Flavors of Fall

Fall Recipes by Food Blogger Tina Butler

Family foodie Tina Butler makes old-fashioned home-cooked meals a priority. A wife and a mother of three, Tina creates meals that are simple, delicious, and perfect for bringing her family together at the table. 

Tina’s philosophy:

I have always been obsessed with recipes and cooking for as long as I can remember. I remember sitting on the porch as a little girl jotting down recipes from my mother and magazines, saving them to keep for the future when I had my own family.  Fast-forward to today.  My children range in ages from 8 to 18 and share the same joy of cooking as I do. I try my best to get them involved in the kitchen as much as possible. I am thankful that my mother taught me how to cook at a very young age, so I want to do the same for them.

Apple Pie Bread is a dense quick bread with a delicious crunchy brown sugar topping. This recipe combines all the flavors of an apple pie in bread form. The longer the apple pie bread sits the better it tastes. This is the perfect recipe to make when you have an abundance of fall apples. 

Apple Pie Bread

1/2  cup butter, softened
1/2  cup granulated sugar
1/2  cup packed brown sugar
1/3  cup buttermilk
2  teaspoons baking powder
2  eggs
1  teaspoon vanilla extract
2  cups all-purpose flour
1/2  teaspoon apple pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2  cups peeled apples, diced
3/4  cup pecans, chopped
streusel nut topping (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. If using a glass loaf pan bake at 325 degrees. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugars together until combined.

Add the buttermilk and baking powder and beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour, apple pie spice, and salt; beat until combined.

In a separate bowl toss the apples and nuts in a bit of flour before adding to the batter. Fold in the nuts and apples by hand. Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Prepare the streusel topping and sprinkle over the batter.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes remove and cool completely on a cooling rack. Wrap in plastic wrap and let the bread sit overnight before cutting. This will prevent the bread from crumbling as well as infuse the flavors. 

Streusel Nut Topping:

1/4  cup packed brown sugar
1/2  teaspoon cinnamon
3  tablespoons flour
2  tablespoons butter, softened
1/3  cup pecans, chopped

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Using a pastry blender or fork cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts or pecans.

Recipe Yields: 1 loaf

When I visit my mother-in-law during the fall season, she always has this delicious fresh apple cake gracing the kitchen counter.  Mom doesn’t add the yummy vanilla glaze, but I think it really takes this apple cake over the top.

  Mom’s Fresh Apple Cake

3 cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped (Golden Delicious or Granny Smith)
3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup apple juice or milk
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1  cup pecans, halves, separated

Icing (recipe below)

 Preheat oven to 350-degrees; grease and flour a Bundt pan. In a large bowl, toss apples with flour to coat.

Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. If using nuts break the pecan halves into pieces and add to the batter {save about 10 pecan halves for garnish}.

Pour the mixture into prepared pan; make sure to spread the mixture evenly. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to serving plate. Drizzle cooled cake with icing and garnish with pecans.

 Icing Recipe:

2  cups powdered sugar
2  tablespoons milk
1  teaspoons vanilla extract

Place powdered sugar, vanilla and milk in a bowl and mix together until smooth. If the glaze is to thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time until the mixture reaches desired consistency.

Cook’s Note: 2 loaf pans can be substituted for a Bundt pan.

These scrumptious Butterscotch Pumpkin Muffins only require three ingredients: a cake mix, canned pumpkin, and butterscotch chips. The end result is an amazing little pumpkin muffin that will melt in your mouth. Eat them plain or top with a dollop of cream cheese frosting.

  Butterscotch Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

 1  18.25-ounce spice cake mix, dry
2  cups fresh pumpkin puree or 1 – 15 oz can plain pumpkin
1  cup butterscotch chips or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Empty the cake mix into a large bowl. If it looks lumpy then sift the cake mix. Once sifted, add the pumpkin and mix well. Stir in the butterscotch chips; mix to combine. Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick baking spray

Using a cookie scoop, drop the batter into each muffin cup. Keep in mind the way the batter looks in the pan is how your muffins will shape after baking. I smooth the tops just a bit.

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes.  Remove to a baking rack to cool completely. When completely cool frost with cream cheese frosting or eat plain.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4  cup butter or margarine
4  ounces cream cheese
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2  cups powdered sugar

Using an electric mixer, mix the butter or margarine and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar; keep adding until you get the desired sweetness and thickness. If the mixture is too thick you can add a splash of milk. Frost the muffins using a star tip and a cake decoration bag.

Cook’s Notes: Use the cake mix dry; do not add required ingredients on the back of the box.  For a low calorie version leave the muffins plain and omit the cream cheese frosting. Chocolate chips can be substituted for butterscotch chips. 

Recipe yields: 36-38 Mini Muffins

As fall arrives, there’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of hot soup. Garden Harvest Chicken Stew is rich in flavor and packed full of vegetables.  If you still have vegetables producing in your summer garden, this is the perfect recipe.

Garden Harvest Chicken Stew

 4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
6  medium regular or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
4  large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1  cup fresh or frozen green beans
1  zucchini squash, cut
1/2  medium onion, chopped
3  cups chicken broth
1  chicken bouillon cube
1  6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4  cup cold water
3  tablespoons cornstarch
2  tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the chicken until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside when cooked.

In a large slow cooker, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the zucchini, cold water, and cornstarch. Mix well and cook on low for 6-7 hours (or high for 4 hours).

The last two hours of cooking add the zucchini. When all the vegetables are soft, in a separate bowl mix together the ¼ cup cold water and 3 tablespoons cornstarch, stirring until smooth.

Gently stir into the stew and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve with hot rolls or a wedge of cornbread.

For more delicious recipes, visit Tina at www.mommyskitchen.net.