Fall is the perfect time of year to get cozy and bake some treats. Flavors like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, chai and more are at their prime during the crisp fall season. Baking is a perfect activity for when you’re bored, want something fun to do with your friends, or if you’re just craving a sweet treat. However, sometimes it can be hard to find recipes that are simple and delicious. Here are my top five foolproof and delectable fall baking recipes:
1. Chai Cookies
Do you remember when recreating Taylor Swift’s chai cookies was a trend? Well, there was a 100% valid reason for it. I found this recipe from Joy the Baker. These cookies are easy to make and to die for.
To make these cookies, first, preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, whip ½ cup of softened, unsalted butter alone in a bowl with a stand mixer, add ½ cup oil and mix. Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, one teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves and a pinch of fresh cracked black pepper to the bowl and combine.
Add one large egg and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Add ¾ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and combine. Mix in two cups of flour by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least an hour. Scoop dough into two tablespoon portions, roll into balls, coat in cinnamon sugar and place a few inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 350℉ for 12- 14 minutes.
Next, you will make the glaze; combine 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, three tablespoons whole milk or eggnog and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Lastly, scoop about a teaspoon of glaze onto each cookie and top with extra nutmeg. Et voila, your cookies are finished!
2. Pumpkin Bread
You know a recipe is good when your friend’s mom asks for it. That’s how I know that this pumpkin bread is exceptionally tasty! This bread was incredibly easy to make and just as easily disappeared in my house. Thank goodness for Once Upon A Chef with Jenn Segal, because this is a must-try recipe.
To prepare, preheat an oven to 325°F and grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour (or baking spray with flour in it).
To begin making the loaf, combine two cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, one teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, one teaspoon ground cloves, one teaspoon ground cinnamon and one teaspoon ground nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients until they are well combined and set them aside.
Next, in a separate, large bowl of an electric mixer, beat ¾ cup unsalted, softened butter and two cups of sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add two large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whip mixture until light and fluffy, and then beat in 15 oz of pure pumpkin. Then, add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 65- 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can eat this alone or with some butter for a delicious autumn snack!
3. Grandma’s Apple Crumble Muffins
Now, I may be biased because this one is my Grandma’s recipe, but I would think that makes these even better. If you want to enjoy the refreshing taste of apple combined with the warm sweetness of cinnamon sugar, then these apple crumble muffins are perfect for you.
To make these delicious muffins, first, combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg in a bowl.
In another bowl, combine one egg, ½ cup milk, three tablespoons vegetable oil and 3 tablespoons apple sauce. Then stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until moistened.
Next, fold in one medium peeled and grated apple. Fill muffin tins lined with paper cups ⅔ full.
To create the crumble topping, combine ¼ cup packed brown sugar and one tablespoon flour. Cut in two tablespoons of butter or margarine until crumbly. Stir in ½ cup old-fashioned oats and ¼ cup of finely chopped nuts. Sprinkle over the top of muffin cups.
Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes, let cool for five minutes, and bon appétit!
4. Linzer Cookies
These Linzer cookies are the best mix of cute and scrumptious. They are refreshing, lightweight and heart-shaped. You can also easily customize what fruits you like. Lena Abraham’s raspberry-flavored Linzer recipe published by Delish is a great base recipe which can be altered as you desire.
To make these cute and delicious desserts, start by whisking together 1 ½ cups almond flour, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves and ¼ teaspoon ground kosher salt in a medium bowl.
In a separate, small bowl, whisk together one large egg and two teaspoons of vanilla.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat ½ cup butter and ½ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. Divide the dough in half and place each between two large sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Place parchment sheets with dough on a baking sheet or cutting board and place in the refrigerator to chill for two hours, or in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Next, preheat the oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Once the dough has chilled, peel away one layer of parchment paper and use a 2″ round cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut windows in half the cookies, if desired– I usually use a heart-shaped cookie cutter for mine, but you can create whatever shapes you want. Then, place cookies on a baking sheet about one inch apart and bake them for seven to nine minutes.
While letting the cookies cool, in a microwave-safe bowl, stir one teaspoon of water into ½ cup of jam and microwave it on low for 30 seconds. Then, spread about ½ tsp of jam in the center of a cookie and top it with a second cookie. Finally, dust with about two tablespoons total of powdered sugar if you so wish, and serve.
5. Snickerdoodles
Ending off on a strong note, who doesn’t love snickerdoodles? They are the easiest and most delicious things that you could make and are filled with all the yummy flavors of fall. If you want some spectacular snickerdoodles, then you must try this recipe from Lil’Luna.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix 2 3⁄4 cups of all-purpose flour, two teaspoons cream of tartar, one teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt and then set the bowl aside.
In a stand mixer, cream together one cup unsalted, barely softened butter and 1 ½ cups sugar. Add two eggs and one teaspoon vanilla extract and blend well. Combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients well.
Next, in a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup sugar and two tablespoons cinnamon. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out dough and roll it into a ball, and then roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place each ball two inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake for eight to 10 minutes. Let it sit on the cookie sheet for a few additional minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool. Finally, enjoy your delicious cookies!
These are all perfect recipes for those who have a sweet tooth and love the tastes of autumn. They provide a range of options depending on which fall flavors you would like to try: spices, sugar, apple or pumpkin. You can find more information on all of these recipes, except for my Grandma’s Apple Crumble Muffin recipe, by going to the original websites linked in each section. Some of these recipes seem challenging, but, truthfully, they are easy to make, even for a beginner. However, the pumpkin bread and Linzers are a bit time consuming. These fall recipes are not only rewarding but also fun to bake, so any of them could be a perfect activity to get you and your friends further into the fall spirit!