The autumnal desserts I’ve been craving

Like a lot of people who struggled with quarantine cooking fatigue, I gave my oven a bit of a break over the summer. But now that cooler temperatures have swept into New York and there's a new season of GBBO, I've been inspired to get back into the kitchen.

I've been craving all the typical autumn flavors—apples, cinnamon, and pumpkin—and find myself gravitating to cozy favorites. These applesauce cookies, for example, are a great way to use up the not-enough-to-be-a-full-toddler-snack portion of an opened jar and don't require any fancy equipment. They're soft and cake-like, perfect with a warm cup of coffee or tea when you hit the midday slump. For those who aren't afraid to fry, few things feel more quintessentially fall than watching homemade apple cider doughnuts fluff up and turn golden brown. Our secret? Reducing the cider helps concentrate the fruit flavor.

For those of us who were on a pandemic banana bread kick earlier this year, the fall equivalent is, naturally, pumpkin bread. Whether you like it vegan, filled with cream cheese, or topped with a coffee cake-like crumb, there are plenty of variations to bake up in the coming months. Of course, the fact that we're about a month away from Thanksgiving has me dreaming of pie. Our holiday plans are still up in the air, but it'll likely be a small celebration. Still, I plan on whipping up a variety—like this silky pumpkin chiffon or a hybrid cinnamon roll apple pie—to drop off with family and friends.

Show us what fall recipes you've been cooking up and, if you haven't already, join our baking group on Facebook!

- Patty Lee
Senior Editor, The Spruce Eats

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