Goodbye August (I hated you)
Fall is almost here! I cannot smell it, and I absolutely cannot feel it. But it’s almost here, lol.
This summer has been the hottest I’ve experience in a long time (or ever). Consistent 100+ degree weather is just not for me, I did not ask to experience 108 degrees Fahrenheit.
Work was also extremely busy in August, which left me with little energy to work on the website/newsletter and yeah…just felt kinda low.
So anyway, I am ready for this sadistic summer to END. And I want to chat with y’all about Fall things I am excited about.
Fall Goodies
I am creeping in with the Fall purchases already because TikTok will make things fly off the shelves so quickly!! I am a Peanuts girlie, so of course I had to get a Spooky Snoopy throw (from Marshalls). I also tried the Great Pumpkin cereal (Target) and it’s interesting. It’s like a vanilla version of Count Chocula almost, however the texture with milk is similar to Coco Puffs. I actually eat cereal dry out of a bowl (lol) and the flavor is decent, but tastes like powdered coffee creamer after a while. Some of y’all might be into that though…
My besties and I also went to IKEA for some Halloween decor, but literally everything was already sold out. I only wanted this cute little Jack-o-Lantern desk lamp for my nightstand, and maybe a ghost blanket but I knew the ghost blankets would be gone for good.
Fall Baking!
Fall baking is always a little quirky for me. It can be a bit of a challenge to not feel limited sometimes - specifically when it comes to “Fall” flavors.
Obviously pumpkin treats are in demand, followed by apple and …maybe chai? Pumpkin is good to me when it isn’t heavily spiced. I like apple in baked goods but only when they’re paired with something crunchy (or in a fritter) and still maintain a bit of bite. And Chai! I like it with a little extra ginger and freshly cracked pepper (hold the cardamom, though), but I couldn’t tell you the last time I baked with Chai spices.
But, what I personally love most about Fall baking is the excuse to bake exclusively using brown sugar. I am a brown sugar fiend, so I will literally dump it into any recipe.
So here’s what I’ve had rolling around in my head.
Brown Sugar Oat Milk Tres Leches
I’m currently working on a Brown Sugar Oat milk Tres Leches recipe for the newsletter - inspired by the delicious Trader Joe’s brown sugar oat milk creamer.
Brown sugar sponge cake soaked in a brown sugar/oat milk/(insert other milk) mixture. Brown sugar syrup drizzle, brown sugar whipped cream…you get where I’m going with this. I am so addicted to this creamer I need to make a cake inspired by it.
Pumpkin Conchas & Manteconchas
If you’re reading this newsletter and you’re someone who has recently inquired about where my recipe for Pumpkin Spice Conchas from last year is, here is the link to that recipe: Pumpkin Spice Conchas
The recipe is posted to my old blogger I made in 2021 when I was thinking I maybe wanted to give recipe writing a try.
I’m in the process of reworking the recipe for my current website (I don’t update blogger anymore, FYI). The new recipe isn’t going to change all that much - but my goal is to highlight the pumpkin flavor, tone down the spice, and punch up the brown sugar. The old recipe calls for a lot of pumpkin spice (which works well, don’t get me wrong), but it I feel it masks the caramelized pumpkin flavor, along with the brown sugar notes.
I’ll also have a recipe for Pumpkin Manteconchas (or Muffins…haven’t fully decided on a name yet) up on the site real soon. They will contain the same ingredients as my new pumpkin concha recipe - just in a cute muffin form.
Stay tuned. <3
Burnt Honey & Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
I consider Burnt (Caramelized) Honey to be a Fall flavor. Honey in general to me is very Spring…but once you cook it down until it’s deep, dark, amber and almost nutty, it becomes Fall. It’s moody, it’s intense. I love it.
I had an idea to pair burnt honey with brown butter and miso for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’m currently in the process of testing this recipe out - hopefully it’s not too long before I am able to share it!
The one revelation I’ve had out of testing this recipe so far, is that I should probably test chocolate chip cookie recipes that include “uncommon” CCC ingredients without the actual chips?
For example, I made this batch using dark (like 80%) chocolate chips because that was literally all I had on hand. The chocolate really masked the honey flavor (I can tell it’s there, I kinda need to increase the amount). The miso flavor comes through but not in the way I was hoping.
So going forward, it makes sense to me to test this recipe without chocolate chips first. Get the base down, save on ingredients, etc. I also had the idea to make this recipe without chocolate chips entirely, with the exception of one chocolate square dead in the center of the cookie with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Anyway, I’m excited to see where all this baking goes!
Fall Clothing (Shiny by Nature Review)
I think my closet has gone through more changes this year than any year within the last decade or so. One thing that has changed for me is a desire for more staple pieces - and for years and years, I was always into statement pieces (I’m an Aries!).
So for me to shop for basic tees and jeans…absolutely wild.
Recently, I purchased a few staple pieces from Shiny By Nature.
Literally everything I purchased fits me so well, I could cry. This is just my own personal review, FYI. I bought everything with my own money.
If you’ve seen Alex’s videos on TikTok and have been considering making a purchase, I say do it. I bought this super cute Linen Button-Up in Acorn (I am 5’2” for reference and it’s a little long on me but I love it). I also purchased her Solving the Jeans Problem Jeans in Medium Wash, and the Denim Mini Skirt (also in medium wash).
The jeans and skirt come have a bit of elastic at the waistband so that they stretch a bit, which is so, so nice and considerate.
Her clothing is designed with waist-to-hip gap ratios in mind, and though that’s not something I struggle with, I do have a tummy and booty (teehee). So if you’re straight torso’d like me (kinda built like SpongeBob but whatever) and you desire a little extra wiggle room in your pants/bottoms, I recommend checking out Shiny By Nature’s clothing for some cute pieces. Plus, she’s got a sale going right now too.
I was going to finish this post off with some awful movie reviews, but I actually cannot remember anything I watched in August. So I’ll leave you here with a question - what are you looking forward to most this Fall? Do you have Halloween plans and are you dressing up? Do you have horror movie recommendations? Leave a comment - I’d love to know!
I watch A LOT of spooky movies so if y’all want a list of what I like/HATE…let me know. :)
Thank you so much for reading. I’ll be back with more recipes and probably an entire post dedicated to RENAISSANCE.
Channey <3
Hiya, I absolutely love all your recipes and the photos are stunning 🤩 do you think you could make a recipe for Apple Cider donuts? I’ve tried making them before but wasn’t super happy with how they came out. Happy Fall Baking to you! I hate summer too! I get Summer sad.