Fall Baking
By Matt Weinstein @glassofweinstein
Fall is here! Leaning into seasonality is one of my favorite parts of being a chef. Every season invites a new variety of produce, spices, and flavors into the kitchen. The many possibilities of these ingredients can make for a cozy, warm, and comforting season for you and your loved ones. Let’s dive in, shall we!
First up is the annual craze: Pumpkin Spice.
But what actually is it? The name has been affiliated with all things pumpkin for the last several years, and is typically a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and allspice. These are what we would also call “warming spices”, and mostly come from South Asian pantries. Some additional spices you can add to your blends would be cardamom or even star anise. You can likely find a pumpkin spice blend at your local grocery store, or you can opt to make your own version at home and customize your blend.
Pumpkins are everywhere this time of year, and if you aren’t keen on going to an orchard to pick one, cut it up, and roast it yourself, you can often find canned pumpkin puree at the grocery store (be sure to always check the ingredient list before purchasing). This puree can be used in an array of treats like pumpkin waffles, donuts, and of course pumpkin pie. Enveloping the warming spices into these dishes really leans into the coziness of the season.
But this spice blend isn’t strictly for anything with pumpkin in it. It would also beautifully compliment apples this time of year.
If you live in the Northeast, apple-picking might have been an annual family tradition. I personally have so many memories as a kid of going to orchards in Hudson, NY or Connecticut, and picking pounds and pounds of apples. We’d then go back to my grandparents house to peel, cook, stew, and bake them to make homemade pies and applesauce to take home.
With so many varieties, you can play with different levels of tartness, sweetness, and heartiness depending on what you’re making. For example, I love using the warming spices we discussed earlier with Fuji or Honey Crisp apples to make easy apple crisps with gluten-free oats, brown sugar, butter, and gluten-free flour. I’ll even add pomegranate seeds (another seasonal ingredient!) to add an extra layer of flavor. But my absolute favorite is cutting them into chunks and baking them into a coffee cake.
Now… Have you ever considered using CORN in your baked goods? I know, I know, it sounds unusual! But, this is the best time of year for corn use in your kitchen, and its natural sweetness plays really nicely in a corn cookie or in corn muffins. The bursts of fresh corn in every bite can be so satisfying.
The wonderful thing about pumpkin, apples, and corn is that they’re all high in moisture, which can absolutely benefit a gluten-free baked good (which we know can dry out if we’re not careful). On the topic of moisture, a pro-tip to keep in mind when you’re baking is giving your batters and doughs enough time to hydrate, meaning let them rest before you bake them. Let me elaborate.
You measure and combine your wet ingredients. You do the same with your dry ingredients. Then you combine them together to make your batter or dough. But gluten-free flours need more time to hydrate. Think of it this way: combining them is the ice-breaker, but they need some time to get to know each other before they are ready to go to the party in the oven. So the next time you’re baking, give your ingredients five to ten extra minutes to rest together on your counter before baking, and see how the taste and texture differs.
I hope that you’ll head to your local markets, orchards, and farms to take advantage of the beautiful fall produce that’s available to us. I can’t wait to see what you all bake up this fall!