The air is crisp, the leaves are beginning to turn, and the days are getting shorter as many New Brunswickers’ favourite season approaches. As autumn makes its much-anticipated return, delicious seasonal recipes are popularizing once again. Lots of food chains will be selling their annual baked goods, but nothing beats the taste of fresh home-baked fall delicacies. So, cozy up with a pumpkin spice latte, light a candle, and enjoy some lovely fall recipes (with gluten free options).
When the month of September comes to an end, some of the best baking fruits are ripe and ready for use. Pumpkins and apples are two of the most iconic ingredients when it comes to fall recipes. In combination with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, these fruits are perfect for making the most tasteful foods.
Pumpkin spice is probably the most recognizable fall-themed flavour. Its sweet and spicy taste brings a sense of nostalgia, comfort and familiarity to many. One of the baked goods I recommend making this Fall is pumpkin spice muffins. The recipe is fairly simple and can be used to make pumpkin loaves and cakes as well. The following recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com and onceuponachef.com.
Pumpkin spice muffins recipe:
1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour recommendation: The Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/4 cup of milk (almond, oat, soy or cashew also work)
1 cup of chocolate chips or pecans (Optional)
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees celcius and spray your muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, then line with cupcake liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt until combined.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix butter, sugars, pumpkin puree, eggs, and milk until it is almost combined. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture slowly. Fold all the ingredients together gently until flour is well combined.
Step 4: Using a scoop or spoon, fill the cupcake liners almost to the top with batter.
Step 5: Bake muffins for 30–40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely.
Alternatively, apples are used in a variety of autumn-themed baked goods. Apple pie is the most iconic usage of apples in baking; however, apple crumble is perfect for those who prefer a little crunch to their treat. I recommend enjoying this dish with vanilla ice cream when it is hot and fresh out of the oven. The following recipe was adapted from momontimeout.com and recipetineatys.com.
Apple crumble recipe:
Filling
4 large apples (preferably Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour recommendation: Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
Topping
1 cup of rolled oats (Bob’s Red Mill, Quaker, President’s Choice have gluten-free options)
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder (Bob’s Red Mill, and Fleishmann’s have gluten-free options)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (melted)
1/8 tsp of salt
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees celcius and spray an 8×8 square pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Peel and cut the apples into small cubes and place them in a large bowl.
Step 3: Sprinkle flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar on the apples and toss them until they are evenly coated, then transfer them into the square pan.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, butter and salt until the topping reaches a crumbly consistency.
Step 5: Add crumble mixture on top of the apple mixture until it is completely coated.
Step 6: Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cover and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream!
