Fall Baking

A cookie as dark as October at 5 pm. These crisp-edged, tender-center cutouts hold their shape perfectly and wear a glossy red glaze that looks dramatic without tasting like food dye. Think deep cocoa, a hint of salt, and a bright, tangy finish. So light the oven. Pull on your favorite apron. We’re making cookies that taste like October at 5 p.m., and look like a vampire tailor dressed them. Yield:  ~24–30 cookies at ¼-inch (varies by cutter size) Ingredients Cookies Ingredie

Chai Snickerdoodles (Soft, Tangy, Perfectly Spiced) When the weather turns sweater-soft, I start craving cookies that taste like a warm mug of tea. The first batch disappeared while they were still warm on the rack. Now they’re my go-to “drop by with a treat” cookie: crackly tops, plush middles, and that signature cream-of-tartar tang and texture. Yield:  24 cookies (2 Tbsp scoop) Time:  20 min prep + 30 min optional chill + 9–11 min bake Difficulty:  Easy Ingredients Compone

(No-Knead, 9×13 Pan) Savory, fragrant, and deeply autumnal, this focaccia gets its moisture and color from pumpkin purée, a hint of honey, and a sprinkle of fresh sage. It’s crisp at the edges, plush inside, and perfect with soup or as a sandwich bread. Yield:  1 focaccia (9×13 in / 23×33 cm) • Time:  20 min hands-on, 2½–3½ hours total (or overnight option) • Difficulty:  Easy Ingredients Component Ingredient US Metric Notes Dough Warm water (95–105°F) 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp 220

Apple Cider Donut Loaf Cake Warm cinnamon, real apple cider, and a nostalgic donut-shop finish, this loaf concentrates cider for big fall flavor, bakes up tender with a fine crumb, and gets a buttery cinnamon-sugar coat that crackles when you slice: one bowl, no mixer, weeknight-easy. Yield:  1 loaf (8–10 slices) Time:  15 min prep + 50–60 min bake Pan:  9×5-in (23×13 cm) loaf, lined with parchment Ingredients Component Ingredient US Metric Notes Cider reduction Apple cider (

Cookies are my partner Matthew’s absolute favorite — no matter what I bake, he always comes back to them. There’s something about the smell of brown butter and sugar that makes him pause and wander into the kitchen. These cookies started as a lazy Sunday experiment, and now they’re just “Matthew’s cookies” — the ones he asks for when he needs something warm, simple, and a little sweet.

Apple-Brioche Buns