Now that the weather is getting colder and the leaves are starting to drop, we all have the holiday season on our minds. Halloween and Thanksgiving are fast approaching. It’s that time of year again to pull out your baking pans and oven mitts and create some tasty treats. For those bake-a-holics out there, here are a few of quick and easy favorite fall recipes.
When we think about Thanksgiving, pumpkin is the first ingredient that comes to mind. From pumpkin pie to pumpkin muffins and pumpkin lattes, the possibilities are endless. Here is one of our favorite recipes for pumpkin bread:
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 cups white sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch pie crusts (one for the top crust, one for the bottom crust)
Note: These can be homemade or store-bought. Pillsbury makes pre-made pie crusts.
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Dash of salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 cups thinly sliced and cored apple
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and salt. Stir in the apples.
- Place into pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and slit evenly to let steam escape. Seal the top crust to the bottom by pinching the edges together.
- Cover edge of the crust with a three-inch strip of aluminum foil.
- Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through top.
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Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.
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Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.
- Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
- Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.
- Chill dough and chill an un-greased cookie sheet for about 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Meanwhile mix 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Scoop 1-inch globs of dough into the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
- Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture.
- Place on chilled un-greased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.
- Remove from pan immediately.
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Quick and Easy Caramel Apples
Ingredients
- 2 packages (14 oz each) chewy caramel candies
- 1/4 cup water
- 8 to 10 tart apples
- 8 to 10 thick wooden skewers or popsicle sticks
Instructions
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Place caramel candies and water in microwave-safe bowl and heat on high 1 minute, stir and heat 1 additional minute. Stir to combine.
- Let sit while you wash and dry apples.
- Stick thick wooden skewers or popsicle sticks into apples (along the core) about 3/4 of the way through, leaving enough of the stick for a handle.
- Holding by stick, roll apples in caramel to coat, then roll in coating if desired. (coating ideas below)
- Place on baking sheet with sticks pointing straight upwards. Place in fridge for at least 15 minutes to let set.
Coating Ideas:
- Dry-roasted peanuts
- Toasted slivered almonds
- Ground nuts (such as pecans or cashews)
- Melted and drizzled semi-sweet chocolate, white or butterscotch chips
- Melted and drizzled peanut butter chips
- Reese’s Pieces
- M&M’s
- Crushed hard toffee bar
- Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles