its a fall baking bonanza over here!!
pumpkin pecan swirl bread, apple spice muffins, squash and sausage sheet pan pizza!? The gangs all here..
I think we all know what time it is - pumpkin-apple spice o’clock. I recently did a food sensitivity test and turns out cinnamon is one of my superfoods so I’m feeling pretty positive about baking a ton of desserts laced with it. (Zucchini is also one of my superfoods - no surprise there as you see it featured in 50% of my recipes, lol).
I have two fun fall baking recipes to share. I know we’re supposed to love all our children equally but I definitely have a favorite of the two (but I’m not gonna tell you which). That wouldn’t be nice! Additionally, two of my recipes just went live on Today Show Food - I’ll link them at the bottom!!
Quick personal note: It has been so fun and rewarding getting out into the world and freelancing more. Over the last few months I’ve been presented with exciting gigs and opportunities that I didn’t see coming. I’m so lucky I have great friends and connections that are helping me successfully navigate this new uncharted territory. The best part about working for yourself and freelance life (to me) is in the meeting of new people, making new friends, and only taking on the jobs I want to say yes to. I can’t tell you how many horrendously cringey and ~not me~ recipes I’ve been forced to write in the past. NO MORE. I’m sorry but I won’t be making another inedible food sculpture for the sole purpose of anonymous internet critiques ever again. Even this newsletter has been a part of that, so thanks for checking it out. It’s really just for me to have a fun place to write and share recipes and I appreciate anyone who tunes in. Okay rant over <3
Next newsletter I want to go savory. I’m thinking 1 of 2 things, let me know if either of these is more exciting to you!
Turkey tikka masala meatballs (a classsiqqquee recipe of mine, iykyk)
Rosemary feta chicken meatballs in sundried tomato sauce
okay, now onto the recipes!!
pumpkin pecan chocolate swirl bread
I don’t have a good pic of this one :’(
10-12 servings
Ingredients
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 14-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup neutral oil such as canola or avocado
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
instructions
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown and granulated sugars, eggs, pumpkin puree, canola oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
Pour half of the wet ingredients, about 2 cups, into a medium bowl.
Make the chocolate batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, the cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the cocoa mixture to the bowl with half of the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
Make the pumpkin pecan batter: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and the pumpkin spice. Fold the dry ingredients into the remaining bowl of wet ingredients. Fold in the pecans.
Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
Using two ¼-cup measures, alternate scooping the batters to the prepared pan to and swirl with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 70–80 minutes.
Let the bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve.
triple apple spice muffins
makes 6 jumbo or 12 standard size muffins
Ingredients
apple spice blend
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
muffins
1 cup all purpose flour, divided, plus 1 tablespoon
⅓ cup whole wheat flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ stick unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup apple sauce
1 honeycrisp apple, shredded, plus 2, finely diced, divided
nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons demerara sugar
instructions
Make the apple spice blend: in a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
Make the muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup AP flour, the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the spice blend.
In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium speed or whisk to beat the butter until light yellow and aerated, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and continue beating until light, fluffy, and nearly doubled in volume, 2 minutes more. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the applesauce and shredded apple and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and gently fold to combine, being careful not to overmix. Add 1¾ cups of the diced apples to the remaining dry ingredients and toss to coat, then add to the wet ingredients and gently fold to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin with paper liners and lightly grease with nonstick spray. (Alternatively use a 12-cup muffin tin)
In a medium bowl, toss together the remaining ¾ cup diced apples, melted butter, remaining 1 tablespoon flour, and remaining 1½ teaspoons of apple spice blend.
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with some of the apple topping and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
Bake the muffins for 15 minutes, then rotate the muffin tin 180° and bake for 12–15 minutes more, until the muffins are puffed and golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool for 15–20 minutes before serving. Eat with a thick slice of salted of butter!!! I like to create a little sandwich with two muffin halves as the bread and the butter as the filling, haha. But you’re probably more responsible than me so do you!!
today show recipes
You guys I’m so excited to share these two recipes with you, particularly the pizza. Please make this pizza. Alternatively just make the the sage-parmesan mornay sauce and eat it with a spoon.