Black Pepper Ricotta Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard in Béchamel Sauce
Soft ricotta gnocchi in a creamy parmesan béchamel sauce with fall vegetables. Rich and comforting, perfect for a cool fall or winter night.
Ingredient: nutmeg
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon and Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
I love these pumpkin cupcakes, and they always disappear quickly. The cupcake recipe comes from Ina Garten, and other than doubling the recipe (thus using the entire can of pumpkin) and adding some vanilla (because I instinctively add it to everything), I haven’t really changed anything. The frosting however, is different. I usually use cinnamon to flavor the frosting, sometimes chai spice instead, and sometimes I add honey.
The vegetable oil keeps the cake moist much longer than cakes made with butter, but it doesn’t really matter because they’re usually eaten before they get a chance to age! This recipe makes 22-24 cupcakes.
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Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups pumpkin 1 full 15 ounce can
- 1 cup sugar white
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 8 tablespoons butter 1 stick, unsalted
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 brick
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Frosting
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Instructions
Cupcakes
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Preheat oven to 350. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, white sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Then whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to whisk out any lumps.
- Place cupcake liners in cupcake tin and then pour in batter 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 20-25 minutes (I usually do 24), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Frosting
- Using an electric mixer (you can do this by hand, it will just take longer and the frosting likely won't be quite as fluffy), beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until combined and fluffy.
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla, honey, and powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time. Once the frosting is as sweet as you'd like, allow the mixer to run an extra minute.
Recipe Notes
If you're using a knife to spread the frosting rather than piping, reduce the frosting recipe by 1/3 - 1/2.Â
Cream can be substituted for the honey.
Fall Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette
Butternut squash, pomegranate, goat cheese, and almond salad tossed with a lemon tahini vinaigrette.
Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Risotto
Creamy pumpkin risotto with pronounced spices, butternut squash, and parmesan cheese
Apple Crumble Shortbread Bars
Nothing quite embodies simplistic deliciousness like a good shortbread. It’s a decadent treat on its own, but also makes a sturdy foundation upon which to pile seasonal fruit and additional crumbly toppings.
And fortunately for me, September is here and it’s officially socially acceptable to pretend fall is upon us…even if the temperature is still in the 80s. But the apple orchard is also ready for fall and I now have half a bushel of apples and a kitchen that smells like cinnamon.
I love this recipe because it’s basically a cross between a Dutch apple pie and a shortbread cookie resulting in a delicious hand-held shortbread with a soft spiced apple topping and a crunchy top layer. And if apples aren’t your jam, you can always swap a berry or other fruit flavored topping. Regardless of flavor, they’re super easy to make; the hardest part of the recipe is waiting for them to cool.
This recipe can be made in either a 9×13 dish, or a 9×9 dish. I have made these both ways, and the only part of the recipe I would adjust is the apple topping. Too much apple topping could result in a soggy/moisture issue, too little apple topping would be sad. The layers will obviously be a bit thicker in the 9×9 dish. If you go with the 9×9 dish, I would suggest reducing the apple topping to 2 apples, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter and a bit less of the lemon juice, spices, and butter.
Once you hit the 40 minute mark of baking, go ahead and take a peek. It will be ready when the top is slightly browned.
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Ingredients
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Make the apple topping. In a medium saucepan at medium to low heat, combine apples, sugar (6 tablespoons), cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and lemon juice. Stir regularly for about 10 minutes, until apples start to break down creating a slightly sauce-like consistency. If the apples release a lot of liquid, wait until some of the liquid cooks off to avoid a soggy situation.
- While the apples cook, begin the shortbread base. Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugar (3/4 of a cup). Combine salt and flour together, then by hand, mix them into the butter and sugar mixture, just until combined. It should be somewhat of a pea-like consistency.
- Pat two thirds of the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan lined in parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, it's not the end of the world.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the crumble topping. Stir the granola and sliced almonds into the remaining shortbread mixture to create the crumble topping. It's helpful here to just stir by hand creating a rough mixture. Set aside for a moment.
- When the apples appear to be ready, evenly pour the apple mixture over shortbread base, using a spoon to spread the apples and avoiding the edges of the pan so that the apples won't stick to the side. Once the apples are in place, sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples and lightly pat down so that the topping stays in place.
- Sprinkle top with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
- Leave to cool completely, then cut into 9 or 12 bars.