Fall Baking in Spring

This is all a bit disconcerting. Everywhere I look there are signs of spring- the flowers are blooming, the trees are full of beautiful green leaves, the weather is mild and, at times, even hot. At the grocery stores there are piles of blueberries and strawberries. There are melons a plenty. The children are just finishing up spring break and summer clothing fills the shops around town.

But, in my heart, it is fall.  Aside from my obsession with Halloween (or lack there of in this case) there is no where else that fall is missed more than in my baking.  I love to bake! Those of you who know me know that. I especially love to bake in the fall. The ingredients of fall- apples, cinnamon, pumpkin- make me feel safe, warm and peaceful. I think my favorite thing to bake is pie.  I love making the dough, chopping the fruit, and dousing it with sugar and cinnamon.  A pie is like a puzzle waiting to be put together and when it is done right- mmmmmm- tender fruit and a crunchy crust. Perfection!

So when I bake my heart first goes to the recipes of fall.  I happened upon this site called, My Baking Addiction*.  When I saw the name and glanced at the first page, I literally began to shake with excitement.  I feel addicted to baking as well only I do not have the time that I wish I had to bake and bake and bake.  Anyway, there was a recipe for Apple Pie Muffins*. Oh my, they sounded amazing!  I had to make them. The recipe calls for Granny Smith apples and Pumpkin Pie Spice. Well, the apples were easy. They had some in the store, but when tasting them they did not squirt sour juice from their insides nor were they big and green and shiny like at home. These apples were small and pale and lacked that Granny Smith zing I am so used to, but they would do.  pumpkin pie spice, well that was no where to be found.  Pretty sure the whole pumpkin pie thing during fall is an American thing. Maybe? Thankfully, right there in the apple pie muffin recipe, was a link to a pumpkin spice recipe, I gathered the ingredients and made my own pumpkin pie spice.  

The muffins are in the oven right now and they smell and look amazing!  I keep looking out the window and expecting to people walking by in warm coats, trees with leaves of red and brown and yellow and to be able to smell the crisp air that is offered by fall. I don’t see these things so I will sit with my back to the window, turn up the air conditioning, pull on a cozy sweatshirt and enjoy my own little bit of fall down under.

 http://www.mybakingaddiction.com

 http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/apple-streusel-muffins-recipe