The time is officially here, seasonal baking is back! There’s nothing like taking the time to bake a sweet treat and knowing it’s almost done when you can smell the delicious scent of pumpkin, banana, cinnamon, or chocolate.
What’s even more rewarding is getting to share your baked goods with your family and friends. If you’re already starting to think of the time, effort, and expenses that come with baking, I’m here to tell you not to worry because I’ve got you covered!
There are so many wonderful things to bake during the fall. Some are complicated, while others are quite simple. Here are eight affordable and simple recipes you will love.
1. Banana Bread
When you have overripe bananas, that means it’s the perfect time to make banana bread. Whether you like your bread plain, with nuts, or chocolate chips, this simple recipe will definitely make your taste buds happy, and you can customize the mix-ins.
What’s so wonderful about banana bread is that almost everyone has the ingredients for it, and it only requires a few steps. You’ll need two or three overripe bananas, one-third cup of unsalted butter, half a teaspoon of baking soda, a pinch of salt, three-fourths cup of sugar, one large egg, one teaspoon of vanilla, and one-and-a-half cups of flour.
Start by preheating your oven to 350° F and butter an eight-by-four-inch loaf pan. In a bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Stir in the melted butter, then add the baking soda, salt, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, and any mix-ins of your choice until fully combined.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Let it cool before slicing, and enjoy!
2.Pumpkin Bread
Next up is pumpkin bread, quite similar to banana bread. It’s very simple to make, with minimal steps, and a can of pumpkin costs only $1.16.
For this recipe, you’ll need half a cup of vegetable oil, one-and-three-fourths cups of granulated sugar, two large eggs, a 15-oz can of pumpkin puree, two cups of flour, one tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, one teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of salt.
Start by preheating your oven to 325° F and grease the same-size loaf pan as the banana bread. Whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin puree, then mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined. Pour the mixture into your pan, bake for 40-60 minutes, let cool before slicing, and serve!
3. Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Moving on to cookies, let’s start with chocolate chip! This recipe can be made in under 25 minutes.
You’ll need eight tablespoons of salted butter, half a cup of white sugar, one-fourth cup of packed light brown sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla, one egg, one-and-a-half cups of flour, half a teaspoon of baking soda, one-fourth teaspoon of salt, and three-fourths cup of chocolate chips (or as many as you’d like).
After preheating the oven to 350° F, melt and beat the butter with both sugars, then mix in the vanilla and egg. Stir in the dry ingredients until a dough is formed, then fold in your chocolate chips. Roll them into two-inch balls, place them on a baking sheet, and bake them for nine to eleven minutes.
Once they are finished, let them cool into perfectly soft, chewy cookies.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Moving on to snickerdoodle, this simple recipe can be made in just under 25 minutes. It’s also customizable, meaning you can add in special mix-ins to make them more creative. I personally like to add Hershey kisses on top once they come out of the oven.
For this recipe, you’ll need one cup of unsalted butter, one-and-a-half cups of sugar, two large eggs, two teaspoons of vanilla, two-and-three-fourths cups of flour, one-and-a-half teaspoons of cream of tartar, half a teaspoon of baking soda, and three-fourths of a teaspoon of salt.
For the cinnamon-sugar mixture, you’ll need one-fourth cup of sugar and one-and-one-half-cup teaspoons of cinnamon.
Start by preheating your oven to 350° F, and whip the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the dry ingredients, and roll the dough into two-inch balls. Coat them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then place them onto a baking sheet.
Bake them for nine to eleven minutes, allow them to cool, and enjoy your soft and chewy snickerdoodles.
Oatmeal Cookies
Lastly is oatmeal, the hearty treat. This recipe can be done in under 25 minutes and has the potential to be a family favorite. All you’ll need is 1 cup unsalted butter, one and one-fourth cup light brown sugar, three-fourths cup sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, two and one-third cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda, half a teaspoon baking powder, and 2 cups of old-fashioned oats.
Start by preheating your oven to 350° F, and line or grease a baking sheet. Whip the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until it turns fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients and oats after separately mixing them. This is where you can add in chocolate chips or raisins if you’d like.
Once the dough is formed, shape it into two-inch balls and transfer them onto the baking sheet. Bake for eight to nine minutes or until the edges are golden. Let them cool before transferring to a rack and enjoy your oatmeal cookies!
Baking Tips!
Let’s talk about tips and tricks to make the treat-making process easier.
1. Organize Your Workstation
Once you’ve picked out the baked goods you’d like to make, it’s time to preheat the oven and assemble your ingredients. Laying out all of your ingredients on your work surface will make things much easier for you. A little tip I like to use is pre-measuring all of my ingredients before I start, so that all I have to do is focus on pouring them into the bowl.
2. Separate The Wet and Dry Ingredient
Another important step is to separate the wet and dry ingredients before combining them. This is so that your wet and dry ingredients will have a chance to be mixed before adding them together.
Leslie Kiszka, a self-trained baker, states that not separating the mixtures, “could risk having an uneven distribution of all the leavening agents and flavors. So you could end up with cookies that are deflated on one side, have none of the espresso flavor, and entirely too much salt.”
That’s why taking the time to properly mix your ingredients isn’t a suggestion; it’s what ensures every bite tastes the same and is baked properly. Once you’ve done this key step and your dough or batter is complete, it’s time to form it or pour it. Once that’s done, you can finally pop them into the oven and relax!
3. Clean Your Area During The Bake Time
This is a great time to start on those dishes; you may have a few bowls and forks in the sink by now. Sometimes baking can take more or less time than what the recipe asks for. Doing a quick cleanup while your treats are baking is not only multitasking, but it’s a great way to eliminate the feeling of a chaotic kitchen.
Plus, once the oven goes off, this will allow you to have a nice and clear space to let them cool off!
4. Knowing When Your Sweet-Treat Is Done
A great tip for muffins, bread, or brownies is to stick a toothpick in the middle, and if it comes out dry, they’re ready! For cookies, you can tell when they are almost done when the edges start to turn brown.
A valuable tip written by Tanya from “Wheel of Baking” says, “As tempting as it is when you’ve just started baking, you should resist the urge to open the oven door frequently! The temperature will drop quite a lot!”
Affordable Ingredients!
It’s always essential to have the necessary baking products, so when you’re ready to bake, you have everything you need. These ingredients are flour, sugar, brown sugar, butter, and baking soda. If you always have these on hand, it’ll make things much easier.
Here’s a tip to make these products less expensive. When you go shopping, try and buy only store-brand items. Don’t only use these products for baking; use them anytime you need them when cooking.
If you’re living in a dorm, you and your roommates can split the costs for these products. If you live by yourself or with your parents, you can try shopping at grocery stores with cheaper options. You could also buy two to three products each month until you have everything.
Regardless of the price, baking isn’t something you have to do often. It’s a craft that you can do to bring you, your friends, and your family happiness.
Cheryl Day, the owner of Back In The Day Bakery, says, “Whatever you choose to bake, don’t let your budget hold you back. Start with just a few tools and ingredients, and before you know it, you’ll have dozens of baked goods on hand to share with your family and friends.”
Whether you’re baking for yourself or baking for others, it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s all about finding the right recipe and putting your love into the things you create. These recipes are the perfect way to celebrate the fall season. So grab your bowl, grab your ingredients, and try something new.
Bake, share, and enjoy the fall!
Which recipe or tips and tricks are you looking forward to using this fall? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!