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brides, aspens, and nanos

Recipe: alfajores macarons

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you have a group of people who are willing to work hard together. On Friday I met with a group of ladies for a bridal shoot. No, I am not a wedding photographer AT ALL, and here I was teaching a couple of friends about shooting weddings! We had a lovely bride-to-be who was willing to drive up to Boulder and don her beautiful new dress and sit in the dirt and dry, prickly weeds for our shoot in the hot sun and blowing dust.


who wouldn’t marry this woman?

it’s all about the accessories



Lynn was a dream to work with: cooperative, patient, very sweet, and she looked awesome. Beth and Erin were terrific assistants and when it came time for each of them to shoot, they each did a great job. Considering we were shooting at the worst time of day, it went really well and Lynn loved the photos.

in the grasses

beth and erin resting in the shade of my car after a long and hot shoot



And now fall is really here! There were plenty of leaf peepers around the mountains today. I’m glad to see that so many people enjoy the fall colors although I’ll be happy when they are out of my frame while I am shooting during the week :)

hint of reds

still lots of green aspen



There is snow in our forecast for the next several days, which I’m quite excited about. It’s not even technically autumn yet. I used to associate fall with the start of a sports season – whatever sport I was playing (field hockey or volleyball). These days my thoughts immediately turn to the fall shoot, fall hikes, snow, and… ski season :) I also find my cooking mojo kicking into gear once more now that it’s cool enough to turn on the stove or oven. That has me thinking about apples, pomegranates, persimmons, roasting vegetables, hot spiced drinks, crock pot recipes… and a GIVEAWAY! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? That’s because I couldn’t decide on what to give away. That is, until I got one of these:

a 16Gb ipod nano



It came with my new laptop, but Jeremy and I both have iphones, so we were like, “We don’t need the nano.” The lady at the Apple store said it was free, so I said, “I’ll take the nano.” But I’m not keen on keeping stuff that I don’t need and I figured it would make a great prize for someone who would like to have 16 gigs worth of music, podcasts, and other aural stimuli in a shiny, black device as big as a business card. It’s brand-spanking-new, slick, and comes in its own Apple Sleeping Beauty clear faux-glass (plastic) case. How ’bout that?! So how can you make this little pal your own?

The Rules: To enter, leave a comment on THIS post telling me what is quintessential autumn for you! Please, no novels. One entry/comment per person. Multiple comments by the same author will result in disqualification and deletion. You have until midnight (MST), Sunday, September 27th, to enter. The winner will be chosen at random (method was officially approved by resident astrophysicist) in San Francisco and announced on Monday, the 28th of September. I will ship anywhere in the world. Good luck!

Several months back I was walking the aisles of my local Asian grocery store when I ran across a container of dulce de leche… from Argentina. I first had dulce de leche during a field season in Argentina. We had it with breakfast, we had it with dessert, and most of all, we had it in alfajores, those delicate little Argentine cookies with dulce de leche sandwiched in between. I immediately placed the container in my basket. When I got home, the first thing I did was dip a spoon in and have a taste. Lots of good memories came back to me. Of course, the obvious recipe to make would be alfajores. But no… I had egg whites to use up.


measuring powdered sugar by weight

blanched almonds ready to be ground



Why not a vanilla macaron with dulce de leche? It’s my bastardization of the macaron, or perhaps the alfajor, or perhaps both. I just liked it because it looked like the alfajor, but French macarons tend to jettison any pastry into the stratosphere. That’s the nature of the French mac.

scrape out the vanilla seeds

mix vanilla bean seeds with sugar



I really liked the subtle specks of vanilla bean seeds in the macarons, but I worried that the flavor would be baked away. No need to worry – the macs were fragrant with that warm, floral hint of vanilla. The dulce de leche is a little messier to deal with than buttercream or ganache, but it sticks like a dream when you sandwich it between the cookies. These were sort of like alfajores, but not… they are chewier, nuttier. I quite loved them.

letting the cookies dry before baking

filling the pastry bag with dulce de leche



As is my MO, I brought some macs to town when I met with Jeremy and an out-of-town friend for dinner. I gave her a bunch and I also handed some off to Andrew whose office was just down the street from the bus station. My girlfriend really enjoyed the macs, as did Andrew. Andrew emailed me, “The cookies were amazing! One co-worker said, ‘That is the best thing I’ve put in my mouth in a couple years.'” Well, there you have it.

dulce de leche love



Alfajores Macarons
[print recipe]
adapted from Tartelette

110g blanched almonds
200g powdered sugar
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
50 g sugar
3 egg whites (about 100 g), aged a day, room temperature*
dulce de leche

*Helen said I could use egg whites that have been in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or longer and I’ve used some as old as 4-5 days with equally good results. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature.

Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add the powdered sugar and pulse until well-blended. Split the half vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the granulated sugar and whisk gently until mixed. Whip the egg whites until foamy and gradually add the granulated sugar while whipping until a shiny meringue forms (but not too dry). Add the almond mixture to the meringue and quickly incorporate the mixture into the meringue while taking care not to overbeat. You want to achieve a batter that flows and “ribbons” for at least 5 seconds. Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a large plain piping tip (Ateco 809 or 807) and pipe small rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The rounds should be about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and at least an inch apart.

Sea-level: Let the macarons sit out for an hour to develop a hard shell.

@8500 ft. (and my low humidity): Let macarons sit out for 30-40 minutes until a hard shell develops.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on size. Let cool. Remove from parchment paper. Pipe dulce de leche onto a macaron and sandwich with a second macaron. Makes about 24.

824 nibbles at “brides, aspens, and nanos”

  1. Nikki says:

    Apple cider.

  2. Anne-Laure says:

    A town fair, “la vogue des marrons” in Lyon, France. And chestnuts.

  3. Liz says:

    It’s quite hard to think about, being that we’re coming into spring, and I just had my first asparagus of the season (Woo!) but autumn to me is all about baking more, making stocks and soups, and thinking about getting my winter clothes out.

  4. Nekkutyttoe says:

    Wild mushrooms. If I’m lucky, I’ll have a chance to go collecting some next week!

  5. Carole says:

    Fog and scarves! Where I live, it gets very foggy in autumn but what I really like is that I can start wearing my scarves again…I love the autumn fashion!

  6. Julia says:

    Crisp empire apples and the smoke from burning piles of leaves.

  7. Viola says:

    falling red and yellow leaves in the wind :)
    with nice warm pie of some sort…

  8. farmerpam says:

    Pumpkins.

  9. Rosa says:

    What a pretty bride, beautiful autumnal colors, sweet dog and perfect macarons!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  10. Nikki says:

    Fresh apple cider, and a crock-pot of chili in a thermos, and a hike into something like those beautiful mountains you live near. :)

  11. KT says:

    Orange and red leaves, the scent of apple mulling spice in the air, crisp fall days.

    But I live in SoCal, so I only dream of such. The best sign I get is the Halloween display aisle at my grocery store.

  12. Hande says:

    A truffle menu, preferably at my favorite place in northern Italy, but actually will take it anywhere!

  13. jstnk says:

    Chestnuts, colourful leaves, apples, pumpkin.
    oh.. and beginning of uni.
    i like those things :)

  14. Miriam/The Winter Guest says:

    Having some roasted chestnuts with a hot chocolate in my kitchen, while watching a stunning and chilly sunset through the window.

  15. florence says:

    Hahah, Autumn? It means unpredictable weather conditions. It’ll probably rain one second, and the sun will be high in the sky the next moment. That’s August in Singapore for you!

  16. The Novice Berker says:

    Hmmm… Pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie and spiced apples and scarves wrapped around your cheeks and nose. And that crisp autumnal scent that the wind seems to carry. :)

  17. peabody says:

    I think you could be a wedding photographer my dear, those are some great shots…love the shoes.

    Fall: The crisp of the morning air that forces me to be bundled up just to let the dog out. That crips air makes me feel so alive. I love it.

    That is a wonderful macaroon creation you’ve got going on there.

  18. Nonny says:

    Rosy Cheeks and Cashmere Socks (and a really good beef stew)

  19. rez says:

    Here in Bombay, autumn is a quick flash between October (the hottest month, called “the second summer”) and November, before winter (December-Feb) sets in. It’s festival season for many faiths, and so amazing food is everywhere: the best are the fried sweets dipped in any number of flavored syrups (rose, saffron, almond, pomegranate), or the jellies made from season fruits like guava.

  20. Wendy says:

    There’s basically no autumn here in Hong Kong, but autumn definently = MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL!
    not mooncakes though – I hate them.

  21. Annie says:

    Sweaters, jeans, and pumpkin cheesecake!

  22. Michelle says:

    I love Dulce de Leche- those macaroons look wonderful.

    Autumn for me is hot spiced apple cider…… mmmm. Not only does it taste delicious, it makes your house smell wonderful, as well.

  23. Helen says:

    The first day I get out of the shower and it’s cold in the bathroom. Ugh.

  24. Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary says:

    It’s a joke at my house when the air starts to turn chily we all say “time for soups, stews and casseroles”. It’s our mantra. So I’d have to say, I love when I get to make all those comfort foods (and the scenery here too, can’t forget that).

  25. Danielle says:

    Autumn is the first day of school (even though I’m done with that), warm clothes, pumpkins and Halloween. My family is big on Halloween. This year is the first year I am in Taiwan during autumn, so I am anxious to see what it’s like…hopefully it gets below 90 degree Fahrenheit soon…

  26. Audra says:

    Sweaters and boots. As soon as I can wear both without turning into a human sauna, I am a very happy camper. Ooh! That reminds me: camping, too. I’m from Northern California and our autumn tends to linger warm, so September is the ideal camping month. Mmm, campfire smoke….

  27. Amy says:

    The orange-cleaner-and-pencil smell of back to school – it’s my second year of not being in any school at all, that smell still instantly means September to me.

  28. hanna says:

    well, i’m sorry to miss the deadline, but i’d still like to answer your question.

    here in south korea, the beginning of autumn is marked by the end of the rainy season and those beautiful colors that bloom as a final hurrah before winter sets in. this is also the time i start craving shellfish clambakes and mung bean pancakes. mmm!

    but i also have to say, as a displaced texan, autumn was once just a word for me. i saw pictures and heard second-hand what it was supposed to be like, but that was it. the only real clue-ins for me every “fall” were that daily temps would suddenly drop to below triple digits and eventually the potluck/firepit dance invitations would stream in.

  29. teri says:

    Changing colors of the leaves in the Smoky Mtns…orange, gold, red and the first morning cold enough for long sleeves.

  30. Pamela says:

    hot soup. of any kind. preferably in a sourdough bread bowl. and of course walking outside with crunchy red and orange leaves with pleasantly cold winds blowing against my face and ears kept warm by the sooting music eminating from a lovely silver ipod nano (fingers crossed, one can only hope).

  31. Kelly says:

    Fresh from the oven pumpkin spice rolls with hot apple cider. Eaten sitting on my deck admiring the gorgeous colors of autumn.

  32. Maggie says:

    Apple cider doughnuts!

  33. Kristin says:

    The wonderful smell that comes as the beautiful leaves start to fall. And sleeping with a BLANKET with the windows open.

  34. Laura says:

    Taking the kids to choose pumpkins and then coming home to carve them. (Hope they still want to do it this year at ages 13 and 14)

  35. Kate says:

    That bite of cold when the breeze comes down around twilight or dusk, the one that makes you wish you’d pulled out the sweaters already and brewed the tea so it would be ready for drinking right at the moment. The transition in food – from light, hot-weather fare of chilled soups and cold sandwiches to heavy hot stews and slow-cooked meat.

