Baking Our Way To Fall

Hello my friends! 

A few days ago on Instagram I posted a picture of me, at home in New Orleans, in a sweater, in full-on 90 degree weather.  I’m trying my best to will cozy, chilly weather upon us.  I’m not the only one.  So many of you responded that you’re doing the same: making chili, wearing sweaters, breaking in your new fall books with NO SIGN OF FALL IN SIGHT.  My friend Abby cautioned not to be cozy and get heat stoke at the same time, and honestly she makes an excellent point.    

Still, we carry on – sweating in our sweaters. 

It can’t be much longer.  And perhaps if we all start changing our wardrobe and baking with apples and root vegetables, the weather will cooperate. 

Below is a collection of recipes I’ve made in years past. There are some real gems here, so please let this be a reminder and a nudge to bake apples like Ina, put dark beer in our brownies, and eat savory pies for dinner. I’m working on a stellar batch of new recipes for you but here’s a quick look back. 

Ina Garten does everything right… well, literally all but one thing.  She uses the good chocolate, the good extra virgin olive oil, and the purest of vanilla extracts.  She invites her friends over to her Hamptons house for outdoor lunches and she makes her sweet husband perfect roasted chicken. Shit is working out for Ina.  The only problem is that she insists on using extra large eggs in her baking recipes and it drives most of us bakers crazy but we love her so we deal.  These Ina’s Apple Pie Bars are such a popular recipe on my site and it’s a testament to our deep love of Queen Ina.  

These bars are super simple, with a crust that both presses in the bottom of a square pan and crumbles on top of the slice apples.  Lotta bang for our buck with these little darlings so we can live apple-y ever after like Ina. 

Butter flakey crust, creamy vegetable filling and not a chicken in sight! This Vegetarian Pumpkin Pot Pie is warming and hearty and truly so satisfying.  The chunks of pumpkin add a sweetness that is a nice compliment to all the savory. Get after it! 

To be honest, the day I made this Pork Plum and Pistachio Rice Dish I was feeling pretty under the weather.  It was the first day of what proved to be a doozy of a cold and I was still in hard denial that I was getting sick.  Jon was over, helping me make and shoot this which is the reason why a) I knew it was a winner and b) knew I had to make it again when I had an appetite.  I managed a bite or two before feeling ick and Jon literally finished the entire tray.  And the award goes to… Jon.  And you – because you’re going to make this and love it too.  

This dish calls for pork belly which takes on a crispy tenderness when fried and baked. But hey… if pork isn’t your thing I bet this will be lovely with a marinated, pressed and hard sautéed tofu. That’s how I’m going to try it when I remake it this autumn. 

Stop what you’re doing. Hold everything. This Zingerman’s Detroit Style Pizza is a big deal.  The secret… and gosh it’s really not a secret, it’s more of a gift… is the parmesan cheese sprinkles around the edges of the crust before it bakes.  the cheese bakes to a golden crust and makes the edges cheesy crisp . 

This tomato sauce is spread across the finished pizza and the rest is a dream. Please, please go forth and pizza night. 

Here’s the thing:  once you know you can FRY PISTACHIOS you can’t unknow it.  Soon every pistachio you encounter you’ll want to flash fry in olive oil and serve over extra lemony yogurt.  Julia’s Fried Pistachios with Lemon Yogurt are a great side dish to a chicken dinner with fresh tomato salad, but I’m also happy to report I’ve also made this dish a dinner on its own.  

The piping hot dish of puffed bread and cream was inspired by a late boozy dinner in London years ago.  It’s simple and perfect and incredibly comforting.  It’s perfect with a cup of decaf to end a Saturday dinner party…. and I say that because the leftovers make a really lovely late Sunday morning breakfast.  This is my love language: Bread and Butter Pudding. 

Orange and Chocolate Conchas are one of my favorite baking projects. These little Mexican sweet buns and tender inside, lightly sweet in crumb and topping, and actually.. they’re better when they a day stale because they become perfect for tearing apart and dipping into milky coffee.  If you need a bake day – these are just the ticket.

Brownies are a food group, right? Please entertain these Dark Chocolate Guinness Brownies because chocolate is magically made even better with the addition of dark beer.  The beer isn’t super forward in this beer but makes extra dense and extra chocolatey.  What I’m saying is… it’s a very good idea. Never not a good idea. 

It’s a shortbread cookie filled with jam (blueberry specifically though strawberry or fig would also be wonderful), topped with oat-y cobbler crumble.  These Blueberry Cobbler Thumbprint Cookies are shortbread crisp and jammy sweet and a perfect place to set a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You feel? 

I hope you find some fall baking inspiration in this place.  Let’s will this thermometer down.

 Big love to you!

xo Joy