By Madeleine Morales ‘18, Lifestyle Editor
The feeling of a cool breeze blowing and the crunch of leaves under my combat boots is the feeling of fall. Other fall indicators are the smells wafting from the kitchen. The slightest variation of weather makes me stash away the fruit freezy-pops and groovy smoothies and whip up a fall treat. Some favorite indulgences of mine include vanilla cupcakes with cinnamon frosting, homemade apple pie, and vegan chili. All recipes are nut-free and dairy-free if Crisco and soymilk/almond milk is substituted in place of butter and milk.
Cinnamon Cupcakes:
• Cake Batter
o Ingredients
1 cup of white sugar
½ cup of butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup of milk
o Directions
Mix sugar and butter. Then add eggs and vanilla. Lastly add flour and baking powder that have been pre-mixed in a separate bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes in cupcake tins that are filled 2/3 of the way.
• Icing
o Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon cinnamon
o Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. This is easiest with an electrical mixer.
Ice the cupcakes with a butter knife. You can also spoon the icing into a Ziploc bag and cut one corner out to make you own icing bag.
Apple Pie:
• Crust
o Ingredients
2 frozen Pillsbury pie crusts you can buy at any local grocer
OR
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water
o Directions
Roll the crust into a ball with your hands.
Place plastic wrap insulation around your sphere and leave in the refrigerator overnight (or at least six hours prior) to harden.
After your allotted time, press the hardened crust into the pie mold.
• Filling
o Ingredients
“3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, chopped
2 cups of sugar
Teaspoon of cinnamon (if preferred)
o Directions
Chop the apples.
Add sugar (and cinnamon)and stir it in with apples until caramelized.
• Topping
o Make extra homemade crust and cut rows of it in preferred thickness, I recommend an inch or two of thickness with the length of the pie.
o Place these rows on top of the pie in a crisscross fashion.
o The flaky crust on top serves as more of a sweet, buttery crunch than actual necessity.
• Baking Instructions
o Bake the pie for two and a half hours at 250 degrees or until crust is golden. You can also alter time and temperature to three and a half hours at 150 degrees or an hour and a half at 350.
Vegan Chili:
• Chili
o Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cups chopped tomato
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cans unsalted kidney beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
2 cups chopped kale
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
o Directions
Sautee all vegetables in the oil/wine for 5 minutes, adding kale last.
After vegetables, add beans and continuously stir.
Serve over rice, pasta, or leave be.
Sources:
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/10/01/snickerdoodle-cupcakes-cinnamon-swirl-frosting/
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/24094/butter-flaky-pie-crust/
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-chili
Family cookbooks
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_pie.jpg