  36. Kirstin says:

    Cute fall clothes and warm soup, homemade chicken noodle is my favorite! and anything pumpkin flavored

  37. LizzieBee says:

    Firstly, YUM those macaroons look VERY AWESOME.

    We’re coming into Spring here, and where we live that (well, it’s supposed to mean) lots of rain. Which I would love. But for me, the thing I love most about Autumn is fantastic heirloom (and just not-standard) apples that start appearing in the smaller fruit & vegie stores, or through the markets. OH YUM. My favourite is a Braeburn apple, which is a striped green & red apple, that is (I believe) a hybrid between a granny smith and red delicious. OH IS SOO GOOD. This was my first Autumn up in the mountains in Victoria (we’re just north of the Macedon Ranges) and the weather is a fair bit cooler than where I used to live in Perth, Western Australia. That means there are HEAPS of gorgeous beautiful deciduous trees up here, and the colours were just STUNNING this year. I would say THAT would be my favourite part of autumn, but since I’ve only had one Autumn like that, I’m not sure I can claim that part as my favourite!! :)

  38. Amy says:

    Making pumpkin butter and applesauce.

  39. Wendy says:

    I’d be quite tired of the super hot weather by the end of summer so I always can’t wait for autumn! It’d mean cooler weather, more hearty food and a change of wardrobe.

  40. Febie says:

    I love fall and I hate fall . I love the colorful leaves falling on the ground but i hate to sweep .

    I like your bolg, I like your photo, they are stunning.

    My first time leaving a comment cause I like making macarons too

  41. Cyhel says:

    Apple pie, hot punch and a good book :-)

  42. amanda says:

    Those little candy pumpkins that taste like candy corn only better!

    The macarons look delicious! Can you send me some of those too :) ?

  43. Maria says:

    The smell of fresh turned over earth and the taste of quince-jelly on a buttered bread

  44. Caitlin says:

    Point #1 – I want that bride’s shoes, and a reason to where them. #2 – You’re right, I remember seeing much more vibrant colors last year, but those aspens are still gorgeous. #3 – My favorite part of autumn? Apples. Picking them, peeling them, making pie and applesauce and apple butter and baked apples with them. LOVE. #4 – Dangit, I was totally going to make macarons this weekend, but the bf derailed me. Dangit. Maybe I’ll just try to squeeze them in after work this week, because yours have inspired a longing for macarons in me. Those things are addictive! #5 – Five days, and I actually get to meet you. In real life. For reals. I don’t think words can express how giddy I am at the thought. I might not be able to focus this week at work :P

  45. Blue says:

    It’s when the long school term begins. I love the colorful leaves but I there’s barely any visible changes in leaves’ color here in Singapore. Autumns is when moon cakes are all around!

  46. Lauren says:

    Apple picking, here in New England. Then apple pie, applesauce, apple muffins……

  47. stephanie says:

    I must say, I’ve never tried dulce de leche. I have a Martha cookie recipe that calls for it that I have wanted to try and now I must!

    Fall = football games, chili & cornbread, & sweaters. My absolute favorite season.

  48. Astrid says:

    Going back to school… But sadly now it’s not me going back to school, but my kids.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win the pretty nano! And what a gorgeous photo of it on your dog’s nose!

  49. Prateek Shukla says:

    PUMPKIN PIE!!! Moved to Ireland 5 years ago and miss pumpkin anything around this time of year! Especially the mix of spices and smell straight from the oven! love your posts btw!

  50. Kathy says:

    Aah, autumn is finally here!! Apple picking and hiking are definite. fall activities at our home.
    Great giveaway!

  51. Chiot's Run says:

    I’d love to shoot a weddding with you sometime :) For me autumn is signaled when the local cider puts up it’s sign advertising local unpasturized cider – MMMMMM.

    (my husband would say it’s when the local Dairy Queen announces on it’s sign that pumpkin blizzards are back).

  52. LyB says:

    Wish I could make macs that looked so perfect and tempting. I also wish I had the bride’s shoes! :) Autumn for me is the wonderful cool days when you go walking with a big comfy sweater, holding hands with your sweetheart.

  53. Jenny says:

    Autumn — dark by 6, windows open – cool air blowing in. I hate summer. Fall and winter – my favorites.

  54. Kim says:

    Apple Cider Donuts
    Love your blog
    thanks
    kim

  55. Ciaochowlinda says:

    Those macarons look fabulous. For me, autumn is about the brilliant fall foliage, football games, a return to school and making soups.

  56. Shannon says:

    apples, pumpkin, squash, cider, gorgeous leaves!!! <3 fall :)

  57. Elle says:

    The macarons are perfect! I love the shine on the filling. sigh, beautiful.

    Favorite thing about Autumn has to be the smell in the crisp air, and the crunch of the leaves under my feet. I actually love every single thing about it!

  58. Marimba says:

    Autumn for me is all about memories. For people like me who live far away from their families, is the time when a warm soup, apple pie or comfy sweater takes you back to childhood. When I miss my dear ones the most.

  59. Anna-Maria says:

    German apple and spice bread, as well as freshly baked onion cake with new wine.

  60. Kika says:

    Autumn is my favorite. I always look forward to an early morning ride after the first good frost. Everything is still and there’s that autumn smell of leaves, soil, and frost hanging in the air. That and home made applesauce on steel cut oatmeal topped up with slivered almonds. Oh yes..

  61. carmen says:

    The quintessential autumn for me is New England, where I grew up. Beautiful pics of a beautiful bride – awesome blue shoes. :)

  62. Amber says:

    My favorite season! A hand-knitted sweater, boots, holding hands with my fella, hayrides, pumpkins, mums, apple butter.

  63. Rose says:

    Fall is my favorite season: I love the crispness of the air, the colors, apple-picking…and the Moon Festival to eat mooncakes!

  64. Bridget says:

    Fall, for me, really comes down to that crisp feeling in the air. I met my husband during my first fall out of New Mexico, and that feeling always brings me right back to that time.

  65. charlane says:

    autumn = red spider lilies peeking up, the first acorn to fall from the tree, the crisp clear colder morning and the red nose you get from walking in the air….and of course, the roar of an Alabama football game.

  66. Hannah says:

    Nothing says fall to me more than making soup after soup. It is so comforting when the air gets cooler.

  67. anne marcoe says:

    cider donuts!

  68. Peter says:

    Dreaming about what we will grow next year. Harvesting the very last of the tomatoes and cucumbers. Ooing and ahhing at our nine bright orange pumkins. Tilling up more the yard for the next year. Buying wood for our wood stove so we can bask in its warmth till spring.

  69. Eileen says:

    Apple everything. This is the season I’m most homesick for new england. But I feel better after hogging down any number of apple-themed baked goodies!

  70. Erin Drasher says:

    Fall is romantic. Delicious smells, beautiful colors, bonfires, fuzzy sweaters, and the promise of snow.

  71. Sil BsAs says:

    Quinces… love them. As I loved your dulce de leche macarrons! the brand you used is my favorite and I know what I’m talking about… =)

  72. nico says:

    Fall, well we do not have such thing here in Houston, Texas but every time I saw fall pictures they transport me back to argentina where my grand mother will make me a big mug of coffe with cream and toasts with butter and dulce de leche for dinner or fresh french bread with homemade salami OMG I really miss that time.
    The dulce de leche you got is decent but far away for being the best from argentina, if you can get any Poncho Negro or SanCor try those. Here you have a post from my blog were I made corn starch alfajores, they are typical from argentina, very easy to do. The pot is in spanish but I can translate it for you if you want.

    http://incursionandoenlacocina.blogspot.com/2009/02/alfajorcitos-de-maizena.html

    thanks for the giveaway.
    nico

  73. Fiona says:

    Butternut squash.

    But that’s not the point. Those cookies look wonderful. And I love my Salter scale. It’s an affirmation to see that you have one, too. Now if I can just get cookbooks to measure ingredients by weight, rather than volume…

  74. Cindy says:

    homemade pumpkin scones and scarves wrapped tightly against the crisp fall air. my absolute favorite!

  75. Lauren says:

    Sitting in front of a fire with a cup of Lady Grey tea a good book, along with enjoying the aroma from an apple crisp baking in the oven (the perfect fall evening).

  76. Holly says:

    Autumn… the start of cross country season, running with new, fresh crispness in the air!

  77. Twila M. says:

    fall: colored aspens, cold/crisp mornings, my birthday!

  78. Kristen says:

    red cheeks, leave piles and soup. soup soup soup.

  79. skimmy says:

    the crunch of leaves under your feet…s i g h!

  80. Amy says:

    Football.

  81. Troy Brown says:

    pressing apples for cider
    the trees changing hue
    finding the wool hat, it’s cold

  82. JenniferK says:

    Homemade apple butter. Yum!

  83. Kate says:

    A mug full of steaming spiced apple cider and ginger snap cookies. You can’t get better than that!

  84. Maggie says:

    apple cider and cute sweaters!

  85. heather says:

    It’s the smells of Autumn that brings me in every year. The earthy smell of the leaves as they crunch underfoot, the fresh smell before an Autumn shower, the smell of bonfires in backyards…

    Cheers,

    *Heather*

  86. Heidi says:

    butternut squash and knee socks!

  87. Lisa says:

    Picking the apples off the tree and taking them in to get pressed into cider.

    Loving the photos of those macarons. Will be making them soon.

  88. oranji says:

    raking leaves

  89. Stephen says:

    BBQing in a fleece!

  90. Nelly says:

    anything pumpkin with ALL kinds of nuts…say pecans, pistacchios, walnuts… just the combo pumpkin & nuts.

  91. Jill says:

    It is my very favorite season. I love that I can take my dog for a hike and not wilt. And then come home and roast a chicken.

  92. Leigh says:

    Fall is apples and squash and the slow cooker and thick soups. I just got back from a gorgeous (and warm!) week of vacation in California, only to discover that fall had happened in the north east. I have stew with acorn squash in my slow cooker at this very minute – it’s not even lunch time and I’m looking forward to getting home and eating dinner!

  93. Becky from MN says:

    Thick warm Woolrich socks
    Red Maple Leaves
    Cool, Crisp morning air
    Wood Smoke

  94. Kristen M. says:

    Homemade Chai Tea, Cider Mills, and Corn Mazes = Fall

  95. Renee says:

    A great roast, braising all day, or a giant pot of soup, simmering away on the stove and filling the house with warmth and fragrance. Because I live in the South, I am still a bit away from being able to generate that much heat inside the house.

  96. Bobbie says:

    It would definitely be making homemade salsa and applesauce, as well as hunting out all of the ingredients at the local farmer’s market.

  97. Manda says:

    Apples! Also Halloween stores popping up everywhere.

  98. bekah jones says:

    Soups, apple picking, raking leaves and having the kids jump in them and then having to rake them all up again, pumpkins and making Halloween costumes.

  99. Valerie says:

    Apple cider, pumpkin pie and winter squash EVERYWHERE!

  100. payal says:

    Cool mornings, warm, spiced food, and brightly colored trees.

  101. Celia says:

    The rustling sound of dry leaves underfoot (and the damp leaf-mold smell that accompanies it), trying out new variations on butternut squash soup, and digging out my favorite sweaters again – it’s like greeting old friends.

  102. Bobbie says:

    Afternoon, not evening, walks with my dog. Lots of baking – pumpkin bread, bacon apple biscuits, etc. And best of all, our annual trek west to Colorado, New Mexico, or Utah, to hike, shop, eat, and play. I would love nothing more than to welcome autumn with lunch at the Dushanbe Teahouse!

  103. Cid says:

    The feel of a wool sweater and snuggling under a cozy duvet. The sight of red, yellow and orange maple trees lit on fire by the sun and framed by clear blue sky. The sound of honking geese as they fly south. The smell of burning leaves and simmering soups. The taste of a crisp new apple.

  104. Jenn says:

    Spices and the crisp air of fall mornings, while watching the trees change hues. Yay!

  105. I-Mei says:

    Ahhh, autumn for me is all in the smells: a nice log fire (preferably with a skosh of hickory), the cinnamon-laden baked goods, and the crisp, clean air in a forest. I’d give up part of summer for more autumn.

  106. Nathaniel says:

    Fall for me is salted caramel cider with crusty pastry, like apple-pork tartlettes with caramelized onion crust, while wrapped in soft wool!

  107. Janice says:

    Shorter days and pumpkins at the Farmers’ Market.

  108. Alana says:

    Some warm spiced apple cider in my hands, curled under a blanked in front of the fireplace and my cat warming up by my side. A freshly baked slice of coffee cake wouldn’t hurt either.

  109. Elizabeth says:

    Those are some perfect looking alfajores/macarons. I’d eat ’em, no problem-o.

    Fall favs? Pumpkin patches with my baby boy and warming the house with our lovely woodstove, love that smell.

  110. Leling says:

    Crisp cool air, mellowness and shades of yellow, orange and red hues.

  111. Natalie says:

    Roasted butternut squash soup. New England. College football. Scarves and sweaters. Apple crisp. Burning leaves. Cold toes. Jane Austen novels. Cooking meals fit for a lumberjack.

  112. April in CT says:

    Apple cider doughnuts, sweaters and sleeves, crisp cool air, walks in the woods with our pooch, baking goodies!

  113. JMc says:

    Frosty morning, still lake, sweet huckleberries in my oatmeal and the warm fire of the fall backpacking trip.

  114. Hugo says:

    I know it’s autumn when my feet are kicking up multicolored leaves at every step!

  115. Taylor says:

    warm soups and cider :)

  116. Linda says:

    Rain. Oh Vancouver, how I love thee the other half of the year.

  117. Maria says:

    Football, apples, pumpkins, sweatshirts, and the leaves! Great giveaway, thanks!

  118. Sarah Welch says:

    Spiced apple cider simmering away and scenting my home with spicy warmth :)

  119. Lindsay says:

    My favorites things about fall? I could go on and on, but you asked us not to so I won’t.

    Football, that nip in the air first thing in the morning, all the wonderful smells coming from my kitchen

  120. Tom says:

    The ultimate autumn for me is driving along the roads in New England, looking at the newly turned leaves, with my family.

  121. laimay says:

    I love autumn for the musky scent the earth gives. The atmosphere feels like its ripe and rich and bountiful. It’s a pleasure to breath it in during a walk among humid trees and earth.

  122. camille says:

    I know it’s fall when I start seeing Halloween candy in stores… that means it’s September.
    And also, since I live in Boston, it means all the students are back clogging up the trains and getting on my nerves. Grumble.

  123. Catherine says:

    Fall, my FAV season of the year. Brisk cool mornings & evenings, sunny days, leaves on the trees turing bright colors of yellow, orange, & red. And my baking starts! Breads, cakes, cookies – I love to bake & search out new recipes each year to make for my family. So much more but you don’t want a book :)

  124. Ria says:

    Hi Jen,

    We don’t have any autumn in Kerala, India. Instead we have a month of thunder showers! So for me, it is the smell of the wet mud ( when it rains for the first time, it smells so good! )

    -Ria

  125. Nicole says:

    i love autumn the leaves falling and the earthy scents every where.

  126. Margaret says:

    Fall is cool weather, falling leaves, school festivals, pumpkin spice, and shorter days.

  127. Quillen says:

    I’m a regular reader, and I user your recipes all the time; they’re wonderful. But new ipod? I can overcome my comment-reticence for THAT.

    My ideal autumn involves mugs of spiced rum and cider, pumpkin bread with toasted pecans, golden aspens, and my 10 year old fleece jacket, the fleece-jacket-of-my-heart, which (despite my husband’s urging) I refuse to replace with a new fleece jacket, which would surely be inferior. Hooray for autumn!

  128. Kimberly says:

    Lots of baking and cuddling on the couch under a big blanket.

  129. Whitney says:

    Dulce de Leche is magical.

    Fall=TCU Football, needing my Northface fleece when I leave the apartment and shorter days.

  130. Alissa H says:

    Fall to me is all about the smell. The crisp earthy smell that the air carries smells a bit like heaven to me, and it bizarrely makes me hungry. I also love that the nights are getting crisper, and I can sleep with the windows open snuggled under a comforter and sleep divinely.

  131. heather says:

    omg – those macs look siiiinnnful!

    quintessential autumn…that first breath of “autumn air” that you can’t really even describe. it’s just cool & crisp…even tho it usually blows thru on a warm evening. and apple picking & making applesauce.

  132. Kathleen says:

    Autumn is my season.
    Who doesn’t love all the colors of fall.

    Even more I love the smell.
    Its crisp, its wet, its musty.
    It signifies change.
    And usually I’m feeling summer has
    lasted too long.

    I’m ready for cooler breezes.

  133. Nan says:

    An apple orchard in the Midwest.

  134. Jenni says:

    Honeycrisp apples.

  135. Crystl says:

    Autumn = Caramel apple cider, hot and delicious

  136. Jen says:

    Seeing my breath for the first time and hearing the crunch of leaves underfoot on a trail run.

  137. Ann says:

    Apple Pie!!!

  138. Lauren says:

    Definitely squash.

    Jen, what brand of dulce de leche are you using? I didn’t recognize it and I’ve been looking for a good store-bought one (because I hate making my own, it takes forever). I haven’t been that pleased using the Goya brand – it tastes fake and contains ingredients that I cannot pronounce.

  139. Laura B. says:

    butternut squash!

  140. Heidi says:

    Apples baked in every possible way :)

  141. tcabeen says:

    Autumn is the peaceful sigh that signals the end of oppressive heat and welcomes a solemn, majestic slumber. It is the evening of the year, winding down after work with a spiced cider, not yet ready for the restful sleep of winter.

  142. TheKitchenWitch says:

    Oh, sweet Kaweah! Such a doll. Gorgeous bride & fall pics, natch.

    Fall=REAL minestrone!

  143. Karen says:

    On the first really brisk day of Autumn, you will find me savoring a pint of Guinness stout at the White Horse Tavern (or some similar pub), wearing a black-and-white houndstooth skirt, kelly green turtlekneck, purple thigh-high knit stockings, and Harley Davidson ankle boots.

  144. Sandy says:

    Autumn = college football! Go Bears!

    And in San Diego, the weather is perfect: warm days and crisp, cool evenings.

  145. Di says:

    I smelled it this morning – there’s a coolness that I can actually smell when I walk my dogs at the base of Mt Wachusette. It smells clean and fresh and makes me think of baking!

    Congrats to the Bride she looked amazing! Wished for a LONG happy life!

    Di

  146. Sarah says:

    my mom’s pumpkin muffins and a hot cup of tea, with a crisp breeze

  147. Lori Po. says:

    Autumn = Honeycrisp apples and pumpkins. I love going to the one local farm and getting both. And applecrisp in the oven is the greatest smell to fill your house with!

  148. Lily says:

    autumn colors on the grapevines as you drive through sonoma valley this time of year with the smell of ripened grapes in the air

  149. Sara says:

    crisp, cool air and a warm cozy house with something baking in the oven

  150. Anne says:

    The 49rs are 2-0, goodie.

  151. Temperance says:

    pumpkin pie, and all things orange

  152. Susie D. says:

    Oh how I love fall… the time of my wedding anniversary. That is the icing on the cake of the most beautiful season!

  153. Julie says:

    Roasted sweet potatoes and chestnuts from street vendors in Seoul, Korea…yum.

  154. Manisha says:

    Throwing my hat in for the nano! (Did you know that the Nano is a teeny car made by the Tatas of India and they hope to make it US-worthy in the next 3 years? It’s priced < $4K and might be competition for the Smartcar.

    Fall is all about cool crisp air, rain showers, bike rides, apple crisps with cranberries, hot tea and an early October snow storm.

  155. Brittany (He Cooks She Cooks) says:

    Funny, I was thinking of doing this very same thing! I am in Buenos Aires for a few months, so I can get top-notch alfajores any time. I’ve not tried to make macarons yet, but I’ve been wanting to for a while. Plus, I like to combine recipes and traditions, and I thought dulce de leche filled macarons would be just right. Yours look fantasatic!

  156. cloudydeb says:

    hearing the leaves crunch beneath my feet on a hike with my kids :)

  157. Courtney says:

    Apple picking, sweaters, and curling up on the couch with a good book means that Autumn has arrived.

  158. Ida says:

    hot apple cider and pumpkin spice bread!

  159. sarah says:

    Pumpkin picking. I love your pictures, by the way, you are an amazing photographer!

  160. Megan says:

    Stew, apples and pie, pie, pie.

  161. Mandee Jo says:

    Pumpkin Pie

  162. Kristi says:

    Hiking up Berry Picker trail on Vail mountain (aka “butt-kicker” trail – ha!) The sweet smell of fallen leaves, the sound of the wind in the aspen, the cool air and warm sun, and the brilliant, shimmering colors of leaves in light and shadow – these are especially precious memories now that we live in SE Texas. You can take the girl out of Colorado, but you can’t take Colorado out of the girl!

  163. jenny kim says:

    nothing says autumn to me like the smell of school air. my bf and i always comment when the weather starts to change. the air starts to cool and there’s a distinct taste in the air that my bf and i refer to as school air. it always takes us back to childhood and the first days of school, something we both used to dread back in the days, haha. these days, the smell brings back lots of fond memories…

  164. Jess says:

    Picking apples up in New Hope Pennsylvania, followed by eating apple cider doughnuts, rambling hikes with my husband, my birthday, celebrating the high holidays and the the hope that next year will be even better.

  165. Barbara says:

    Great giveaway! For me quintessential autumn is football games and Halloween. I haven’t tried dulce de leche but I do have egg whites in the fridge that need using and your macs look perfect!

  166. Christina says:

    I live in Florida, so Autumn means the start of cold fronts where i get to wear all my sweaters and jackets i buy through the year (because i’m a junkie for winter, i was born in Canada and got to enjoy it for 8 short years). I also love the food, as we move from light and refreshing to rich and savory. Plus, PUMPKIN PIE! mmm.

  167. kerry johnson says:

    quintessential autumn is all about foods: pots of hot tea, apple pie, concord grapes, making soup to keep the house warm, baking breads.

  168. Allie says:

    I know its fall when my life becomes consumed by school and I get to have pumpkin ice cream… soooo good. :)

  169. Arlynn says:

    It’s not fall until I decorate the front porch with mums and pumpkins. It’s snowing in Monument today so um, maybe we’ve skipped fall?

  170. Kim says:

    Still being able to wear sandals, tank top and shorts through Halloween and into Thanksgiving here in Southern California.

  171. s. kim says:

    Heading off to the pumpkin patch where we have fresh pressed apple cider and cider donuts covered in cinnamon sugar. Love the scents of autumn!!

  172. Tzu-yang says:

    pumpkin soup with hot crusty bread straight out of the oven!

  173. Sheryl says:

    A nice long walk in the country, coming in and smelling beef stew in the oven and apple crisp for dessert.

  174. Georgia says:

    Because we don’t have much in the way of obvious season changes here in Los Angeles, quintessential Autumn for me has always been the smell of wet asphalt moments after the first rainfall of the season. It’s such an industrial smell, I know, but it’s so comforting to me. It reminds me that it’s the season of making soup and curling up under blankets. My favorite!

  175. Stephanie says:

    Living in FL, we don’t see leaf change or feel the seasons click.. Instead, when I see Honeycrisp apples appear on the fresh markets shelves, I know that fall is upon us… so I buy one and head to the beach to sweat my arse off.

  176. Jenn says:

    Quintessential autumn involves camping/hiking in the mountains to be amongst all of the gorgeous autumn colors, and baking apples with butter and cinnamon over the campfire….and that’s exactly what my husband and I are doing next week to celebrate our wedding anniversary!

  177. Emmy says:

    Oh. My. God. Those look so yummy. I loooove caramel macarons; my pride and joy is the salted caramel one I made for work, which just had a regular (less leche-y?) caramel sauce cooked to 232 degrees in the middle, with a plain mac cookie with grey sea salt sprinkled on the top before baking. The ultimate endorsement came from a coworker, who said “these are what Matthew McConaughey should taste like.”

    For the fall, I’m all about the squash. Butternut squash soup. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cheesecake. Roasted stuffed acorn squash. It really is the perfect cooking weather! Crisp and sunny in the day, cool at night. And in Portland, it means the return of the rainstorm, which makes everything super cozy.

  178. sheauen says:

    Apple picking, Pumpkin Pie Spices, and slowcooker soups.

  179. Angela says:

    Fall means butternut squash and sweet potatoes. I’ll be digging the sweet potatoes soon and can’t wait for the sweet potato fries!

  180. Nancie says:

    Fall in Arizona means a final reprive to the heat. For me it is baking, snuggling and enjoying a fire in the firepit.

  181. Debbie says:

    You made me laugh when you said no novels!!!! Autumn to me is freshly picked apples, pumpkin pie and Halloween!!!! Great picture of Kaweah! So cute!

  182. Corey says:

    I love those first few days of Fall when you can smell the cold in the air even if it’s still a bit warm out and you realize you might just be ready to pack up your flipflops and bring out your fleece.

  183. Amanda says:

    Picking apples with my husband and son

  184. Kelsey says:

    Drinking an autumn -roast coffee while watching the cold, clear blue sky out my window.

  185. Kimberly says:

    Anything and everything involving pumpkin.

  186. christina says:

    It’s amazing how the macaroons rise when the batter is so thin, it’s like a miracle cookie! Beautiful accessories that the bride-to-be has! The contrast between the daisies and the blue is wonderful.

    Autumn to me means hot spiced apple cider, pumpkin treats, and bright, crisp fall days.

  187. Aero says:

    Because I live in San Francisco, my quintessential autumn is probably like everyone else’s quintessential summer–hot sun shiny days and ice cream in the park!

  188. Kristina says:

    Autumn is caramel popcorn and sweaters.

  189. Kerstin says:

    Autumn’s best is a chilly morning to wake up to and a warm, bright blue and sunny afternoon.

  190. Sarah says:

    apple picking and baking with the spoils!

  191. Wendi says:

    Autumn (in the 21230) = wearing shorts with sweaters and eating a bowl of hearty mushroom soup with a hunk of crusty bread.

  192. Clermont says:

    oyster roasts- every social event in the lowcountry of Georgia and SC, where I grew up, revolves around an oyster roast in the Fall.

  193. Tanya says:

    Autumn for me is smelling the air, and having it change from hot, summer air to cooler autumn air. Every time I smell the crisp air, I think of Hallowe’en as a kid. It always smelled crisp.

  194. Hilary says:

    Days that are cool and warm at the same time, as in ‘warm sun, cool wind’.

  195. Mrs. Mordecai says:

    Going to the mountains to see the leaves!

  196. Laura Flowers says:

    I have 7 cans of sweetened condensed milk boiling on the stove as I write this. Your macaroons look amazing and I would have never thought to use dulce de leche this way!

    Autumn to me is two things. Apple picking in a big wide orchard followed by homemade dulce de leche for dipping! I have all the apples now, and am just waiting for the dulce de leche. Ohhh the wait is so long!

  197. Raecheal says:

    Pulling on a sweater to walk the dog, football, apple cider and watching the leaves turn.

  198. Amanda says:

    My mom’s pumpkin bread with lots of cream cheese. She usually makes more to give away than for us to keep, but I love it. :)

  199. Janet says:

    Crisp air, leaves on the ground and the return of using our fireplace is autumn for me. That, and the date September 22nd on the calendar…

  200. Shannon says:

    Zucchini bread, any kind of hot soup, carving pumpkins, dropping temperatures… and getting to wear a coat!

  201. Tanya says:

    Fall in the Bay Area usually means the summer heat we didn’t get in foggy August. But to me, fall feels like clear crisp evenings with softer yellow/orange light in the morning and evening. Once it actually gets cool I’ll start making apple crisp constantly. That will feel like fall too.

  202. Mel says:

    Caramel apples, hot cider, hearty soups, blazing fire & fluffy blankets

  203. Wend says:

    Wild Harvesting:
    Roots, berries, wild grapes, rosehips after the frost, hickory nuts for eating, sumac and bitersweet for decorating, dandilion roots, onions from the garden.

  204. Margaret says:

    Here in central Texas…we see Fall a little differently. The first sign is downshifting from triple digit temps to even just the 90s! The leaves don’t really change on our trees….but the power bill does and we are glad not to have to run the AC full blast 24/7. Most of all, people seem to become a little mellower with being able to be outside more without the Africa hot temps and you can feel the excitement in the air of Fall festivals, upcoming holiday plans starting to form and a sigh of relief that this truly may the Fall that brings rain to end this horrendous drought….

    This recipe looks FAB!

  205. Maria says:

    Fall is a certain smell in the air that makes me want to braise meats, rake leaves, take long walks and dig out my sweaters.

  206. Beverly says:

    The light. And the promise of cool weather.

  207. Sara * says:

    apple cider doughnuts and wearing a sweater for the first time to the farmer’s market. :)

  208. KJ Konink says:

    The light! The smell! The food! The wind!

  209. Stephanie in Idaho! says:

    Autumn means football… we have three boys… Oldest now coaches… it is so fun!

  210. Tera says:

    Jeans, a hoodie and sitting around a warm fire…

  211. Jason K says:

    Kids coming to camp, abandon me in the lake. Then…

  212. jacquie says:

    cider and cinamon sugar cake doughnuts and sugar maples turning red/yellow/orange :)

  213. Carrie Hamilton says:

    When the burning bushes turn vibrant red. Beautiful!

  214. Rachel says:

    The students return, the ivy turns red, and it’s time to think about Christmas knitting.

  215. Elaine says:

    autumn is when you go to apple hill and buy tons of apple goodies, or when you run around in the cold foggy weather or when you start breaking out the long sleeves and making dumpling soup

  216. Christi says:

    My hometown’s annual fair that concludes with a combine demolition derby:)

  217. annie says:

    When you need to wear tights and boots instead of bare legs and sandals, when you need to switch out the clean smelling candles for apple pie and pumpkin spice, when you start eating breads and cream and squash by the barrel full.

  218. Paula says:

    Crisp weather & an empty beach, I love the beach in the fall!

  219. Stephanie says:

    As a west coast transplant living in DC now….autumn means the weather getting chillier….refusing to wear coats and boots….my treks to the subway in flip flops met by stares…and longing for any time on the best coast!

  220. Pat says:

    In Phoenix, AZ it means that temperatures that finally “dip” below 100, that the skies will deepen to a shade of blue which, unless you’ve seen it *cannot* be described!

    What I miss from NY tho’ is that particular morning you wake up to a dry, tangy nip in the air and almost immediately feel a surge of emotion (rather bittersweet) about endings and beginnings -the preciousness of *here and now* and the sense of wonder at being able to see the cycle of nature taking place in full color *right in front of you*.

  221. Roxane G. says:

    Football and apple picking! I love throwing on a sweatshirt for the first time and smelling the crisp in the air as I watch a game or head to the orchards. I love it!

  222. Erin says:

    Apple Butter!

  223. Fran says:

    My favorite memory of Fall is new school shoes. Oh, those were the BEST shoes of the year!

  224. Melanie Thurber says:

    Apple picking and our local food festivals in this little 600 person town. It always feels so cozy:)

  225. Xue says:

    Unpacking all my favorite wool sweaters from summer storage.

  226. Angie says:

    Cold, fresh air that makes your cheeks turn pink.

  227. Helen K. Blake says:

    Hurricane parties, oyster roasts and wearing sweaters with flip flops.

  228. Hsin says:

    As always, the pix are wonderful.
    As for autumn, I enjoy when temps fall and I can use my oven to my heart’s content without turning the whole house into a furnace.
    I love when the good apples start to arrive and I can make a tart Tatin. It’s funny, I never really liked apple pie, but I LOVE tart Tatin. I also love pumpkins and making pie and soup with them (or butternut squash).
    By the way, I’ve been meaning to make macarons ever since I saw your green tea version. Today I happened to have whites left over because I used yolks to make lemon ice cream for my hubby several days ago, so naturally it was time to finally made an attempt. The macs were slightly hollow inside, but you couldn’t tell once the buttercream had been sandwiched betweent the shells.
    So easy and tasty. I’ll be making these again.
    In fact, in honor of autumn, I’ll see how pecans work in the batter and try to flavor the buttercream with pumpkin. You’ve inspired me!

  229. kat says:

    Cold morning that only requires a fleece to make it comfortable.

  230. Iris says:

    Looking outside and seeing that the wind is blowing through the trees and that the air is crisp. It helps me enjoy snuggling up in bed with my puppies even more then I already do.

  231. Memoria says:

    Halloween decorations in the stores and weather changes.

  232. Rosa says:

    Chili, crisp apples, and warm sweaters; I love autumn.

  233. Kristin says:

    the air…it has a crispness and a smell….that says Fall.

  234. Lynn says:

    Fall means foraging for chanterelles and if we’re lucky, we might also find a few matsutake mushrooms – my favorite!

  235. Rachel says:

    it would have to be a warm slice of pumpkin pie and vanilla bean ice cream. simple yet oh so comforting.

  236. audra says:

    someday, i really must try these French macarons everyone raves about……. they look lovely.

    for some reason, i always thought i was the only one who loved autumn…. i feel cranky, wound-up, and unable to truly breathe until it arrives. crisp air, smell of woodsmoke, macintosh apples and those related to it, cider doughnuts, my mom’s pumpkin cranberry bread, pumpkin in general, hoodies and jeans, turning of the leaves, down comforters, being able to train the dogs outside and not dripping sweat, baking, warm apple cider. my list is endless. fall makes me feel more alive than any other time. almost a year ago, i spent a clear autumn day lying in the grass with my Bernese, and in the afternoon, gave in to the disease that claimed his body and let my sweet boy go. it is almost fitting that i lost him in the fall, when we were both happiest and in love with the world.

    thank you for reminding me of everything that makes me love this time of year~

  237. Michelle says:

    Going back to school is quintessential autumn for me. I have a few more years of grad school left, and hopefully a teaching job afterwards, so it won’t ever end…hahha.

  238. knitopia says:

    Ooh, crunchy leaves and crisp air. I love it! It’s supposed to be in the 90s here over the next few days, and then I hope it will be cooler here.

