Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust and Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Hello, Gentle Readers.  Long time, no post.  Those who know me in real life have seen that it's been a busy time for me at work.  After all, Halloween parties and haunted houses have to get their cadavers from somewhere.  With Halloween behind me, though, it's time to turn to that most glorious of food holidays: Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts & Muffins

I walked into the living room this afternoon and felt a little chilly.  That's when I realized the window was open.  Let me repeat that:  The window was open in the afternoon and it was chilly.  In Los Angeles, every summer it starts to feel like this day will never come.  But it has arrived, ladies and gentleman:  Fall.  So,  to welcome it, I made pumpkin donuts.

Pumpkin Hand Pies with Maple Glaze

Sorry for the hiatus folks, but don't worry, I've got plenty planned for the coming weeks.  After all, with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, 'tis the season for Holiday baking, which is my favorite kind of baking.  Cold weather flavors are deep, rich, warm and comforting, like a blanket for your mouth.  Actually, that sounds disgusting, forget that.  I need to work on my metaphors.

The Flavors of Fall

This week something magical happened:  It got cold.  Well, it got chilly.  Ok, it got slightly cooler than warm.  In L.A., the word "cold" is relative, but when I have to put away the jean shorts and tank tops, I say it's officially fall.

I might be a wimp about cold weather, but there is one very big benefit to the yearly drop in temperature:  the food.  It's not like people have to be a slave to the seasons when it comes to cooking, but there are certain flavors that just feel more appropriate when there's a crispness in the air.  Pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg...they're warm and comforting and fill your home with inviting fragrance.  And it's just not the same when the temperature in your oven is the same as the temperature outside.