Pumpkin Spice Fever: here are some of our favourite seasonal flavours 🍁
Pumpkin spice may be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “fall flavours”, but there are so many more aromas and tastes that stir up the feeling of Autumn. Read on for some of our favourite flavours to cook with when the weather starts to get colder and the leaves crunch under our feet 🍁
Chai Spice
The term chai itself translates to tea, however, we have come to use it to describe something called masala chai, black tea with aromatic herbs and spices. White girls unapologetically drink chai tea lattes all through the year, but the way they warm up your body from head to toe and make your tongue tingle with a world of spices just feels best when the colder months are upon us. ☕
Spices blended for chai vary across cultures, but some of the common ones include cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, coriander, ginger, star anise and allspice. You can easily make it at home by boiling black tea leaves with milk and the above spices. We also recommend checking out @munchabunch’s awesome chai-spiced crunchy almond butter.
Winter Squash
Despite the name ‘winter’ squash, pumpkin and butternut squash are the hallmark of autumn for sure, especially due to pumpkins being the ambassador for spooky season. 🎃
But you can do way more than just carving with your pumpkin, and we sure hope you are, because the versatility of this ingredient is insane. Similarly, butternut squash is sweet, nutty and hearty, and can be a part of any dish your heart desires. Our favourite ways to prepare winter squash are soups, stuffed pasta, pies and risotto. They’re also perfect for warm salads or as a side dish - cut into cubes and roasted.
Go nuts
Nuttiness is a key aspect when considering the flavours of the season, so how could we leave out the nuts themselves? Harvested from late September to early October, through to the start of winter, pecans are the ultimate fall nut with a rich, buttery taste. When it comes to baking, pecans pair well with maple, another honourable mention for autumn must-haves. 🌰
Fudge, cookies, cinnamon rolls, pies, and blondies are all excellent ways of showcasing pecans.
Hazelnuts are also a great contender, being more sweet and mild in flavour especially when roasted.
Hazelnuts pair better with cocoa, in brownies, cheesecake, cake, biscotti and tarts.
And we can’t forget about chestnuts, roasting over the fire and filling the streets with a unique aroma. These are best eaten alone, but also work great in savoury dishes like stuffing, soup, pasta and risotto.
Cinnamon Apple
Cinnamon and apples are an iconic duo that just doesn’t taste the same when one is without the other. This combo has twice the fall feeling to it, and can be a part of so many dishes. Simply baking or steaming apples in cinnamon and water makes for an amazing hearty yet healthy snack, but the flavour really shines in all the dessert favourites. 🍏
The classic go-to would be a pastry pairing: apple pies, tarts, crumbles, strudels, cobblers or crisps, but you could also opt to make something like an apple cake. If you want to pop another great fall flavour into your apple desserts, go for some salted caramel. Applesauce is also a great baking ingredient for this season if you haven’t got fresh apples, and you can put it in anything from pancakes to oatmeal.
What flavours do you get excited about when summer comes to an end? Let us know in the comments below!
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