  239. Chloe says:

    Hiking! Most of the year it is too hot/dry in our backcountry….. but come October, we are all over it!

    Chloe M.

  240. Alexis Ellis says:

    Chilly nights with the window open make for the best possible sleep!

  241. Anh says:

    Being in southern California, autumns are hard to fathom sometimes with the perpetually monotone weather conditions. However, when I was in school, I would vividly recall the smell of freshly mowed lawns punctuating the beginning of a new school year, reds, yellows, oranges, and browns that adorned every art project, and of course the pumkin pies that started to show up in my lunch trays!

  242. Jessica says:

    Picking up my knitting again.

  243. Kim says:

    I can’t have autumn without winter squash roasted with butter and brown sugar. And, of course, the delicate morning frost that melts by midday and leaves the rest of the day warm and cozy.

  244. a stuart says:

    — aspens turning
    — football
    — getting the skis waxed
    — and my birthday ;-)

  245. Lynn @ human, being says:

    Wow, that bride is gorgeous! (ha! if I do say so myself) Thanks again Jen, for the fantastic photos.

    Autumn for me means the big closet switch: rediscovering that heavier half of my wardrobe that lives in the basement closet for half the year–wool pants and sweaters and my leather driving gloves. And the sound of leaves crunching under my shoes. And raking. Lots of raking.

  246. Emily says:

    The macarons look delicious and I just happen to have egg whites that need to be used. Fall is all about baked apples and the fall foliage for me.

  247. katrina says:

    i’m torn between pumpkin rolls and apple cider, so both!

  248. Simone (junglefrog) says:

    Ooo those macarons look like perfection! Which reminds me… I have to get my eggwhites out so I can bake a batch on thursday!

  249. Jackie says:

    Thinking of the crisp, crunchy, frosted leaves in the yard at home… while walking to class in flip-flops at Arizona State, 1200 miles away!

  250. Alice says:

    Crisp, cool air. Beautifully colored leaves. Camping in the mountains.

  251. Peggasus says:

    Where I live (East Central Illinois), it’s the time when one always gets stuck behind all the tractors and grain trucks and combines (which have to drive reallllly slowly, sometimes taking up both lanes) taking the harvest to the silos, and sometimes the residual corn dust is so thick in the air that it’s kind of cloud-like. But we wait, and everybody always exchanges waves when we can finally pass.

    Well, that and soup.

  252. Cathy says:

    Leaves turning, pumpkin spiced lattes at Starbucks, football games with hubby and soup in my cast iron pot!

  253. Gina Mosley says:

    Yellow birch leaves on my porch, having to wear a jacket for the cool breeze, and warm food.

  254. Helen says:

    The smell of the crisp air, pumpkin bread, apple cakes, NCAA basketball and the gorgeous leaves!

  255. wangyv says:

    Apple cider donuts and apple picking!

  256. kari in MN says:

    The smell of crispy golden leaves and making apple pies with my mom and sis. :)

  257. tracy b. says:

    That may be the yummiest dessert i have ever seen! I am most excited about apples… apple cider, apple picking (which we do about an hour outside of LA), apple crisp, and apple cider donuts. As well, i look forward to the end of the fire season and clean(er) air.

  258. Mulan says:

    Mmmm, those macarons are making my mouth water! So beautiful too!

    Autumn for me = the smell and taste of anything that I can make with a pumpkin!

    xxxxx

  259. Ressa says:

    A fresh off the tree crunchy apple spread with homemade nut butter. Yum!

  260. Rebecca (foodie with family) says:

    Every single autumn I make a batch of dulce de leche from about 2 gallons of goat milk. That as a dip for apples, anything pumpkin or butternut squash and piles of leaves to toss my kids into scream Fall for me!

  261. Laura says:

    When the weather changes from wet and humid to crisp and chilly. Love it!!!

  262. Megan says:

    Lighting a pumpkin spice candle and settling down with good book under a blanket on the couch, while sipping a cup of tea and eating spice cookies. :) Best autumn activity ever!

  263. Max says:

    warm apple cider donuts made fresh at the farmers’ market, and washed down with a sip of hot cider

  264. keely says:

    Fall is my absolute favorite season. Cider from the orchard bubbling in the crockpot with mulling spices….and a group of friends huddled around a firepit toasting marshmallows!!! The colors of the leaves and piling on the blankets at night with windows wide open.

  265. Collette says:

    Apples. Apples everywhere but mostly apples in my mouth.

  266. Dianne says:

    I love fall! In a nutshell, fall is falling leaves, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and anything with pumpkin and/or apples.
    Love your pics of the bride to be!

  267. Laura says:

    Fall means more hikes in the mountains to see the leaves change.. AND being able to start baking again!

  268. JulieE says:

    Homemade chunky barley soup and bread baked in the oven instead of the bread machine.

  269. Stefanie says:

    Apple cake, cool weather, and pumpkin seeds!

  270. Deb in Indiana says:

    Autumn is smoke on the air, fires in the fireplace, and leaves crunching when you walk.

  271. Flora says:

    Pumpkin soup!

  272. Hettar7 says:

    I’ve never tried dulce de leche (Unless you count the Ice Cream flavor) but I’ve always wanted to. I’ll have to keep this recipe in mind if I ever run across it.

    As for what is necessary for the fall season to be the “fall season”? Color. It all boils down to color. Reds, Golds, Oranges, and Yellows with the occasional lingering green of the changing leaves. The orange of Jack O Lanterns and the yellow of their ooey gooey insides. The red of Candy Apples. Yup, the colors of fall. Oh, and the Black and Orange of Halloween. The first holiday of the season!

  273. Renee says:

    The first freeze…and finally the end of allergies….. not so glamorous. OK

    Apple cider and doughnuts.

    Renee

  274. Angela D. says:

    My ya-ya’s (yaya=grandpa in my native language) fresh home made bread & uncle’s thick hearty beef stew.

  275. emhuze says:

    Very sexy macarons .. woo hoo!

    Your lab is such a sweetie… those eyes…

    Autumn: Roving bands of Canada geese picking over the leftovers from the corn harvest, gathering up in flight, necklace after honking necklace coming onto the marsh for overnight rest. Hear them flying at night sometimes passing the moon.

  276. Rita says:

    Good apples and even better apple cakes.

  277. Brooke Vernice says:

    Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, rich bean soups and the harvest and hunter’s moon!

  278. Gini Freemyer says:

    The afternoon sun turns more golden, the winter squash hit the farmers’ co-op and the airconditioner is off more than on!

  279. christina b. says:

    first, these cookies look so yummy! my family is from argentina and i grew up on alfajores so i have a huge soft spot for them.

    second, does the dog come with the nano?! love this picture!

    favorite thing about fall is the fresh, crisp air, changing of the leaves, and i love the lighting. some of my very favorite pictures i’ve ever taken were in the fall.

  280. Huyen says:

    What a lovely bride.

    Nothing says autumn better than pumpkin spices, apple pie and the smell of a wood fire in the fireplace.

  281. Diana Banana says:

    The best thing about Autumn is to finally be able to fall asleep while snuggling with my honey bunny. (In the summer I throw a fit if he even thinks of draping a sweaty limb over me!)

    P.S. you can keep the ipod, can I have Kaweah? :)

  282. Camila says:

    Because I live in Miami, FL, autumn for me means being able to finally got to the beach in weather that is not 98 degrees in the shade. The temperature goes down to the eighties, the sun is bearable, and you don’t feel like you are swimming in a hot bowl of soup when you enter the ocean.

  283. Jennifer says:

    The NC state fair and a hot cup of apple cider!

  284. Breana says:

    Autumn is the in between season where I come alive. No pesky hayfever days of spring, sweltering hot summer nights or short winter days. It’s also grandma’s birthday season! Her birth records were lost so the family celebrates it along with the mid-autumn festival every year. Can you already tell I love autumn?

  285. Lori says:

    A perfect Autumn day is frollicking in the leaves with my kids, drinking a glass of cider and picking out a pumpkin. Simple and perfect!

    I see she has her something blue on- she is lovely.

  286. Jie says:

    apple picking..yay…cool weather but not chill, and many holidays to come…love autumn, my favorite season

  287. Anna says:

    Raking and then jumping into a giant pile of leaves!

  288. Amy says:

    College football, pumpkin everything, butternut squash soup and staying cozy. Thanks for the giveaway!

  289. Mrs Ergül says:

    Jen, you are such a pro at making macarons now!! I will call this a new age Alfajores ;)

    I love that first photo of the bride-to-be. It has that bit of mysteriousness which makes it really interesting!

    Well, for the kind of autumn that we have in the tropics I will say it will simply be the lower temps!

    xxoo

  290. Grace says:

    I love when I watch my dog bound through piles of red, orange and yellow leaves!

  291. Cindi says:

    The first thing that comes to my mind is “Guy Fawkes” night aka Bonfire Night. It happens the 5 Nov. A celebration we knew nothing about but was more that willing to participate in with hot cider and doughnuts. It was out first assisgnment as a married couple to England with the USAF.

  292. Lindsey says:

    My favorite used to be picking apples, but since they don’t grow down south where I am now, I’d have to go with roasted pumpkin, and sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds!

  293. Lucy says:

    pumpkin beer and sweet potato fries with horseradish sauce
    followed by a crisp walk in your favorite sweater you haven’t been able to wear since early April
    or a chilly night around a campfire in the woods.

  294. Betty says:

    Taking my kids to local farms for apple and pumpkin picking, then our valiant attempts at making some pies together. Rarely photo-worthy, but always messy and a lot of fun.

  295. Wendy says:

    Warm apple crisp w/ a scoop of vanilla ice cream

  296. Karen says:

    Chestnuts, pumpkin, Halloween, soup, and curling up in my house with my parents and sister nearby. :)

  297. Jill says:

    I live in the Chicagoland area, and Autumn isn’t Autumn without the leaves turning color, eventually turrning dry and brown, and falling all over the lawn to rake up. I can’t say I love it, but what I do like is when it is “jacket- or sweater-weather.” I like to be a little cold so I can come inside and enjoy eating something warm and hearty from the dutch-oven or slowcooker.

  298. sb says:

    apple cider!

  299. Dawn says:

    Quintessential fall? Doing recess duty and walking loops with the kids with no mosquitoes (b/c there’s been a frost overnight), with the sun just warm enough that if you stand still for a minute, it toasts you up quite nicely. Oh, and potatoes on the road b/c the potato truckers can’t be bothered to cover their trucks. :)

  300. Christine P. says:

    It’s when the Santa Ana winds blow in California. It’s hot & dry and I love it and hate it at the same time.

  301. win says:

    o my… this is almost like someone yelled out ‘free food’ XD i guess i’ll throw in my thoughts as well… autumn = harvest. thanksgiving? a time of reflection and appreciation. mostly, it’s a time for me to enjoy the all fruits of my labour. ;D

  302. Patricia B says:

    Homemade warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream!

  303. Sarah A says:

    The crisp, wet smell, the crackle of seed pods, and homemade apple butter from the local orchards.

  304. susan says:

    Autumn is the perfume of green chile roasting floating in the crisp air. It is roasted banana squash with pilloncillo and slices of orange and lemon.

  305. Christy says:

    Wow Jen. Those mac’s look amazing!
    My idea of quintessntial fall? Probably the crisp smell of impending winter, the crunch of leaves underfoot and the delicious root vegetable dishes waiting to be devoured!

