Yummy treats for fall coffee dates at home

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love the cool in the air, changing colors and time to reflect.

One of my other favorite things about fall? Baking!  What could be a better excuse to bake, now that the kids are back in school than taking some time, catching up with friends, and having an at-home coffee date?! Here are some of my favorite fall inspired recipes to make and share with friends.

Sour Cream Cardamom Pear Cake

(Adapted from food52.com)

Makes one 9-inch cake

Ingredients-

• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 medium pears
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions-

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cardamom. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. With the mixer running (or working by hand), alternate adding the flour mixture and the egg mixture to the butter and sugar. Beat until just combined (don't overmix). Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Slice the pears thinly (about 1/4-inch thickness is good). Arrange the pears in a concentric circle, overlapping just slightly, over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the fruit. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Coconut Apple Crisp

(Adapted from Better Homes and Garden cookbook)

Ingredients-

• 4-5 cups apples (peeled and sliced)
• Half a lemon (juiced)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
• ¼ cup shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS-

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss cut up apple with lemon juice and put into 8"x8" square glass pan.
3. Combine dry (except in nuts and coconut) and cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Stir in nuts and coconut until all in and combined.
5. Sprinkle atop fruit.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until browned and fruit is tender.
7. Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Lemon Rosemary Yogurt Cake

(Adapted from bakedbree.com)

Ingredients-

• ¾ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ cup vanilla yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
2. In mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add lemon juice, zest, and vanilla.
4. Add yogurt and add eggs one at a time.
5. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and rosemary.
6. Mix for an additional minute, scraping the bowl, until everything is smooth and combined.
7. Pour batter into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
8. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
10. Turn the cake out of the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
11. Make the glaze by whisking powdered sugar and lemon juice.
12. Add more sugar and lemon juice as needed. I like my glaze on the thick side, so I use less lemon juice. If I need to thicken it up, I add more sugar until I get a consistency that I like.
13. Drizzle over cake and add rosemary sprigs. Let glaze stand until completely set.