Though the Texas weather cannot seem to make up its mind, technically, we have officially entered the fall season.  Fall brings many things like football, campfires, oversized sweatshirts, and, of course, food.  From the seasonal Starbucks pumpkin spice latte to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, fall undoubtedly has some of the best food.

Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Cupcakes

Personally, I love anything that is sweet, and if it’s salty as well, it’s even better.  Throwing pumpkin into the mix just makes it an instantaneous fall favorite.  The original recipe can be found on Susan Debow’s blog, Designs of Home.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup regular sugar
• 2 sticks of lightly salted butter, melted
• 4 large lightly beaten eggs
• 1 15oz can of pumpkin puree

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line your muffin tins with cute paper liners.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the first five ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the two sugars, cooled melted butter and eggs.
5. Beat on medium, until combined.
6. Add dry ingredients in ½ cup portions, until smooth.
7. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the canned pumpkin
8. Spoon batter into cupcake wrappers to about half way full.
9. Bake about 20 – 25 minutes or until tops spring back when touched.
10. Your home will smell wonderful by now!

For the icing, you can use any that you choose, or you can use the frosting made from scratch that the original author used, which is shown below.

Ingredients

• ½ cup of caramel sauce
• 1 stick lightly salted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• sugar sprinkles

Instructions

1. Place softened butter, salt and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Use the paddle attachment to beat until fluffy.
2. Reduce to low and add powdered sugar ⅓ cup at a time.
3. Add the caramel sauce and beat on medium, until combined. Not long.
4. Scrape bowl and change the attachment to the wire whip thingy (a technical term!) Beat on high, until icing is fully and airy. Don’t over-do it.
5. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, before icing. You may want to refrigerate the icing for 10 minutes, if it is too soft. Use a piping bag for a fun look.
6. Sprinkle the iced cupcakes with sugar sprinkles and a few coarse sea salt crystals.

Apple Dumplings

So this uses apples, crescent rolls, and Mountain Dew? Interesting combo but it reportedly is mouthwateringly good.  The original recipe can be found on the blog Full Bellies, Happy Kids.

Ingredients

• Granny Smith apples
• 2 cans crescent rolls
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• Cinnamon
• 1 small can Mountain Dew

Instructions

1. Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each.
2. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.
3. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
4.  Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir.
5. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples.
6. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan.
7. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
8. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Caramel Crescent Snickerdoodles

Caramel in a snickerdoodle.  How much better can life get?  They are some of the all-time favorite fall foods combined into one.  It’s going to be tasty.  Original recipe can be found on toptenlook.

Ingredients

• Pillsbury crescent rolls
• Soft caramel candies
• Cinnamon sugar mixture

Instructions

1. Unwrap caramel candies.
2. Cut crescent rolls into circles that you can wrap around the candies.
3. Put the caramel candies in the crescent roll pieces and roll into a ball.
4. Roll the crescent ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
5. Bake as directed on crescent roll package.

Easiest Fudge in the World

It’s fudge.  Come on,  who doesn’t love fudge?  It’s a definite holiday hit. Original recipe can be found on Busy Cooks.

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, if desired

Instructions

1. Place chips and milk in microwave safe bowl. (You can use just the one package of semisweet chocolate chips, or add the milk chocolate chips for fudge that is slightly sweeter and creamier.)
2. Microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Microwave, stirring at 1 minute intervals, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in butter and cream until combined.
3. Pour into greased 8″ square pan and cool. (You can also melt the chips and milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat.)
4. You can add just about anything to this easy recipe. Stir in a cup of chopped nuts, add a cup of marshmallows after the cooking time is done, stir in chopped dried fruit or some white chocolate chips. Have fun with the recipe!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

Caramel again.  Because it is the best. (Can you tell I love caramel?)  Plus some salty pretzels, and it’s drowned in chocolate.  If that is not tasty then I don’t know what is.  Original recipe can be found on the blog Mama Say What?

Ingredients

• ½  bag of mini pretzel twists
• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup total)
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 bag of chocolate chips (2 cups)
• Sea salt or table salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and lay a single layer of pretzels down.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and the brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil gently just until it starts to stick to the bottom and it forms a nice smooth caramel. You’ll want to let it bubble a little and get really thick.
4. Remove from heat and pour evenly over the top of the pretzels (don’t worry if every single pretzel isn’t covered).
5.  Put in the oven at 350 degrees for five minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. You can let the caramel melt the chips, or you can put it back in the oven for one minute.
7. Spread the chocolate chips around with a spatula until mostly melted.
8. Sprinkle generously with salt.
9. Let cool on the counter top for a few minutes and then pop in the freezer for at least two to three hours.
10. When it comes out of the freezer, break it up into uneven chunks with your hands and serve.
11. Tip: Keep in refrigerator or freezer.  It will start to melt after sitting on the counter top for more than a few minutes.