  306. susan says:

    fall in texas? when its finally cool enough to wear boots and a light scarf

  307. Ginny says:

    Delicious! I love dulce de leche… I love the late afternoon sun streaming through the changing leaves with a crisp breeze… sounds corny, I know, but I love it! :)

  308. Kathy says:

    I love the way the autumn sunshine makes everything look like it’s dipped in gold and all the colors seem more intense.

  309. Rajani says:

    Falling leaves and the smell of warm apple cider.

  310. Alex says:

    The macarons look gorgeous!
    Driving the winding road to Dixon’s Apple Farm in New Mexico for deliciously crisp Champagne apples screams ‘autumn is here’ to me. :)

  311. Eunice says:

    I love the crispness of the air and how everything seems to smell like cinnamon and apples

  312. Yen says:

    Stepping on the crisp autumn leaves on the ground.

  313. Caroline says:

    Warm Santa Ana winds and pumpkin baked goods.

  314. Angela Marie says:

    Been a while since I’ve been on this site, still love it. I am attempting lime meltaways tonight. Love my grandpa’s home made bread combined with my uncles hearty beef stew when the weather gets chilly. Oooo russian tea, too. YUM

  315. Joey says:

    Walking outside there was a breeze that brought a hint of dying leaves…Fall is in the air… Almost time for an old cozy sweatshirt, and making something delicious with pumpkin and the associated spices.

  316. Jessica F says:

    Apples are quintessential in the Autumn! I’m from Western New York where there is an abundance of delicious apple varieties. I recently moved with my husband to Las Vegas and am feeling a little sad about not getting to see the changing of the seasons and have so many delicious varieties of apples available to me…

  317. Annemarie says:

    Walking at the beach in an autumn storm and mushrooms…
    Those macerons look delightfull by the way

  318. Tartelette says:

    Ok, do not count me as an entry because one of these would be a waste in my hands, unless I program McHottie in loop :)
    The macarons are fabulous and what a great choice of flavors! DDL…hmmm yes!
    Fall: apple picking and orchards in the upstate. Light changing, cooler mornings and light winds!

  319. Paula K says:

    Quintessential Autumn is crisp bright mornings, Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and chai lattes.

    Still completely intimidated to make macaroons, but yours look amazing. Dulce de leche is some darn tasty stuff!

  320. Emily says:

    Oh my lord, dulce de leche. Erm…that’s not quintessential fall. That’s just quintessential deliciousness. Fall for me needs to include just-crisp-enough air smelling like wood fires and singed pumpkin. If they could bottle that air, I’d go broke buying it.

  321. Jennifer says:

    Pumpkins, warm spices and leather jackets. Sometimes boots too.

  322. Nadiaidan says:

    Scarves, snuggly sweaters and big mugs of caramel apple cider!

  323. Helena says:

    Autumn is meeting with your love one’s in front of the fireplace after a long walk in the woods picking wild mushrooms.

  324. Magdalene says:

    We don’t have seasons here on the equator, but the internet gives me the luxury of enjoying the seasons. Autumn is red and gold and the start of using more spices.

  325. Monica Sanchez says:

    Being a Transplant–SoCal to Woosta, MA–I guess I really began to understand what it means to experience the seasons. Back at home in LA with its perpetual palm trees, it was all about Holloween and more importantly, Dia de Los Muertos, with the bright burnt colors of the altares in the cemeteries. Now living in New England, the air is crisp, and yet rounded out with a hint of spice and firewood musk. The air undulates with the mutable colors of the leaves, as I snuggle into my cozy–not just fashionable–scarf.

  326. Lisa Schnaidt says:

    Autumn= soup making time.

  327. Maja says:

    The amazing colors & the promise of winter. How’s that for laconic? ;)

  328. Dawn says:

    Autumn means camping and hiking and just being outside enjoying the cooler weather. It also means I can start making soups and chili again. The tourist have left and I can walk the dog on the beach again.

  329. Pam says:

    Apple pies or crumbles.

  330. Alysa says:

    Fall in South Florida is about the change in light. The late afternoon sun across the Everglades is soft and golden. Fall also means its time to start my veggie garden.

  331. Sherry says:

    I don’t usually revel in my ethnicity but when I first thought about what Autumn is for me, I immediately thought of eating my first Mooncake of the year and going outside to see the full moon.

    And then I thought about Halloween and pumpkins. Eh, well, at least that’s a bit more normal.

  332. Pegs says:

    Autumn is what I miss most about living in the tropics. Smells, tastes, crispy air…everything about it is magical.

  333. Beth Clifford says:

    Quintessential autumn for me is the first day it’s cool enough to wear socks, jeans, and sweatshirts (preferrably a hoodie) after our long and sweltering summer. Going for a long colorful hike in said attire, and coming back to hot cider, sipping it in front of a roaring fire.

  334. Amy says:

    Quintessential autumn is the smell of the crisp, sweet little apples we got locally in New York around this time of year. No other apples smell quite like them, or as sweet. I recently picked up a batch from the grocery store (not so common down here in Philadelphia) and I have spent most mornings just inhaling them deeply, savoring them like glass of wine before taking the first bite…

  335. Shannon says:

    We don’t need the nano – but autumn to me is walking down DOG street hand in hand with Mitch and stopping to get hot apple cider and some gingerbread.

  336. Kristen says:

    Autumn means delicious local apples (and apple picking!) and air cool enough to wear hooded sweatshirts :) Those macarons are absolutely GORGEOUS!!

  337. tamie says:

    autumn is perfect time to forgive and forget.
    Orange, red, and yellow, a burst of color all around,
    but lets not forget leaves that have turned ash, gray and brown.
    In spring, everything will be as green.
    So forget the bad memories and cherish the good ones forever!
    i think autumn is an ideal time for change. :)

  338. Lisa says:

    For me it is sailing in the middle of James River surrounded with colorful foliage along the shores, which only have a few days a year (not cold, not hot, with light breeze) that I’d sail with my family. That is life.

  339. Wendy H says:

    Autumn to me is the scent of cinnamon in my house, cooler temps and spending more quiet time indoors. Loved the macarons!

  340. Kath says:

    Autumn – In the Midwest, it’s the smell of earth and burning leaves. A time for making soup, cranberry muffins and caramel apples.

  341. Amy says:

    Pumpkin bread, apple butter and honey crisp apples!

  342. Tiffany says:

    Fall- Favorite time to mtn bike (because it’s beautiful and i don’t overheat), football (go Packers), and Bonfires! Jen you’re such a stud!

  343. Gita says:

    Autumn for me is beautiful orange, red and cinnamon colored foliage. Smell of baked pumpkin pie – Pumpkins, Pumpkins and all kinds of squashes:) Hot chocolate with marshmallows ofcourse.

  344. Kathy says:

    I always start my Fall off my with my birthday!! Yet, the best part is the feel of autumn in the air, the crisp breeze, the beautiful leaves, the warm~inviting smells, and the comfort of family with the coming holidays!

  345. Georgia says:

    New Orleans Preservation Po-Boy Festival!

  346. Sarah says:

    Apple orchards and hot cider!

  347. Sue Choo says:

    Scorching hot soups!

  348. Laura says:

    The sound of leaves blowing along the sidewalk, the crunch of crisp, cold apples, and the smell of a big pot of something warm on the stove. Autumn all the way!

    Thanks for the opportunity, I love your site, your pics, and your story.

  349. Emma says:

    Crisp blue skies, breaking out my knee high boots, apple crumble…mmmmmmm

  350. Debby says:

    A California autumn is all about huge pumpkin fields, my camera and the vivid colors. It’s about picking out one to carve and a sugar pumpkin to make my first (of many) pumpkin recipes. My fantasy is autumn on the East Coast, seeing all the vivid colors… someday…

  351. Rita says:

    The haunting sound of the Canadian Geese flying south , it heralds in the fall even before the changing of the leaves for us here in Canada.

    Thanks for the topic, I’ve enjoyed reading all the omments .

  352. Leitha says:

    My husbands perfect apple pie and cool autumn mornings.

  353. Anna says:

    For me autumn means the smells and sounds of walking through fallen leaves. I am happiest when my lawn is covered in orange and red crinkly dry leaves.

  354. Amy says:

    Crisp mornings & the smell of the falling leaves, & glow of the autumn colors.

  355. Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) says:

    Living in India, we don’t really have an autumn here, but the amazing colors seem to me to be the best part!!

  356. Dre says:

    Sweaters! And lots of urges to bake.

  357. Catherine says:

    Football and chili! I love fall!

  358. Sarah says:

    Pears, football, breaking out the down comforter, and waiting for the first snowfall.

  359. Erin says:

    My toes getting cold because I put off not wearing slippers/flip-flops as long as I can.

  360. Sara says:

    Holidays! Being really excited about the cold and everything that goes with it!

  361. Meaghan says:

    Autumn: hiking, apple picking in Nova Scotia (+ pie!), pumpkin soup, cuddly sweaters, golden ginkgo trees and red maples, raking & jumping in leaves, and the return of comfort food.

    your macarons look divine.

  362. Carol says:

    full,yellow harvest moon drifting behind wispy clouds….rustling dry leaves beneath my sturdy boots…a crisp juicy apple crunching in bites….just a nip in the wind….perfect to snuggle a soft, warm scarf closer and tuck into my jacket…the smell of autumn soups, roasting root vegies, roasting meat…

  363. Mysticmeg says:

    Love in the Fall of the Year. We are back to hugging now the weather is less than 100 degrees and people are just happy for the change in the temperature. The animals even are happy! But for the Foodies of North Texas, we must pull out recipes for cooler weather and grab the Hatch chili peppers for CHILI a staple of fall foods. There is a shop in Downtown Fort Worth Texas -Pendry’s – where custom made blends are available.

    For me, this month is a happy one my birthday is September 27th. Next month is an anniversary of my father’s death. Then the holidays are approaching. We take time to pull out the blankets and sweaters, switch the thermostats from COOL to HEAT. Fall is a time to remember and joy in the different fruits and vegetables our farmers are now harvesting.

  364. Jane says:

    Fall is: a cabled gray sweater, the smell of roasting pumpkin seeds, anything and everything having to do with apples. It’s cool evening walks when the air smells just right and the lights of the neighborhood houses become the definition of “cozy” and “inviting.” Fall is the anticipation of Thanksgiving flavors and leaf-turning colors. Whatever the songs may say, FALL is the most wonderful time of the year.

  365. Tammy says:

    I’m looking forward to nice, crisp bike rides and amazing autumn soups. btw, I love your blog!

  366. julie says:

    i am really excited to try and replicate your macarons!

    fall for me is pumpkin milkshakes and crunchy piles of fall leaves. i can’t wait.

  367. Stacy says:

    Autumn for me is ginger cookies, pumpkin pies, and hot tea. (I have a one track mind…)

  368. Jill says:

    That cold, crisp, smoky smell when you walk outside towards dark and can tell people have started to light their fireplaces and burn leaves = AUTUMN.

  369. Michelle says:

    Days that do not get above 85, kids walking to and from school and slow cooked meals filling the house with aromas of a slower time.

  370. Lynda Prioleau says:

    Fall is not having to worry about humidity making my hair poufy. Fall is not swatting mosquitos during a cookout. Fall is having the best color wheel right outside your window. And, fall is knowing that Thanksgiving is right around the corner—translation food, family and more food.

  371. Beth R. says:

    Going bird hunting with my husband, walking through the woods, that damp, earthy smell that all the fallen leaves have.

