It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The temperature drops, grass growth slows down, and there’s “pumpkin spice” out the wazoo! The leaves change colors; at least they do in commercials. This is Florida, after all. You can catch wafts of cinnamon brooms while walking through the store, even through your mask! Who buys cinnamon brooms?

I welcome the fall season with a warm embrace. As I begin my Saturday morning breakfast brainstorm, apples and spices come to mind. After extensive denial of the sun rising, I finally open my eyes, take in the light, and run a mental inventory check from the comfort of my blanket. I turn over and look at my phone for the time, and I know there’s no more time to piddle. I throw off the cover. It must be done with a degree of sternness to shake my slowly waking mind from slumber to alertness.  I make my way to the fridge and survey the shelves, taking note of what is available. Then I head over to the pantry to do the same, circle back around the refrigerator for good measure and then I begin to gather in preparation for my creation.

This Saturday wasn’t unlike most, but it was the first one of this fall season and I could not let the day pass without a culinary acknowledgement of its arrival.

As I made the batter for the coffee cake, my mother made the streusel to add in the middle. After whipping up the batter, I decided to butter the pan and sprinkle brown sugar and pecans in the bottom to create a candy like coating on the cake.

The cakes popped out of the pans beautifully with a deep brown and glistening sugars atop. My trash cake (made from leftover batter and streusel), came out dangerously amazing. Trash cake is what I call the little snack cake I make of the leftover batter and streusel. I tossed it in a cast iron skillet, added a couple tablespoons of butter on top of the pecan streusel topping and it baked perfectly. It was rich and nearly addictive. I should never make it in a large batch lest I make this health and fitness journey a harder challenge than it need be.

Nevertheless, the breakfast was a hit with the clan and fully welcomed the feeling of the season.

I can’t wait to see what else is in store. Do you have any plans or recipes you are looking forward to this season? Apple festivals, pumpkin patch or apple cider donuts perhaps? 

Cake

• 1 stick butter softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg, ginger and clove
• ¾ cup dairy Free Sour Cream
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 medium apples, grated
• brown sugar
• toasted pecans

In a large bowl mix well the butter, sugar, vanilla and egg.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

In a small bowl mic together the sour cream and water. Add half of the sour cream to the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix making sure not to overmix. Mix in the remaining sour cream into the batter. Fold in the grated apples.

Filling

• butter
• flour
• brown sugar
• nutmeg
• cinnamon
• toasted pecans, chopped

Unfortunately, I didn’t record exact measurements, but I mixed and tweaked until I got a soft crumb forms.

Preheat your oven to 350. Butter the mini Bundt pan, sprinkle brown sugar and toasted pecans inside the pan.  Fill each pan about 1/3 of the way with the batter, add the filling and then fill the bundts with the natter the rest of the way.