dish and arrange the apple slices between the sausages. Sprinkle the apples with a modest amount of sugar and cinnamon. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the sausages brown and the apples become tender. Serve warm.
Butternut Squash Chowder
3 butternut squash, halved
olive oil
1 pound of chicken thighs
½ bag frozen corn
1 pear
2 garlic cloves
½ cup of cheddar cheese
½ cup cream
1 tablespoon paprika, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce (optional)
Makes about 6 cup-size servings
A bit of a twist on the traditional butternut squash soup, this chowder adds a delightful sweetness from the corn and pear. The chicken gives it a hearty chowder feel, and the cheese brings out the richness of the butternut squash. When we recently made this chowder at home for dinner, it disappeared in no time.
Place the chicken, corn and garlic in a crockpot on high and cook for 6-8 hours. When the chicken and corn are fully cooked, turn your crock pot to a low setting.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice the pear in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and remove the stem. Grease a small baking dish with olive oil and place the pear facing down. Bake for 35 minutes, then let cool for about 10 minutes. Place the pear in a blender or food processor, and blend until you have a puree.
Grease a large baking dish with olive oil. Halve the butternut squash and place the pieces face down in the baking dish. I prefer to remove the seeds after the squash has finished cooking, but you may remove them before you pop the squash in the oven. Bake for about 1½ hours or until the flesh becomes very tender. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes.
Once the squash has cooled, remove the seeds, scoop out the flesh and place the cooked squash and cream in the blender or food processor, in which you pureed the pear. Blend until smooth. Pour the squash mixture into the crockpot and stir in the cheese. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Let the soup reheat. Once ready, top each serving with shredded cheese and a splash of hot sauce if you’d like.
Whoopie Pies
Practically famous throughout Pennsylvania, the whoopie pie can be found in local bakeshops, restaurants and tourist attractions around our region and beyond. As a kid growing up, the whoopie pie was a must-buy when I toured Lancaster County with my family. So impressed by these adorable treats, I didn’t realize just how easy they are to make until a few years ago. Most recently, I got to know the book “Whoopie Pies,” in which authors Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell give baking enthusiasts the liberty to play around with funky flavor combinations. Inspired to create my own interesting versions, I came up with these artisan renditions, which are perfect for autumn and the winter holidays.
Pumpkin Chai Whoopies
2¼ cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1½ cup pumpkin
1 egg (room temperature)
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, making sure that the rack is in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In one large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. In a second large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the brown sugar and butter on low speed. Add the pumpkin, egg and vanilla, blending well. Slowly add the dry ingredients on a low speed.
Scoop out heaping tablespoons of batter onto the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart; this amount makes small-sized whoopie pies. If you’d like larger whoopies, spoon out about 2 tablespoons for each little cake. Smooth out the appearance of your whoopie pies by molding its shape with moistened fingers. If you’re a lazy baker like me, you don’t have to fuss with a whole lot of shaping. Hey, it adds character right?
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cakes spring back with a gentle touch. Let the cakes cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes and move them to a cooling rack. While they are cooling, you can get started on the filling.
Chai Cream filling
black tea bag, or a chai tea bag for an extra spice kick
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon clove
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Steep the tea bag in 2 tablespoons boiling water and set aside until cool. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the tea, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Scoop about a tablespoon of the filling onto the flat part of one whoopie cake/cookie and sandwich another whoopie on top. Make sure your whoopie cakes have cooled completely so your filling doesn’t melt.
Dark Chocolate Ginger Whoopies
1¾ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ginger
¾ cup butter (room temperature)
¾ cup brown sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup warm strong coffee
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, placing the rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer. Add the egg and vanilla extract and blend well. Combine the buttermilk and coffee in a glass.
Alternately blend the dry ingredients and coffee mixture into the butter/sugar mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Follow the steps in the pumpkin chai whoopie recipe to arrange your batter on the sheet.
Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the tops spring back. Let the cakes cool while you mix the filling.
Ginger Cream filling
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ginger
Combine all ingredients on a low mixing setting, starting by blending the cream cheese first. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, and add the vanilla and ginger. Your end result should be a creamy, yet slightly fluffy, filling. Piece together your whoopie pie as explained above.
Thank you to Spiral Path Farm for donating produce for these recipes.
