- In October, I’m always pleased to see an upswing in the number of pumpkin recipes out there. I’ll happily eat pumpkin pie any day of the year, but when more bloggers start using pumpkin, there are lots of new ideas around. Whisk recently put together some Pumpkin Chai Tarts, spiced with ginger, cloves, chair tea, maple sugar and coconut milk. They look like miniature pies and are baked in canning jar lids that have removable bottoms. Each comes out perfect for a single serving.
- Another tasty pumpkin recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen. Her Pumpkin Swirl Brownies really caught my eye because they have a high pumpkin pie batter-to-brownie batter ratio. This really allows the pumpkin flavor to come through and makes these brownies seem like a true fall treat – not something you might eat on any spring or summer day. The orange and chocolate swirl looks very attractive, as well.
- Pecans also have a fall aspect to them, largely due to the fact that pecan pie is just about as popular as pumpkin pie this time of year. Ezra Pound Cake used pecans in some Pralines-and-Cream Pecan-Caramel Muffins. The recipe starts with a relatively plain pecan muffin batter – but that is the only thing remotely plain about this recipe. The muffins have layers of pecan streusel inside and on top, and are further dressed up with a rich cream cheese filling. Thoughts of pecan pie just might be entirely banished by a batch of these.
- Barley is a grain with a lovely sweet-nutty flavor that adds a lot of depth to breads and baked goods. Barley appears in two forms in Brown Interior‘s Barley Buttermilk Bread, as both barley flour and barley malt syrup. The loaf itself is simple, with only a few ingredients in the dough and a relatively short active mixing, kneading and shaping time. This is a great whole grain bread to add to your repertoire for sandwich loaves.
- Pizza might be the first thing to come to mind when you think of a topped flatbread, but it’s certainly not the only thing. The Syrian Onion Flatbreads from Pro Bono Baker are yeasty little flatbreads topped with a spiced onion mixture. The flavors cooked into the onions are very middle-Eastern – mint, coriander and cumin – making this flatbread a lot more interesting than a thin-crust with extra cheese. You could slice them up and serve them as appetizers, or make them a bit larger and serve them with a salad or soup as a main course.
- And if you’re looking for a quick tip for Halloween cupcake decorating, be sure to take a look at the Edible Googly Eyes over at Cupcake Project They’re surprisingly easy and can add a really spooky look to a ghost or jack-o-lantern cupcake.
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Stephanie
October 22, 2008I have been reading your blog for a long time – I love your wonderful recipes! I have an award for you on my blog. 🙂
snooky doodle
October 22, 2008I really like your blog, Thanks for the wonderful links 🙂
Stef
October 22, 2008Great list as always. I’m so honored to be included! Thanks!
Shari
October 23, 2008Thanks for including me in this pumpkin and Fall round-up! You’re so sweet!