I adore Fall. But what I love even more is the chance to finally bake all the things that make me feel the warm and fuzzies. ‘Tis the season for comfort food, and it’s something I look forward to all summer long.
But today, I must admit defeat.
I don’t want to ever lie to you and pretend that I have everything all together all the time. Or any of the time. Because I really, really don’t.
For the past five days I’ve had a bad cold, and yesterday was my birthday (hello,mid-twenties), which meant that I actually got out of bed to do things, but then had zero energy for the rest of the day. This made getting into the kitchen to whip up something new quite the challenge. I tried, but I ain’t no superwoman.
In my half-conscious state, I’ve recently been working on a recipe that simply refuses to cooperate. Every time I think I’ve found a way to make it foolproof, it decides to fail on me yet again (although it’s more likely that my foggy brain’s at fault). I won’t tell you what it is because I want it to be a surprise when I do finally figure it out – and I will figure it out – but rest assured that it’s something I’m very excited about.
So, in lieu of one recipe, I’ve decided to share five: my favorite sweet Fall recipes from our two+ years in this biz (in no particular order). Let’s get into it.
1. Apple Stuffed Waffles
These were the first breakfast dish on the blog, and they’re still one of my favorites. They’re so easy to whip up, decidedly soft and doughy, filled with cinnamon-sugar apples, and drizzled with maple syrup – does it get more Fall than this? It’s apple season, so get in on this while you can. (And if you prefer crispy waffles, then these Yeasted Waffles are for you.)
2. Fluffy Pumpkin Souffles
These beauties are what happens when Wei learns how to make soufflés (basically, magic). Literally one of the best pumpkin desserts out there – not only are they as fluffy as the name implies, they’re also lightly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. So with every bite, you’ll feel a warm embrace from Fall as it assures you that you can finally pull out those thick blankets and cozy sweaters – because it’s not leaving you any time soon.
3. Pear and White Chocolate Bundt Cake
This cake may have a hole in it, but it is secretly one of the best things I’ve ever made. The cake is so impossibly moist and delicately flavored that it’s a wonder it’s not the Queen of England’s cake of choice when enjoying her afternoon tea (if I do say so myself). Forget the glaze – just make the cake, don’t skimp on the white chocolate, and prepare to be quite pleasantly blown away. Oh, and who doesn’t love pears? Fall fruits get all of my love.
4. Giant Cinnamon Roll with Caramelized Pears
As I was saying, I like me some pears. I just recently shared this one, so I apologize for repeatedly singing its praises, but this cinnamon roll really is the ultimate Fall comfort food. It tastes way better than any cinnamon roll I’ve ever had, and it is full of caramelized pears. It’s sweet but not too sweet, and bigger than your face – the perfect dessert for feeding a crowd. I enlisted the help of a lot of tasters when testing this recipe, and even the toughest critics had nothing bad to say – other than, “It’s just too big, isn’t it?”. But that kind of criticism is really more like praise in my book.
5. Chocolate Orange Challah Bread
Speaking of big things, this baby is the all-star of giant Fall comfort foods. While unadulterated challah bread is one of my all-time favorite breads, a healthy dose of chocolate, a splash of OJ, and a few tablespoons of orange zest elevate this loaf to much more heavenly standards. So no matter what holidays are coming your way – be it Rosh Hashanah, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas – this goddess is sure to be the star of your table and the conversation centerpiece.
With that, I’ll leave you with some delightfully appropriate words from Oscar Wilde, which were quoted to me by several different people when I was in Dublin: “I can resist everything except temptation”.
So just give in, friends. Resistance is futile.
