Fabulous Fall Recipes

Keep warm as the weather turns cooler with these simple fall recipes! From apple pie, pumpkin cheesecake to fig crostatas, you’ll find nothing that beats these homemade sweet and savory desserts.

Recipe courtesy of Mother Thyme

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 cup sugar
2 strips of lemon rind
1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
4 firm pears

INSTRUCTIONS:
Peel the pears and core the bottoms. Remove any flesh off the bottom of the pears if necessary if they won’t stand upright. Set aside.

Wrap cloves and cinnamon sticks in cheesecloth and tie ends to close. 

In a large saucepan combine wine, sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice and cheesecloth bag and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low until sugar dissolves.

Lay pears in liquid and turn them to coat. Poach them over low heat for approximately 30-45 minutes until pears are tender, turning occasionally. Turn off heat and let pears cool in liquid before removing.

Remove cheesecloth from liquid and turn heat to low. Cook the remaining liquid until syrupy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Pour a portion of the red wine reduction over each pear and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Parent Pretty

INGREDIENTS:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup melted butter
whipped topping

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease bottom of 9X13 pan.

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in bowl then pour it into your pan.

Sprinkle your dry yellow cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.

Sprinkle chopped pecans and walnuts over the cake mix.

Drizzle melted butter evenly over everything.

Bake your pumpkin crunch cake for 55 minutes or until top is turning golden brown. Cool completely, cut and serve with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
Kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons ice water
1 1/2 pounds fresh green and purple figs, each cut into 6 wedges
5 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves, plus small sprigs for garnish
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of peas. Add the water; pulse until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out eight 5-inch rounds, rerolling the scraps if necessary; transfer to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss two-thirds of the figs with 3 teaspoons of the honey, the lemon juice, thyme leaves and a pinch of salt. Arrange the figs on the dough rounds, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Fold the edges over the figs and brush the dough with the egg wash. Chill for 30 minutes.

Bake the crostatas for 35 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the crusts are golden. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Gently toss the remaining figs with the remaining 2 teaspoons of honey. Transfer the crostatas to plates, top with the figs and thyme sprigs and serve.

Recipe courtesy of The Cozy Apron

INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup flour
¾ cup Cream of Wheat
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon, heaping, pumpkin pie spice
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup unfiltered apple cider (fresh-pressed style)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large Honey crisp apple (or 2 small), skin-on and diced very, very small
½ Granny smith apple, skin-on and diced very, very small
Vegetable or peanut oil for frying (about 3-4 cups)
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
AND/OR: Powdered sugar
Maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a bowl, add the flour, Cream of Wheat, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice, and whisk together to combine very well; next, add in the beaten egg, the apple cider and the vanilla, and using a spatula, combine the mixture just until well blended, but not overly worked; next, add in the finely diced apples and fold them into the batter until well combined.

Add the vegetable or peanut oil to a large pot, and heat the oil to 325 degrees; once the oil is hot, begin frying the hushpuppies by dropping scant tablespoonfuls carefully into the hot oil, about 4 hushpuppies per batch; use a slotted spoon (or wire spider) to continually move the hushpuppies around in the hot oil to prevent them from getting too dark on one side, and fry for roughly 2 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through in the center; remove the hushpuppies from the oil and place them onto a paper towel-lined baking sheet or bowl to drain; repeat the process until all hushpuppies are fried.

In a small dish or ramekin, combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and set side for a moment; next, add the warm hushpuppies to a jumbo-sized Zip Lock bag, sprinkle in the cinnamon-sugar mixture over them and shake the bag to coat the hushpuppies evenly.

To serve, place the cinnamon-sugar coated hushpuppies onto a platter, and enjoy while still warm.

Recipe courtesy of Fine Cooking

INGREDIENTS:
For the crust:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (8 Tbs.) vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk

For the filling:
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 Tbs. cornstarch
5 firm, juicy apples (preferably Braeburn), peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, halved widthwise
1 Tbs.unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:
o make the dough
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer (use a large bowl if mixing by hand). Add the melted shortening, eggs, and milk. Using the paddle attachment, mix the dough on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky, about 2 to 3 minutes, adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems very wet or sticky. (If mixing by hand, it will take about 5 minutes to knead the dough.) Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling
Meanwhile, make the apple filling. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk 1/4 cup of the apple juice or cider with the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Place the apples, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Wrap one half of the vanilla bean well in plastic wrap, and reserve for another use. Slice the remaining half lengthwise down the middle. Open the pod and use the knife to scrape out the seeds; discard the pod. Add the seeds to the apples and toss with the sugar and spices.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, let the butter simmer for 20 seconds, then stir in the apples. Cook with a lid askew until the apples start to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of apple juice or cider and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the mixture is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet (or a large bowl) and cool to room temperature, and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

To make the piecrusts
Once the apples have chilled, make the piecrusts. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a small dish of water next to your work surface. Generously flour the work surface and roll one dough ball into a 1/8-inch-thick circle. Use a 3 1/2- to 4-inch biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out rounds from the dough. Place the circles on the prepared baking sheet, cover with a sheet of parchment paper and place them in the refrigerator to keep cool. Set the dough scraps aside and reflour your work surface. Repeat with the second piece of dough and refrigerate the stamped out rounds. Press all of the scraps together, roll them into a 1/8-inch-thick circle, cut out rounds, and refrigerate. Discard the leftover scraps. (Discard the scraps after rolling the second time; the dough gets too tough to roll a third time.)

To assemble and cook the pies
Place 1 1/2 to 2 Tbs. of cold apple filling in the center of each dough circle. Using your finger or a pastry brush, moisten the edge of the bottom half of the circle with water and fold the top half over, bringing the edges together and pressing them tightly to seal. Using firm pressure, crimp the edges of the dough using an upturned fork. Refrigerate the filled pies while you heat the oil.

Line a plate with paper towels. Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a 3-inch depth and bring to a temperature of 375°F over high heat. Fry a few turnovers (you don’t want to fry too many at one time, otherwise the temperature of the oil will drop and the turnovers will become greasy) until all sides are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, turning them over often. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you fry the remaining turnovers. Serve warm or at room temperature with plenty of powdered sugar on top.

Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 8 ounce packagecream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
4 pears, cored and sliced
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup lightly toasted broken walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line eight 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with foil or paper bake cups; set aside.

For crust, in bowl stir together oats, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons butter until combined. Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons oat mixture into each prepared muffin cup. With bottom of a narrow glass press down lightly. Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on wire racks. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

For cheesecake filling, in medium bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Add egg and beat just until combined. Stir in blue cheese and sour cream.

Spoon well-rounded tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each crust-lined muffin cup. Bake 20 minutes or until slightly puffed and set. Cool 30 minutes. Remove from cups. Place on tray, cover and refrigerate at least 2 or up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

For Toffee Pears, in large skillet melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the 1/2 cup brown sugar and cream. Cook and stir until bubbly. Add pears. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly.

To serve, remove foil or paper liners from cheesecakes. Spoon about 1 tablespoon brown sugar-cream mixture into each of 8 dessert dishes. Top with a cheesecake. Spoon pears around cheesecake. Sprinkle each with toasted walnuts. Makes 8 servings.