Fall Comfort

As fun and relaxing as summer is, nothing can hold back my excitement for fall. Cozy sweaters and a chill to the air fills me with a sense of comfort that no other season can compete with. However, fall does not truly start- at least in my world- until that first taste of the best fall flavors. Cinnamon, butternut squash, honey crisp apples and sweet potatoes all top my list, but nothing ever reaches the place pumpkin has in my heart. For awhile I thought I was alone in my excessive love for pumpkin at the start of fall, whether it was a cookie, bread, cake or entrée. Yet , this season when I saw how much excitement was being built for the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks and the joy of other food bloggers to start baking with pumpkin, I knew I was not alone. Pumpkin is a universal favorite and while it used to be synonymous with Thanksgiving pie, today the possibilities for pumpkin are truly endless.

I know this build- up may have you thinking a pumpkin recipe is about to follow, but you’re going to have wait a little longer. However, you can check out my pumpkin cookie recipe from last season. I can’t wait to experiment with all new pumpkin recipes, and share my classic favorites with you. I am already starting to plan for this, and can’t wait for my favorite part of trying all the recipes.

Last year the food blogger Streaming Gourmet did a cool idea called “31 Days of Pumpkin” where she posted a different pumpkin recipe every day during the month of October. Some may love 31 days of chocolate, but for me a month of pumpkin recipes is music to my ears. I bookmarked a few of her ideas and plan to go back to them in my experimentation process.

I would love to do my own 31 days of pumpkin, but I want to start with a goal I know I can accomplish. So I am going to keep it simple, and am very happy to announce October 1- 7 as Pumpkin Week here on Beyond the Meal, 7 days and 7 different recipes.

I take pumpkin very seriously, so you can be sure I will be only post recipes that have been tried, loved and enjoyed. However, I have never been one to have the patience to wait, so you can expect a few sneak peek pumpkin recipes as Pumpkin Week approaches.

Since pumpkin is getting a whole week, it’s only fair to give other fall flavors time in the spotlight.

First up is a spin on the traditional snickerdoodle cookie, with Snickerdoodle Blondies from Recipe Girl. The warm cozy flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg run through every bite making it the perfect treat to pair with an afternoon coffee on a chilly fall day. You would also make a lot of fans, if you brought this with to a tailgate, but that's just a suggestion.

When you need a side dish who doesn’t turn to the sweet potato during the fall months. There are plenty of recipes out there, from mashed, sautéed and fried. However, one of my favorite versions is sweet and simple and only requires three extra ingredients that you always have on hand. Are you intrigued? You will be after one bite.

Get cozy because it’s going to be a comforting fall here at Beyond the Meal.



Snickerdoodle Blondies
From: Recipe Girl

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cup all- purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

Topping:

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X 13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream of tartar and salt; set aside.
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat brown sugar and butter together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, add vanilla. Beat mixture until smooth. The batter will be thick. Mix in cinnamon chips, if you desire.
Pour into prepared pan. Spray cooking spray onto hands and press down until batter is even. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking together heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.

After bars are cooled drizzle on the glaze in any decorative deign you please. Let set for five minutes.

Slice into bars and serve.



Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

1 lb. sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise into ½ in strips. Place on a cookie sheet covered in tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Using your hands spread the olive oil, salt and pepper onto all of the sweet potatoes. Make sure they are evenly coated. Bake for 30- 35 minutes.