Fall into Flavor...

We have certainly being feeling the Autumn breezes here in the New York area. That crisp, fresh air in the morning, the very start of the first falling leaves in the breeze, the warmth of the Fall sun in the afternoon....all I can say is YAY!! The local farms here are boasting loads of pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes...it's hard to not buy them all. The PSL crazies I have in my life are super excited to head out and get their weekly (or daily) fix of their favorite Fall flavor. While I am not a PSL super fan, I do love the aroma of that spiced-earthy warmth! I will admit to being a lover of cinnamon and nutmeg and just about everything apple! This time of year brings out the divide between the pumpkin-spiced everything fans and your apple-cinnamon lovers... I thought I would bring together to best of both worlds in this Fall into Flavor entry.

This first recipe was one that I received many years ago from a friend of mine while I was still working in an office, with my business attire, heels, makeup, hair...the whole bit (I have to be honest..I really don't miss those days). Anyway, I remember she brought in this pumpkin loaf one day in the Fall and I remember it smelling like fall spices and the slice I had was full of just enough pumpkin flavor for me. I had asked her for the recipe which she gladly gave to me. Over the years I have tweaked a few things to make this Pumpkin Bread the softest and most moist quick bread ever! If you haven't had a chance to try out this recipe...well, then there is no better time to do it than now! This is a perfect Fall breakfast with a side of fresh sliced pears, an on-the-go breakfast in a container or baggie in the car or even a little afternoon snack with a cup of your favorite tea of coffee.

This bread is super simple to whip together, (and that is coming from a non-baker). All you need are two mixing bowls, one for the wet ingredients and one for the dry and a large non-stick loaf pan. It cooks at a 375° for about 55-60 minutes...and boom, the house smells delicious and you have the best breakfast treat or mid afternoon snack!

If you are an apple cinnamon lover...than THIS is your jam right here! I wrote this recipe and tested it out just a few days ago and boy oh boy does it hit all the right notes! Warm flavors of ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, super moist and little bits of softened apples throughout that have just a tiny bit of crunch.

This Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake is going to be the star of your next brunch. While I didn't add a glaze to this particular bundt cake because I didn't feel like it needed it, feel free to maybe make a cinnamon drizzle or even just a simple sprinkle of cinnamon sugar over top. Either way, drizzle, sprinkle or none, you will love this cake. No... I did use cake flour for this recipe which I really think made the difference in the moistness of the cake. So you might want to pick some up for this particular recipe. Bob's Red Mill Fine Pastry Flour is perfect for this! Definitely head to the store and pick up a bag of this flour. It is also really good for pancakes, cookies and pie crusts. Just in case you find yourself inundated with apples after a family trip to the orchard and you feel the need to bake a pie too and enjoy a slice a la mode. So, the other thing I did, besides use cake flour, to make this bundt cake super yummy is that after I generously buttered the bundt pan, I took some raw cane sugar and sprinkled it all over the butter on the bottom of the pan. After it baked and I flipped it in one piece (YAY!) it gave the outer shell this nice crust and an extra little crunch. I loved all the layers of texture and flavor in this cake and I hope you do too!

Whether you are a PSL or Apple Cinnamon fanatic I hope you are enjoying the Fall breezes and everything this change of season has to offer.

'Til next entry... get bakin' :o)