As the solstice approaches, we can either miserably sit outside in the growing cold or nestle ourselves indoors with some cozy autumn-themed recipes. These delightful muffins and delicious apple hand pies are the perfect introduction to a colder season.
Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 5 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 teaspoons ginger
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
Preheat the oven to 375°. Thoroughly mix together all dry ingredients. Whisk in eggs and oil, then stir in pumpkin puree and pour into oiled muffin tins. Bake until the center is dry: approximately 20 minutes for a dozen muffins.
When the muffins were introduced to the journalism class for students to determine their quality, senior Solomon Rigelhaupt enthusiastically demanded, “I need another one,” and proceeded to desperately grasp for more muffins.
Apple Hand Pies
(Makes around 16 hand pies)
- Pie dough
– 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
– ¼ teaspoon salt
– 10 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into cubes
– 2-4 tablespoons ice water
- Filling
– 4 tart apples
– 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
– ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
– ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
– 2 tablespoons butter
– ⅛ cup brown sugar
– ⅛ cup white sugar
– 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the butter reaches half-inch sized pieces. Add water gradually until dough comes together and is moist, not wet. Gather dough on a floured surface and place in the fridge for one hour to two days.
Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and dice apples and place in a bowl with flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat butter in a saucepan and add apples, sugars, and lemon juice. Cook until the apples have thickened and become fragrant.
Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut an even amount of circles. Fill each dough circle with a spoonful of filling and place another dough circle on top. Crimp hand pies shut with a fork and cut a slit in the top. Bake for around 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350° and bake until golden brown.
These recipes promise to bring in all the autumnal glory you can desire, with one rave reviewer appreciatively saying it “tastes like a warm fall sunset.”