  372. Alcina says:

    Hello,

    Well, I had my first ‘feel’ of autumn when I traveled from Malaysia to UK for my studies in early September. Sometimes its too cold for me and yet sometimes its just too sunny for me :). Its something new for me as I have been living in a tropical country (with hot sun everyday and rains) since I was a baby and now I’m in UK. I can’t imagine what will happen to me when winter comes. Hope that I can get use to the weather soon :). But one thing I like about the weather so far is the changing tree leaves colour which something I don’t get to see in my country. Its beautiful! Between, I enjoy your blog very much.

  373. kookie in london says:

    Fall is feeling cosy in my winter coat on a bright chilly day, coming home to crisp skinned sausages, creamy mashed potatoes and spiced red cabbage for dinner. I love the smell of firework smoke in the air too in November around Guy Fawkes Day.

  374. freckleface says:

    SOUP! Thick, delicious soup.

  375. Stephanie says:

    Homemade apple pie! Mmmm!

  376. Jen P. says:

    So many things scream fall to me – mainly the start of football season! But the chill in the air, the advent of sweater season, and all the yummy colder-weather recipes that I have an immediate hankering to make rank pretty high up there too.

  377. Melissa says:

    Driving up to this little sleepy town called Oak Glen with my Mom. It’s apple country out here in Southern California and all you do is drive from orchard to orchard eating apples, drinking cider and soaking up the “Fall” weather we have in CA.

  378. ChrisB says:

    Temperatures diving from the 100s into the mid to upper 90s :O)

  379. Anjanette says:

    Autumn….leaves changing, crisp air, bonfires…..and PIE! Mmmm….can’t wait!

  380. Liz says:

    Making my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies then going for a walk in the crisp autumn air! Can’t wait!

  381. Joan says:

    Apples, pumpkins, Halloween and the crunching of leaves under my feet.

  382. marcie says:

    Warm soup and the first time i can wear my wool hat!

  383. Amber says:

    Pumpkins!!! I already have a large orange one and a little white one and a whole platter stacked with little baby pumpkins…

  384. Maddy says:

    My birthday (nov 15)! This year it’s 21!

  385. Karen says:

    Changing leaves, layering with jackets, and heartier food. I will miss all the fresh-from-the-garden fruits and veggies.

  386. Emily says:

    Apple cider and raking leaves

  387. bima says:

    santa ana winds………

  388. Connie K says:

    autumn is walking around in boots and a sweater with the leaves crunching under your feet and the crisp but not yet cold air blowing around you whipping your hair

  389. Mani says:

    The crisp mornings,changing leaves,pumpkins,cinnamon and walking on the cold mornings with a scarf around your neck to get a hot cup of coffee….

  390. Stef says:

    Crisp air, changing leaves, apple, pumpkin, football, hoodies & sweaters.

  391. SallyK says:

    The colors of the leaves – just the progression of color amazes me, from green to yellows and reds. And the smell of woodsmoke as people fire up their fireplaces when the temps drop.

  392. Kitty says:

    Fall is all about getting the perfect night’s sleep–cool enough to bring out the blankets, but warm enough to leave the window open.

  393. Taryn says:

    Sweaters and boots, candy corn and apple pie. <3

  394. Katharina says:

    Usually foggy weather, collecting wild mushrooms, harvesting apples… but I live in the tropics of the southern hemisphere now and it’s spring / start of wet season soon! I miss the cold autumn!

  395. Claudia says:

    The crisp-fresh, invigorating, awesome-smelling air of fall in Quebec City. Divine.

  396. Eunice says:

    The colors of the leaves changing and a nice, warm apple crisp.

  397. Ann Van Gilder says:

    Crisp, cool, morning air!

  398. Anika says:

    Having a coffee in the late afternoon and walking through the park with all the beautiful colors =)

  399. Steph says:

    Pumpkin Waffles. Nothing else compares!

  400. Grace J. says:

    Kids dressed up for Halloween, so cute, pumpkin mouse pie and all the candy I didn’t let the kids eat from Halloween!

  401. Shine says:

    Crisp cool air, roasted squash, hearty soups and slowly braised meats, colorful leaves, my cat’s coat getting thicker, darkness arriving earlier, curling up under blankets with books to read…

  402. Jackie in VT says:

    Warm apple pie = autumn. Mmm.

  403. Jasmine says:

    Freezing my but off playing field hockey and eating baked apples.

  404. SallyBR says:

    Taking a weekend to make beef stock…..

  405. K.Schwing says:

    Picking apples as a kid, with hot cider and cider donuts at the orchard afterwards. Fighting nippy mornings with hot coffee and sweaters. Huge pot of chili on the stove. Bread in the oven. Love. :)

  406. Rachel says:

    Autumn reminds me of warmth and thankfulness, and how the sun glows through the changing leaves.

  407. Dani says:

    Temperatures below 100 degrees! (I live in Phoenix, AZ.)

    This recipe looks fantastic. If it’s like your other recipes that I’ve tried, they’ll turn out great. Can’t wait.

    Love your blog. Thanks for the giveaway (even if I don’t win.)

  408. Sharon says:

    The crisp weather, change of color in the leaves and apple cider.<3

  409. Carolyn says:

    A big pot of chili and a nice warm sweater.

  410. Brian says:

    Got to be the warm cider donuts here in new england

  411. Caroline says:

    Halloween candy = stomach aches!

  412. kia says:

    what a fun, silly shoot to put on. looked like a great time. and thanks for posting the recipe. I’ll have my husband get on those :)

  413. Annalese says:

    Easter long weekend (Australia!), in Autumn its still warm enough to swim without bitch hot sand. Long warm summers and that certain autumn smell in the air….

  414. Andrea says:

    Ripe, juicy and succulent pears

  415. Andrew Hyde says:

    College football upsets, long runs in the mountains and the smell of snow.

  416. Melody says:

    Since I live in MT now, it is all about the harvest. That’s how I know summer is ending and winter will quickly be upon us. I begin checking the weather every day and determining if plants need to be covered for the chance of nightly frost – trying to get those last tomatoes to ripen up…

  417. Girl Gone Domestic says:

    Gingerbread hotcakes with homemade applesauce & hot tea! Cozy!

  418. Jean says:

    Soup and pumpkins!

  419. Lillian says:

    pumpkin pie! apple cider! persimmons!

  420. EY says:

    Seeing leaves turn to fall colors. I especially miss that in the Northeast now that I’m in perpetual brown/golden grassy CA.

  421. JessW says:

    Pulling out all of the warm clothes, baked squashes and crisp apples, and finishing BBQ’s in the dark :)

  422. Brittany says:

    Quintessential autumn for me is fall color hikes in the hills and apple crisp made with apples picked in the yard.

    I’m excited already =)

  423. Diane says:

    Apple cider, for sure!

  424. S says:

    Long coats, curling, butternut squash soup, picking apples, and sleeping in!

  425. Frugal Kiwi says:

    Pumpkin soup!

  426. Jennifer says:

    The sudden crispness in the air… and the familiar scent of tomatoes being bottled for the winter.

  427. rumana says:

    autumns’ bout snuggles,cuddles,snoozes….caramel apple cake ..yummmm and just like in all seasons its bout life,love laughter and last but never theleast ..family …

  428. janine says:

    Persimmons, bosc pears, pomegranites, pumpkin soup, picnic at the Ardenwood harvest festival in Fremont, CA with the CIndy of figs lavender cheese and the usual suspects where we pick indian corn and popcorn, and starting to make more hearty dishes like soups, stews, and long-simmering pots of spaghetti sauce.

  429. Brianna says:

    I was born and raised in FL, so fall used to mean bearable temperatures, LOL. Now that I’ve moved somewhere with real seasons, I relish the turning of the leaves. (Something that just didn’t seem to happen with palm trees! Haha.)

  430. CheeCheng K says:

    Living in the equatorial country, Malaysia, we werent brought up knowing how do people living in those places thinks bout it. When i was child i use to think autumn only happens in canada; maple leaves! haha

    but having visited places during autumn season, it tells me that no matter how “green” a person can be, one day it will “fall”.

    dramatic though :D

  431. Pomme says:

    Orange coloured food: butternut squash and carrot soup mostly, mmmmhhhhhh…..

  432. annie says:

    A bubbling pot of soup!

  433. Shirley says:

    Crisp autumn air, the bluest sky you’ll ever see in Texas, warm carrot cake straight out of the oven, carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds. Bliss just thinking about it!

  434. Maria says:

    Living in the city I’m rather deprived of nature’s transitioning colors and smells, so I think it would be layering on the clothes to deal with the increasing chill. Also logging in to your wonderful people’s food blogs for seasonal cooking. And the first post-summer flu of course…!

  435. Kelley says:

    Hot cider with bourbon. Roasted squash. Sharp blue skies. Listening to bluegrass ballads. Feeling happily wistful about impermanence.

  436. Adelina says:

    THAT is a tricky question!!! For the monent and for the sake of summarizing my thoughts, quintessential autumn to me is a chance to appreciate the fact that I have a gift to appreciate a change in season, to see the beautiful colors display everywhere all around, and to feel just a little bit closer to earth!

    By the way, will you be able to “teach” us how to take beautiful photographs like you do?!!! And your macarons are absolutely Cute and Perfect looking!!! Arrgh….you possess so many skills…that is unfair!!!!

  437. Emily says:

    The swoosh crunch crunch of fallen leaves.

  438. Nga Nguyen says:

    Since I was little, the fall has always appealed me with it’s sweetness. No, I am not talking about the weather, or the people. I am talking about the Moon festival. I love moon cakes! This fall will be an exciting one because I will try the complicate recipe for mooncake for the first time ever :) Really can’t wait!

  439. Christina says:

    Pumpkin soup is fall for me….and apple-picking with my female family members.

  440. Tiff says:

    Fishing at creek mouths, searching for mushrooms, and warming up after with mulled wine.

  441. Adrienne says:

    I know it’s a cliche, but every fall I get excited about wearing my denim jacket, and eating more soup.

  442. Jennifer O says:

    I love the crisp air and changing leaves that come with fall!

  443. Joan S says:

    My homemade pumpkin soup….. yum!

  444. karen b. says:

    hot tea, dreaming of soup recipes and when you get into bed and it’s cold and takes a good five minutes to warm up but somehow the shivering feels good.

  445. Kathy O. says:

    Fall is my favorite time of year and I love the cooking that goes along with it; immune boosting soups, hearty stews, fruit/berry crisps and/or crumbles, etc. … and let me not forget the brisk air for a walk following those delicious meals ;)

  446. Dan says:

    The spicy smell of homemade chai or apple cider simmering on the stove.

  447. Siboney says:

    Fall is my favorite season and I’d to say torrejas and champurrado are what I want to have once it starts getting cold.

  448. Grant says:

    The sounds of wind rustling the the leaves off the ground back up into the sky.

  449. Maressa says:

    The turning of the leaves, you can just smell Fall in the air!!

  450. Lauren says:

    The smell (and taste) of homemade pumpkin pie

  451. Amy says:

    Fall for me is all about warm smells and colors…baking, pumpkins, cinnamon, the sweet smell of fallen leaves, fiery foliage, mulled cider…my favorite season!

  452. Rus says:

    autumn == homemade garden tomato bisque

  453. Dragana says:

    Here in Texas it’s the sudden vast changes in temperature due to cold fronts – we don’t really have an autumn season to speak of. I look forward to butternut squash soup, venison stew and apples baked many different ways!

  454. Yoshie says:

    Autumn is all about the leaves – the color, the smell and the crunchy texture. Love it all!

  455. mary beth lynn says:

    My favoite Autumn thing is the cool crisp days and foggy evenings – everything smells so wonderful outside!

