I’ve been adjusting to life outside of uni accommodation these past couple of weeks and have been loving it. So far, one of the highlights has been getting to cook side-by-side with my flatmates. All six of us can agree on our love for good food. It’s been working out perfectly as fall is approaching. We’ve been celebrating the season by cooking with fall ingredients while simultaneously re-watching the Twilight series – what more could you ask for?
Here are some shoutouts to my favorite fall-inspired recipes that we’ve made:
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
There’s nothing better than a sweet treat on a Sunday morning! However, when making these homemade cinnamon rolls, I didn’t account for how long the dough would take to proof and then refrigerate. So, they ended up being more of a Sunday afternoon treat, but still yummy nonetheless! We followed a recipe from the New York Times, but we weren’t particularly tied to it.Â
Butternut Squash Soup
This is a quintessential fall dish and super easy. The only thing you need—which a university student may not have—is a good blender or immersion blender. This recipe from Love and Lemons makes a very traditional version of soup, but you can spice it up as much as you’d like! I’ve seen other recipes that add curry spices, coconut milk, red chilies, creme fraîche, etc. Eaten with some good bread and company, it’s even better.
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin & Spice Snickerdoodles
These were instantly inhaled! While not from scratch, they were perfect for watching a movie with a cup of tea. If you want to recreate them, these recipes from Sugar Spun Run and Ottolenghi are very similar.
Harissa Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta
One of my flatmates cooked this for us, and it was delicious. She didn’t use an exact recipe, but here is a good one as reference from House and Garden. This dish was the perfect mix of textures–the creamy feta mix and the crispy, roasted carrot. Along with carrots, this is an excellent template for any roasted fall veggie. I’m thinking of maybe recreating it with peppers, courgettes, or even just potatoes.
Cinnamon Pear Sangria
This fall concoction is perfect for sipping with friends at a dinner party. My friend made this from a TikTok she found and ended up getting creative by making a custom syrup for this sangria. She topped the rims off with a bit of maple syrup and sugar, and the sweetness worked perfectly with the slightly tart drink. I highly recommend it!
These are just a few dishes I am excited to share with you all, but I am constantly on the lookout for new things to chef up; my current go-tos for inspiration are Red Currant Bakery, Julius Roberts, Wishbone Kitchen, and TikTok, of course. As fall sets in here at St. Andrews, embracing seasonal ingredients is a fun way to celebrate fall. Whether it’s something sweet like cinnamon rolls or a cozy soup, these recipes bring warmth and flavor to the table. Cooking with friends has made the experience even more special, and I can’t wait to see what other fall-inspired dishes we will concoct!Â