Break out the apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg -- it's time to hunker down for some cozy fall baking.
What's the secret to a perfect apple pie? Blind baking the crust and boiling down the juices before filling the pie. These steps add a bit of extra time but ensure a crisp and flaky crust and a syrupy, cider-flavored filling. The perfect apple pie! GET THE RECIPE
Adapted from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow, these cookies are thick and soft with a rich peanut butter flavor and sandy texture. GET THE RECIPE
This gem of a cake comes from Marcy Goldman's much-loved cookbook, A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking. It's has tremendous depth of flavor -- there's coffee, orange juice and booze in it -- and the taste of honey shines through. GET THE RECIPE
Focaccia is a flavorful and easy-to-make Italian flat bread that feeds a crowd. This classic version is topped with coarse salt and fresh rosemary but other toppings can be added, such as thinly sliced tomatoes, olives or grated cheese. Enjoy it warm out of the oven with Italian favorites, like Pasta e Fagioli or Fettucini Bolognese. GET THE RECIPE
Who can resist warm baked apples, bubbling away in their own syrupy juices, with a crisp streusel topping of pecans, oats, butter and brown sugar? It's ten times easier to make than apple pie, and just as delicious! GET THE RECIPE
Imbued with warm autumn spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, these cookies are cakey on the interior and slightly crisp on the exterior, with a bit of crunch from the raw sugar sprinkled on top. My family flocks to the kitchen as soon as I pull them out of the oven, and the first batch disappears before the second trays are done. GET THE RECIPE
This crisp is a standout, thanks to the combination of sweet D'Anjou pears and tart dried cherries, which are plumped up in an orange-scented caramel syrup before baking. GET THE RECIPE
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, these muffins have a wholesome "oatey" flavor and crunchy streusel topping. In addition to being delicious, they dome beautifully in the oven and make you proud. GET THE RECIPE
Baked oatmeal is a comforting Amish breakfast casserole with a consistency similar to bread pudding. There are endless variations -- the recipe is easily adapted with whatever fruits and nuts you have on hand -- but this version filled with tart apples and plump raisins with a crunchy walnut topping is my favorite. GET THE RECIPE
10. Walnut & Cinnamon Biscotti
Adapted from a lovely little cookbook called Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome by Mona Talbott and Mirealla Misenti, these cinnamon-spiced biscotti are delicious with your afternoon coffee or tea. They also keep for a long time, which makes them perfect for gifting. GET THE RECIPE
Want to make the house smell wonderful? Bake this banana bread infused with warm chai spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. GET THE RECIPE
How about a boozy treat to warm you up? My grandmother was known near and far for this butter- and rum-soaked pound cake. It was the hit of every family gathering, and no one ever passed through her kitchen without sneaking a thin slice. GET THE RECIPE
I've been making this pumpkin bread since I was a little girl, and it's just as delicious today as it was back then. It's easy -- just a bit of mixing and stirring, pop it in the oven and, in about an hour, you'll have a house smelling of sweet autumn spices and two scrumptious, pumpkiny loaves.GET THE RECIPE