Cool weather, rainy days and early evenings are signs that fall is about to arrive. If you are looking for ways to bring some coziness to your home this autumn, try these quick tips to instantly add fall vibes with warming spices, fall produce and hearty recipes.
The sights, smells and tastes of autumn can be a welcoming treat after the summer heat. Whether you look forward to apple picking or pumpkin patches, your favorite pumpkin spice latte or the leaves changing colors, there are so many reasons to enjoy the changing of the seasons.
This year, make your autumn extra cozy, starting in your kitchen. Recipes incorporating late-season produce and warm, comforting flavors will make your meals and fall bakes a delicious way to celebrate the season.
Setting the tone
An afternoon in the kitchen is a perfect way to spend a chilly fall day. The warmth of the oven and the smell of baked goods or roasted meat can transform your home into a cold-weather retreat.
As you prepare to cook or bake this year, elevate the fall mood even more. Light candles in your favorite fall scents and place them around your kitchen for a warm glow. You can also create a simmer pot to fill your kitchen with the aromas of fall. Simply fill a pot with water and add aromatics like orange slices, apple quarters, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and fresh rosemary sprigs. Simmer the pot on your stove on low heat to fill your kitchen with fall scents.
Put on your favorite playlist, get your seasonal hand towels out and prepare a warm drink. Now you’re ready to cook in a lovely autumn atmosphere.
Warm spices are the heart of fall cooking
Spices have long been associated with the cooler months. In Ayurvedic beliefs from India, notes Dr. Humaira Quraishi ND, MS, spices bring warmth to the body, reducing the risk of chills and illness. Since Medieval times, spices have also been associated with the feast days of fall and winter when households would prepare extravagant dishes.
Today, fall spices are readily available and provide an easy way to bring warmth to your fall cooking. Whip up baked goods like pumpkin pie, apple pie, spice cake and ginger cookies with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. You could also add allspice to banana bread, cinnamon to chocolate chip cookies or cardamom to shortbread to turn your favorite recipes into a spicy fall treat.
For savory recipes, try a spicy glaze for ham by combining cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and honey. Jerk chicken or spiced beef with plenty of allspice makes for a warming dinner on a cool night. Roasting vegetables like carrots and squash with whole cinnamon and cloves can make the perfect side.
Seasonal produce
Fall brings an abundance of produce. Unlike the more delicate flavors of summer, these fruits and vegetables are hearty, making them the ideal base for fall cooking. Soups, stews and roasts will fill your kitchen with mouth-watering aromas.
Butternut squash, pumpkin and other members of the squash family are at their peak from September to November. They bring a subtle sweetness. Cube them for roasting or blend them into creamy soups.
Root vegetables like sweet potatoes and parsnips are a nutrient-rich and flavorful addition to vegetable stew. For a lighter fare in your fall cooking, make a kale salad with apple slices. Pear and gorgonzola have a bright flavor profile that works well in a savory tart or a creamy penne pasta.
Add rich, earthy flavors with these special ingredients
Recipes with earthy flavors bring fall into your kitchen, echoing the falling leaves and smokey scents of an autumn day. According to The Mushroom Forager, cool, rainy days make fall a prime time for mushrooms like chanterelles, lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms. Mushrooms bring an earthiness to stews, pot pies and tarts, or can be sauteed to enjoy on their own.
Hearty herbs like sage and rosemary thrive as the weather cools and bring piney notes to dishes. Sage pairs well with pork and chicken, is a must-have for stuffing and complements butternut squash beautifully. Add rosemary to steak or lamb, or bake rosemary into your favorite bread recipe for a fall twist.
In addition to the fall spices like cinnamon and cloves, earthier spices like turmeric and smoked paprika bring extra warmth. Add them to mung bean soup or make a curry for a comforting dinner.
Infuse drinks with fall flair
A cozy drink is ideal on a chilly morning or an afternoon when you’ve just finished apple picking or raking leaves. The quintessential pumpkin spice latte is even tastier when homemade. Make your own pumpkin spice syrup to add to lattes or hot chocolate.
The spices in chai and spiced cider will warm you from the inside out. Serve them in a ceramic or stoneware mug with an extra cinnamon stick. The warmth of the mug in your hands will be like a cozy hug.
For those who partake, a boozy fall drink is extra warming. Make your own mulled wine by heating red wine with brandy, orange slices and mulling spices like cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Serve mulled wine in a mug garnished with more orange slices and cinnamon sticks.
The warmth of baking
Nothing brings fall vibes to a kitchen like baking. The delicious smells, the ambient warmth of the oven and the indulgent treats are the best way to bring in fall. Apple pie, pumpkin pie and pecan pie are fall staples.
But pie is only the beginning of fall-themed baked goods. Pumpkin, cranberry, apple, maple, cinnamon, ginger — these autumn ingredients will infuse your home and your tastebuds with autumn coziness. Bake them up in cookies, bread, cakes, crumbles, sticky buns, scones and more.
Celebrate fall in the kitchen this year
Whether you are looking forward to get-togethers with decadent treats or just want to enjoy your evenings at home, embrace autumn in your kitchen. Favorite comfort foods, rich spices and earthy flavors will have you feeling warm and cozy this year.
Kristen Wood is a photographer, food writer, recipe developer and creator of MOON and spoon and yum. She is also the author of “Vegetarian Family Cookbook,” “Fermented Hot Sauce Cookbook” and “Hot Sauce Cookbook for Beginners.” Her work has been featured in various online and print publications, including NBC, Seattle Times, Elle, Martha Stewart, Forbes, Chicago Sun-Times and more.