I love to bake year-round, but my inspiration to tie on my apron spikes as the days shorten and there becomes a nip in the air. I love flipping through the holiday cookie magazines as I wait in line at the grocery store with my pound of sugar and bulk bag of dried fruits and nuts. I love that my to-make list seems to grow endlessly by the day, as I add a pumpkin gingerbread recipe and quinoa pudding here and there. I love filling the house with the aroma of nutty granola and buttery pie crusts. I love tying shimmering ribbons around cellophane wrappers and dropping a sweet something on the porch of a dear friend.

For the past several weeks, I’ve been anxiously awaiting for Thanksgiving Break to arrive so I could get into the kitchen and do what I love most…

Monday night, my mom made dinner for a few of our girlfriends. I was happy to take care of the dessert.

Cranberry, Pistachio & Ginger Blondie Cake

Recipe courtesy of the Blue-Eyed Bakers.

A tasty – chewy, yet moist– cake it was.

Though, I think I liked the festive ingredients the most.

I learned most of my knowledge about baking from my mother. I let her take over the main dish, a savory fall galette.

Squash Walnut Galette

Recipe courtesy of In Praise of Leftovers. Ironically, these photos are the leftovers I ate for lunch.

Roasted butternut squash and homemade whole-milk ricotta cheese

… plus parmesan and a sprinkling of thyme.

 

My mom is a master in making flaky pie dough. We aren’t afraid of butter around here.

Walnuts & pepitas add the perfect crunch!

I also made our friends a sweet treat to take home with them because no meal is complete without chocolate!

Fancy Fall Chocolate Bark

Recipe courtesy of the Blue-Eyed Bakers.

A mixture of bitter + semisweet chocolate w. dried cherries and apricots, salted cashews, crystallized ginger, golden raisins and a dusting of fresh orange zest.

 

I’ve barely made a dent in my list. Thanksgiving pies are up next!

‘Tis the season of sugar and spice,

Hillary