Hello Fall!
September is upon us and summer is officially coming to a close as the last summer barbecues and outdoor gatherings are wrapping up in Minnesota. For many, this is a sad reality as the dreaded weather change is developing and just around the corner. For others, the excitement for Fall is here, which is one of the best seasons for food and flavor combinations! Yes, here at Nordic Ware, we celebrate the beginning of fall as we get to focus on our favorite warm autumn seasonal flavors using our amazing cookware and Fall Harvest Pans. Not to mention, the true Minnesota beauty exposed during this time of year is something to look forward to and cherish!
We wanted to give a warm welcome to the fall season by dedicating a post to our favorite flavors and foods to generate new ideas and ways to incorporate into your recipes. Below is a list of our favorite foods and ways to use these flavors!
Apple:
The apple picking season is in full swing as apples have made their way to local farmers markets and apple orchards are open for their busiest time of the year. What better way to spend a fall day than at a local apple orchard, picking from the latest harvest, enjoying delicious apple cider, and participating in other fun fall activities with your family and friends. Freshly picked apples are the way to go for your cooking and baking needs, and each apple variation has a different texture, taste, and use for your recipes and preferences. Here are some examples!
Utilize this amazing apple season by incorporating your freshly picked apples into your recipe agenda this season. Whether you are making an apple loaf using the Apple Baskets Loaf Pan, an apple crisp, tarts, donuts, cinnamon apple sauce, sautéing with sweet potatoes and veggies, topping a flatbread pizza, or adding to your salads and Panini’s.
Pumpkin:
Although pumpkin is big for Halloween and Thanksgiving, it is definitely not too early to start baking and cooking within these next few weeks. Pumpkin spice lattes have already been released, so it’s time to take your Wheat and Pumpkin Loaf or Autumn Delights Cakelet Pan and make your favorite pumpkin bread or pumpkin spice cake recipes. Pumpkin is also great to include in savory pasta dishes, waffle and pancake recipes, cookie recipes, muffins, granola, and even curry dishes.
Fall/Winter Squash Varieties:
Continuing with the squash theme, butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash are commonly used in fall inspired dishes and sides. Butternut squash has a sweet nutty flavor that pairs well with spices such as cinnamon and ginger, with a variety of nuts, herbs such as rosemary and parsley, and foods for roasting purposes, soups, pasta dishes, and salads. Acorn squash is milder in flavor and has an array of uses in fall recipes as well such as stuffed and roasted with meat, wild rice, and vegetables, addition to soups and pasta dishes, roasted with meats and fish, and even used in pies. Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for grains and pastas and can be paired with a multitude of different flavorings and food inspirations.
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is the essential flavor of fall in all your baking recipes, so be sure to include in all your autumn baking needs.
Sweet Potato:
You can never go wrong with sweet potatoes during the fall season. Sweet potatoes are versatile and can be used in a variety of creative ways. They are incredible in their simple form baked or combined with cinnamon. Common uses include sweet potato fries, an addition for salads and other dishes, soups, or just simply mashed. They are also a great addition to your scone or muffin recipes, cookies, brownies, and cakes.
Chai Spices:
This amazing combination of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and all spice is the best during the fall season to warm you up. It is great for tea drinks and latte needs, but also is a wonderful combination of flavors for your baking recipes such as cakes, cupcakes, sweet breads, glazes, syrups, muffins, pancakes, and cookie recipes. Chai cake recipes would be great to use in all of our Fall Harvest Pans!
Maple:
Maple brings a delicious flavor to your cake recipes and acts as a great sweetener as well for the fall. It’s traditional use as a syrup for pancakes and waffles is a year round favorite indulgence, but maple sugar cakes using the Maple Leaf Pan would be a tasty dessert for a fall outing. Maple can also be added to savory recipes such as salad dressings and meat marinades.
We hope you enjoy the beginning of a new fall season and try to be positive as the temperatures start to drop and the leaves begin to change color. There is nothing like the taste of fall flavors this time of year, so start creating your favorite recipes or try some new fall combinations this year.
