new england autumn

LA doesn't have seasons, but for the past few years, I've been lucky enough to visit the East Coast for a quick trip and experience the fall.  Earlier this month, I had a magical New England weekend filled with pumpkins, apple picking, and gorgeous rust-coloured leaves.

Pumpkins at Allendale Farms

Monday afternoon was the perfect grey overcast, chilly day that just begged for delicious fall-time baked goods.  The oven warmed the house and the smell of cinnamon apples filled the kitchen.

my favorite sous chefs

Apple Strudel Muffins
(adapted from allrecipes)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons apple pie spice
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups chopped apples

1/3 cup packed brown sugar 
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth.
- Mix in vanilla.
- Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. 
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
- Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.

-Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.



After a weekend of salted caramel brownies, apple cobbler, pumpkin cupcakes, cider donuts, and more, my niece and nephew declared this as the "most sugar-y weekend of of our lives!"