As I sit at my desk, staring out into the yard, I notice that the slant of the light is unmistakably fall-like. Despite the warm weather, I know that the leaves are falling, and the light is fading, as the sun sinks lower in the sky.

These thoughts lead me to fall foods. The first ingredient my mind lights on is cinnamon. It being late afternoon, my body and mind are in the doldrums. The thought of cinnamon immediately makes me wish I had a strong cup of coffee and a big fat slice of some barely sweet, moist, nutty coffee cake.

Before I know it my fingers are flying all over the keyboard searching out recipes from my favorite sites.

So coffee cake, my friends, is the theme of this week’s recipe round up.

Happy Baking!

You can always depend on Simply Recipes for simple recipes that work. This Apple Coffee Cake is no exception.

From Ina Gartne via The Food Network, here’s a pretty classic sounding Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

And finally, from Martha Stewart, we have Aunt Patty’s Coffee Cake. I don’t know who Aunt Patty is, but her coffee cake looks like it rocks. I’ll have to get over my distaste for buying instant coffee granules for this one!

Image: Vanessa Barrington

The post Coffee Cake Craving appeared first on EcoSalon.

As summer slowly morphs into fall the scent of apples permeates the market stalls. So many varieties – from Pink Ladies, to McIntosh, to our beloved Gravensteins. Today I’m getting ready to make the season’s first apple pie (from the apples you see pictured above, in fact), but why stop there? Apples are versatile in desserts, salads, and as side dishes. And, if you have a windfall, don’t forget apple butter.

Here’s a sampling of great sounding apple recipes from around the web.

The Kitchn brings us this super decadent sounding Sticky Spiked Double Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Brandy Sauce. Originally from the book, In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley, this looks like it should be regulated as a controlled substance.

From Epicurious we have a lovely fall salad with Escarole, Apples, Candied Walnuts, and Saint Andre Cheese.

And for the canners and preservers among us, Simply Recipes creations are always rock solid so this apple butter recipe would be my go-to version.

Image: Vanessa Barrington

The post Sweet, Savory, Spreadable: Fall’s First Fruit 3 Ways appeared first on EcoSalon.