A short note to fall:

Welcome back fall, it’s been awhile. I see you are starting to make yourself comfortable. The sky is a deep, beautiful blue, the air is super crisp, bits of red and orange are visible on the leaves and I pulled out my slippers. I’m not blaming you, I run cold, especially my feet. I will happily adjust to the cooler, shorter days and long cold nights. It is time to get acquainted with each other again and enjoy all the beauty you offer us every year without reserve. Other than the spectacular red, yellow and orange leaves, apples are my favorite gift from you. Thank you. Thank you for all this beauty and bounty before the long, cold winter begins. Love, Kelly

Our CSA share gave us 5 beautiful Macintosh apples one of which went into my recipe for apple cinnamon oatmeal bars. This idea came from Joy the Baker’s Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies. The apples, cinnamon and oatmeal make for a very comforting combination of flavor, texture and smell. I chopped the apples small so a bit of apple in almost every bite. The bar is very moist so it lasts for several days. Bubba said the bars taste like apple pie but are easier to eat. The kids, who don’t particularly like chunks of anything in dessert, gobbled the bars up. Add a little vanilla ice cream and it  becomes a dessert friends and family will ask for repeatedly!

I used white whole wheat flour a for a bit of health and nuttiness. The cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the bitter-sweet Macintosh apple and the oatmeal adds a nice texture. After you peel and chop the apple, toss it with a little lemon juice so the apples don’t brown. Adding walnuts or pecans would be really tasty but since G has a nut allergy I never use nuts.

Line a 8×8 metal baking dish with parchment paper. Spread out batter evenly and pop them into the oven. Bake the bars at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. My house smelled incredible while the bars baked. The kids kept asking “are they ready yet?” Be prepared for family and friends to hang out in the kitchen more often than normal. You may even see them drool as they wait.

Start checking the bars around 20 minutes. The bars are done when the top is golden brown and a few moist crumbs remain on the wooden toothpick.Allow the bars to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 1/2 hour. Lift the bars out using the parchment paper over hang. Cut bars into 9 squares or less if you want really big bars.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars A La Mode

recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

makes 9 bars

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup old fashion oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a good pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped small ( I used Macintosh but Granny Smith would be yummy too)

1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Be sure that some of parchment paper hangs over two sides which will make removing the bars from the pan a lot easier.

In a medium size bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

Peel and chop the apple and in a small bowl toss with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Set aside.

With stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute.

Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour/oat mixture until just combined. Stir in the apple chunks. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to check the bars starting at 20 minutes. You don’t wan to over bake!

After the bars have baked, allow them to cool on a wire rack for about a half hour. Remove from the pan and cut into big or small squares. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Take a big bite and enjoy!

5 Super Tasty Fall Breakfast Recipes

I love breakfast food and below is 5 recipes that I must try this fall. I’ll report back on my favorite.

Combine waffles and apple cider and you’ll get this tasty breakfast which sounds perfect on a cool morning.

I love Smitten Kitchen. I encourage you to check out this blog if you haven’t already. Deb Perelman’s recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with a cream cheese glaze is a must try. In fact I may need to make them for G’s upcoming birthday.

Do you love a scone in the morning? Try this recipe from King Arthur Flour.

Lets not forget about muffins and pear season. Head over to the Kitchn for this muffin recipe.

When you want a healthy start to your morning, try this pumpkin oatmeal pancake recipe.