Bake the Season: Fall Baking Delights and Inspiration

Elevate Your Fall Baking with These 3 Vanilla Bean Recipes

As the leaves start to change and the air turns crisp, it's time to warm up your kitchen with some cozy baked goods. Vanilla bean is the perfect way to add a touch of fall flavor to your favorite treats. With its rich, aromatic notes, vanilla bean can take your cookies, cakes, and other baked delights to the next level. Read on for 3 irresistible vanilla bean recipes that will upgrade your autumn baking routine.

Classic Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
• 1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 11⁄2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides to easily lift bars out when cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla until combined.
4. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
6. Once cool, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into squares and serve.

Maple Cookies with Vanilla Bean Icing

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon maple extract

For the icing:

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and maple syrup together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg and maple extract.
4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottoms. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
7. Make the icing: In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, heavy cream and vanilla bean seeds. Whisk until smooth.
8. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the icing and transfer to a wire rack to allow icing to set, about 15 minutes.

Enjoy your maple cookies! The maple and vanilla bean flavors complement each other perfectly.

Baked Apple with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples (Honeycrisp or Gala work well)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup water
• For the glaze:
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Core the apples using an apple corer or paring knife. Peel the top third of each apple and leave the bottom two-thirds with peel intact. This helps the apples hold their shape while baking.
3. Place the apples in a baking dish. Fill the center of each apple with 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Top with a piece of butter.
4. Pour the water into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes until apples are very tender when pierced with a knife but still hold their shape.
5. While apples bake, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 tbsp milk until smooth. Add additional milk as needed to reach a drizzling consistency.
6. When apples are done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Drizzle the vanilla glaze over each apple before serving. Enjoy!

In conclusion

These 3 delicious vanilla bean recipes are sure to elevate your fall baking. The pumpkin bars, maple cookies, and baked apples provide a variety of textures and flavors that complement the vanilla bean perfectly. Using high-quality vanilla beans, whether in extract form or the beans themselves, allows the subtle vanilla flavor to shine. Be sure to try these recipes to add a gourmet touch to your autumnal baked goods.