Five Fall Treats and Recipes

The other day, my girlfriend and I were leaving when she said what seemed, at first, to be the most arbitrary thing. She looked up at the dark rain-threatening sky, zipped her hooded sweatshirt up a few more inches and said:

“I could really go for a caramel apple.”

I nearly shrugged this off, such is her penchant for completely random thoughts, but then she added, “And not the gross candy-red kind. One with real caramel.”

I realized that, much the same way that a cold day often leaves me craving a creamy soup, the cooler, rainy weather had put her in the mood for a specific treat.

After some consideration, I put together a list of some other fall-inspired treats. Give it a read and just try to not give in to the cravings. And for anyone on a fall diet… sorry.

1. Caramel apples should probably be included, since they were already mentioned. That, and it’s usually a favored treat at fall festivals and fairs.

How to make it: This one’s fairly simple. Jam a stick into an apple and roll it in hot caramel (usually microwaved, in my case). Let it cool for a few minutes, then devour.

2. Sweet potato casserole is a vegetable side dish that tastes like a dessert. It’s a serious fall staple in my household; one Thanksgiving my sister neglected to make it, and that year we had nothing to be thankful for (kidding!).

How to make it: The abridged version is: bake the potatoes for an hour, then blend the squishy tubers with some butter. Spread that in a casserole dish as the base layer. Top with a mixture of crushed pecans, butter and brown sugar. Bake at about 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve. Last step: try to convince the kids that it’s not dessert.

3. Apple cobbler, also known as apple crisp, is about as good as apples get (sorry, apple pie). It’s a popular fall treat because, well, apples are in season and plentiful.

How to make it: Skin and slice up six apples and layer the slices loosely in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with a crumbly mixture of brown sugar, oats, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter. Bake at about 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then realize you can’t possibly eat this without vanilla ice cream, run to the store, come back and serve.

4. Pumpkin pie reigns as the king of fall desserts. I haven’t ever lasted a fall season without pumpkin pie. If I live long enough that I can’t eat solid food, I’ll still scrape the filling and eat it without the crust. But with Cool-Whip.

How to make it: Since I lack any type of epicurean panache, I cheat big time: I use a store-bought pie crust and canned pumpkin puree. Sorry, grandmas of the world. But simplest is best. Mix the filling with some flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and heavy cream and pour it into the pie crust. Bake at about 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Eat with whipped topping and/or vanilla ice cream. Preferably both.

5. Cookies are good year-round, but fall seems to be the time of year to get with mom and grandma and make them yourself, instead of being lazy and just buying them from the store. That, and they usually taste better.  

How to make it: I’m pretty sure there are about 8,000 different varieties of cookies, so chances are you’ve got a recipe sitting around somewhere. If not, call mom. Chocolate chip is usually best, but while you’re at it, throw in some peanut butter cookies and maybe some snickerdoodles. Oh, and gingerbread. Please.