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If you’ve read my column for any amount of time, you know I am Team Pumpkin Spice for life. My favorite dish as a kid on Thanksgiving was the pumpkin pie dessert, I’ve always loved pumpkin spice drinks. Everything about pumpkin spice is right in my wheelhouse. This column will be all the fall flavors with some pumpkin spice, as well an apple recipe in honor of Almelund’s fantastic Apple Festival that is this weekend!

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PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE QUICK BREAD

For the Streusel:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 Tbsp. cold salted butter, cut into cubes

For the Pumpkin Bread:

1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan

3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. instant espresso powder

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Make the streusel: Stir together the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Use your fingers to work in the butter until it’s evenly incorporated and the mixture clumps together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the bread: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.

Whisk the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until well combined. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring until just combined.

Transfer half of the batter (about 2 cups) to a separate large bowl. Combine the espresso powder and cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon hot water in a small bowl; pour the espresso mixture over the remaining batter in the mixing bowl and stir well to combine.

Using 2 cookie scoops or large spoons, dollop alternating scoops of pumpkin and coffee batter in a random pattern in the prepared loaf pan. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the batters in a figure eight motion, making sure not to scrape the bottom or sides of the pan. On a kitchen towel–lined countertop, firmly tap the pan a few times to settle the batter and release any air bubbles. Crumble the streusel evenly over the top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment to lift the bread from the pan and transfer to a rack. Let cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour.

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PUMPKIN CREAM PIE

For the Crust:

1 1/2 package graham crackers (about 15 full sheets)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 stick butter, melted

Pie Filling:

1 box (3 oz. box) vanilla pudding (cook and serve variety)

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream, divided

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

2 Tbsp. whiskey (optional)

1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp. pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

extra graham cracker crumbs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 300˚F.

Grind the graham crackers in a food processor (or, if you don't have a food processor, place them in a large zip-up bag and pound 'em with a rolling pin.) Add the powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined.

Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm and "set." Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix the dry pudding mix with the half-and-half and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring , until the mixture is bubbly and thick.

Remove from the heat and stir in the whiskey, if using. Add the pumpkin and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough, place the pot in the fridge to cool completely.

When the mixture is cool, remove it from the fridge. To a mixing bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy. Fold in the pumpkin cream mixture until combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.

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CINNAMON ROLL APPLE PIE

2 (17.5-oz.) tubes refrigerated cinnamon rolls, such as Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnabon Cream Cheese Icing

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

6 small apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

2 Tbsp. salted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a baking sheet in the center rack of the oven.

Open up the tubes of cinnamon rolls but do not separate the dough. Reserve the glaze. Using a serrated knife, slice the rolls into ¼-inch-thick slices (you’ll be cutting each roll into thirds crosswise). You should have 28 to 30 rounds.

Place a round in the center of a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Arrange 6 to 8 rolls in a close circle around the center to form a 7- to 8-inch circle (it will resemble a flower). Cut 3 to 4 cinnamon rolls in half and use them to fill any spaces on the outer rim of the circle to form a 9-inch round. Lightly dust with more flour, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and gently roll the dough into an 11-inch round.

Use the parchment paper to carefully invert the cinnamon roll crust into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate (not deep dish). Repeat the arranging process with the remaining pieces of dough and roll out into a 10-inch round. You may have some dough leftover (see tip).

In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, apple pie spice, and flour. Spoon the apples into the cinnamon roll crust and dot with butter pieces. Invert the second cinnamon roll crust over the apples, pinching to seal any gaps between cinnamon rolls. Trim the top and bottom crusts to a ½-inch overhang. Fold both crusts up over the edge of the pie and pinch to seal.

Cut four 3-inch-wide strips of foil and cover the edges of the pie. Cut a 8-inch piece of foil and loosely tent the top of the pie. Bake on the center rack for 45 minutes. Remove the foil square from the top, keeping the edges covered, and continue to bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Let the pie cool for 10 minutes. Then spread with as much of the reserved glaze as you like (you may not use it all). Let the pie cool at least 1 hour before serving.

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BAKED APPLE

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, diced and softened

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

6 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

4 medium honeycrisp or cortlandt apples

1/4 cup apple cider

2 Tbsp. honey

Ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine the butter, oats, sugar, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt with your fingertips in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Using a paring knife, cut out the core and stem of each apple, leaving the bottom about 1/2-inch of the apple intact. Using a small spoon or grapefruit spoon, scoop out any remaining core and seeds to form about a 3 tablespoons cavity in each apple. Stuff each apple with an equal amount of the oat mixture.

Pour the apple cider and honey into the bottom of a pie plate; whisk to combine. Arrange the apples, crumb side up, in the pie plate. Bake until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes, basting the sides of the apples (avoiding oat filling) every 15 minutes with apple cider mixture from the bottom of the pie plate. Serve warm with big scoops of ice cream. 

TFD: "Happiness is not by chance, but by choice." — Jim Rohn

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