October Offerings

I love October.

The days are cool, clear and bright - the nights chilly and crisp. There's leaves everywhere and the bare trees make a beautifully stark silhouette against the autumn moon.

But most of all, I like October because it is the best time of year for fruit. Apples, pumpkins, concord grapes and pears are in every grocery store at more than reasonable prices. Of course, this means one thing to me: Baking.

I have been baking a lot lately. Besides the pies that I made for Thanksgiving, I have baked a few apple crisp, a dozen pumpkin loaves, pumpkin cookies, apple coffee cake, and today have plans for a pumpkin cheesecake. I also have a few dozen pears sitting on my counter that I have not yet decided the fate of. I may poach them in brandy...or more likely, just slice them and eat them with homemade caramel sauce for dessert tonight.

There's just something about this time of year that makes baking more enjoyable. The heavy scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger fill my home - all mingling well with the ever-present smell of brewing coffee.

The only drawback to all this baking is that I need to rearrange my freezer. Blah. Looks like I'll be creating leftover masterpieces for a while. Ah well, small price to pay in the long run.

If you're in the area, stop in for coffee - and something warm and yummy.