  456. Lisa is Bossy says:

    Holy crapoly – are you really gonna read all these entries? :)

    Autumn for me is…. HEAVEN. I LOVE the Fall. I love the oranges and yellows and reds of the season. I love anticipating the holidays – which means time spent with family and friends. I love how the weather starts to cool down to cold and seeing my breath on a Fall morning. I love crockpots and candles and blankets and fireplaces and pumpkins. Once September hits, I’m just so happy.

    I ♥♥♥ Autumn!

  457. Mark says:

    Autumn is football and Halloween.

  458. Susan says:

    It’s the cooking and the smells of autumn for me! Soups, stews, squash, pumpkin and mushroom pasta dishes, apple pie and that wonderful, nutty smell of fallen leaves.

    ~Susan

  459. Dawn says:

    Autumn is all about hiking and camping in the woods, enjoying the lovely colors and the nice cool weather. Plus the fallen leaves on the ground. I love autumn.

  460. Sil says:

    otoño (autumn) is walking on yellow and red leaves (while listening to the sound they make), the golden light during the afternoon hours and warm apple pie. I love autumn!

  461. Erin says:

    Leaves crunching under my feet!

  462. Yarrow V. says:

    I loved the brides photo there…Beautiful.

    If you’re getting married and you need to know how to pick the right wine, click on my name. There’s a good site there!

    I really love cooking in the fall…I love making warm foods when it gets cold!

    Thanks for these articles!
    Yarrow

  463. Nikki says:

    Autumn for me is the smell of apples, the colors of the changing leaves, and the nip of cold in the air. I miss driving through the PA mountains in the fall. :(

  464. Emily says:

    jumping into a pile of extra-crunchy leaves taller than I am; pressing the prettiest ones in wax paper; a warm mug of apple cider with cinnamon when I come inside; and not being sick on my birthday

  465. Rebecca says:

    Apple picking and a fresh apple dumpling afterward at the same place every autumn for 20+ years

  466. Amy says:

    Hoping the rain stays away long enough to see the leaves change color.

  467. daysgoby says:

    Crunchy red apples so heavy they bend the branches.

  468. Sarah Pita says:

    Apples, and pumpkins, and cold in the air. And reading Lynn Plourde’s Wild Child to my daughter at bedtime.

  469. Caroline says:

    I live in L.A. and it’s 100 degrees today, so it’s hard to say. But I remember as a child loving to see the tree leaves change to red, orange and yellow in Paris. What I would give right now for a chiller air!

  470. Patricia says:

    Apples are is season here. Nothing beats going to the orchard for apples in the fall. And getting apple cider. Fresh apple cider, not the processed stuff you get at the store.

  471. Jen says:

    The sound of fallen leaves crunching at your feet.

  472. dawn says:

    ohhh my b-day is this thurs (9/24) and I’ve wanted an iPod for the longest time!!!
    best thing about autumn? hands down: deep fried apple hand pies. oh yeah!

  473. Anoushka says:

    looking across campus and seeing everyone outside, hanging onto the last moments of summer stillness and eagerly awaiting the moment they can start wearing scarves; then watching the leaves change and the icy breath of winter come to our upstate new york campus.

  474. Kiwibird says:

    Apples. Lots and lots of apples… pie, strudel, with pork, stewed, stuffed, dumplinged… Though now we are looking at asparagus and strawberries – spring is springing here!

  475. Christian says:

    Toffee Apples on Halloween.

  476. Darla says:

    autumn has a smell, most often experienced walking down a concrete sidewalk lined with orange, red and yellow trees, or kicking a pile of leaves in the street. Scarves and long underwear can help one find it, but apple cider and pumpkin-picking work better.

  477. Allison says:

    At school in Boston, it’s leaves changing colors, apple-picking, and peacoats. Back home where I grew up (LA area)… autumn? What’s that?

  478. Gareth says:

    Chantarelles and butternut squash. The honks of geese gathering and heading north. Apples and hazelnuts. The smell of osmanthus in the Portland Chinese Garden.

  479. Kim says:

    I know you said ‘no books,’ but…

    To me, quintessential autumn is made up of many factors. First is the temperature, where it gets really cool in the shade and the breeze blows very cool, but the sun is still warm. The air turns crisp and there seems to be a scent in the air that is new…maybe the first of the dead leaves starting to moulder. Them there is the colors! From the first hints to the last leaves on the trees. Lastly are the activities…school returning, local school games, especially football, on the weekends. fall mum & marigold planting, and, above all this…Halloween! The preparation for the holiday DEFINES autumn for me! It’s the cumination of the season, and when Halloween is over, the season is over. I know Thanksgiving is coming up after Halloween, butt hat, to me was always a beginning of winter holiday, with December right around the corner. On Halloween, the last of the leaves barely cling to the trees, there are PILES of colorful leaves all over, and the scent of apples in the nearby orchards, those apples that have fallen or have not yet been harvested, fill the air. The smell of woodsmoke and burnign leaves, of turned earth as the gardens are put to rest…all this is autumn.

  480. Janet says:

    Autumn….When the temps drop below 60 it’s that first sip of single malt scotch after a summer of very frosty vodka gimlets. AHH!!!

  481. emma. our kitchen says:

    What gorgeous photos! I can’t wait to make the alfajores this weekend. Thanks for sharing!

  482. Ruth says:

    Great pictures once again….it was only a few months ago you were talking about the Spring creeping in, then the Summer and still a hint of snow where you live, this is a wonderful season, it’s great to see you capture it so well…

  483. Laura says:

    Quintessential autumn for me: swapping sandals for boots, sipping on pumpkin spice lattes or chai lattes, watching the leaves turn golden and fall to the ground, hearing said leaves crunch underfoot, and rice pudding. Awesome giveaway, thanks!

  484. Vicki says:

    With the mild weather in Arizona, quintessential autumn for me starts with a tingling sensation in my toes – when it becomes a little too chilly to comfortably wear flip flops around outside

  485. Jayme says:

    The leaves changing color, of course :) It’s beautiful, but I dread it…I’m a spring/summer kinda gal!

  486. Jessie says:

    Pumpkin everything

  487. Steph says:

    Halloween?! Actually, getting to go apple picking, although technically it starts towards the end of summer. We never end up going until the end of September anyway and sometimes when the season’s almost over!

  488. stella says:

    Cool, crisp mornings, and the vibrant colors of the leaves.

  489. Olasz says:

    Back in Poland it would be scent of burning leaves from the park “next door” and potato lifting, here in UK – unwanted leaves on my lawn, coming from my neighbour’s tree ;) Summer in Yorkshire is so mild I hardly ever notice it.

  490. 1pretzelgirl says:

    web surfing for halloween costumes

    also

    starting to get suspicious of parents when they go on mysterious shopping sprees!!!!!!!!
    (CHRISTMAS)
    i mean im a kid how could it not be exciting!!!!!!!!

  491. Natalie says:

    Chicken and dumplings and cuddling by the fire with my man and our and kitties ..

  492. vicky c. says:

    the brisk autumn air, the brilliant color of fall leaves, and the start of the holiday season.

  493. adele says:

    the crisp air first thing in the morning that always manages to take your breath away when you walk out the door!

  494. Linda says:

    anything pumpkin!

  495. Sandra says:

    Apple pies, pumpkin pies and Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes. Also, it’s the return of sweatshirt weather.

  496. Ching-Mei says:

    mmm..fall. i love fall. layered clothes…scarves…wood stoves….comfort foods…and the closing end to a cycle. so nice.

    ps. i love your blog!

  497. Sarah says:

    Apples and honey for a sweet New Year.

  498. Tiffany says:

    Pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese glaze. Pumpkin and black bean soup with cumin. The color and flavor is the essence of Fall.

  499. Turia Pope says:

    The first crisp bite of a fresh-picked apple. Smell of dead leaves and burning pumpkins.

  500. Jess says:

    Baking pumpkin bread is the perfect transition to fall for me. That and picking the pumpkins out!

  501. Heather Lee says:

    Well I just moved from NYS to San Diego so I don’t think I’ll be seeing any colorful leaves or cool crisp fall evenings…it’s hot here still. But a huge motivator for moving was the weather, so I guess I don’t care much about the usual “fall characteristics.” But I love pumpkins, and they have them everywhere. Halloween is in autumn, so I say my quintessential autumn is all about Halloween!

  502. Eliane says:

    Pumpkin Pie !!! So yummy !

  503. Stacy says:

    Honeycrisp apples! But I just moved from Minnesota to San Diego, and I can’t imagine it’s going to feel like fall to me for quite a while.

  504. Jana says:

    I love the Great Reno Balloon Races during fall. Dawn Patrol is always a glorious sight, set before the sun rises the hot air balloons are inflated and filled with light from the burner. The hot air balloon canvas exudes bright colors into the dark morning; also the pilots choreograph when the balloons are illuminated with music… best part.. IT’S FREE!

  505. kari says:

    soup! school!

  506. Ceiting Lu says:

    Quintessential autumn for me is waking up to 50~60 degree weather in the mornings in LA (yes, LA) when the air is crisp and clean (yes, really, LA) from overnight dew and it’s perfect for going for a morning run. And then all the honking sets in about an hour later. :-)

  507. Mab says:

    Autumn is all about the wind. I lived on an island most of my life so it was usually windy but in winter the wind is freezing cold, in summer it’s way too hot and it’s raining too much in the spring to enjoy it. The one time of year that you can really go outside and enjoy a few deep breaths of air is the autumn.

  508. Karl says:

    Orange…orange, orange everywhere, except in Florida where I currently reside. I have my memories though…and I’ll never forget all those deep oranges.

  509. Vanessa says:

    Nothing says fall like the smell of homemade applesauce cooking in my mom’s kitchen. Yum!

  510. yanners says:

    Autumn…makes me think of my wedding anniversary and Halloween! I do imagine myself donning a sweater and walking about picking up orangey leaves :)

  511. lovegreentea says:

    roasted tomato soup, crunchy golden and red leaves, and long, fluffy scarves.

  512. macadi says:

    Pumpkin soup and orange everywhere!!!

    Saludos from Spain

  513. Dona England says:

    Packing lunches for school kids. Cooking magazines with turkey dinners on the cover. This is Texas-we don’t have fall weather.

  514. gwen wangler says:

    ravioli made with pumpkin and butternut squash. I live in Southern California so we don’t notice the change of seasons as much…no changing leaves, no snow.

  515. anita says:

    fall for me begins when my kids figure out what they want to wear for halloween, and we go outside for walks in their costumes for a photoshoot!

  516. Laura says:

    The first perfectly red leaf I see and that undefinable change in the air that screams “fall.”

  517. Patricia A. Dooley says:

    Nothing signals Autumn better than listening to the leaves crunch underfoot, their aroma wafting about me as I take a quiet, peaceful stroll in the woods. Even just imagining this in my mind right now, brings back the sights, sounds and smells of this wonderful time. Unlike you, we still have a month or two before it gets wintery cold, and usually no snow until December, so my imagination is all that I have for the moment.

  518. Amy Q. says:

    Sweaters, stew and the crisp smells of sunny Sunday afternoons.

  519. Martin says:

    For me, quintessential autumn is the deep colours of everything: the deeper blue of the sky, the deep red of the foliage, the deep orange of a pumpkin or the deep red of lingonberry (well, I am Swedish…). The saturation of the colours seems just to be turned up a notch during this time of year, and I love it.

  520. nicole says:

    buying books for classes – even though it’s been like 7 years since i’ve had to do this…

  521. Branwen says:

    Changing leaves and the crisp cool air. Plus apples desserts!

  522. kate says:

    Hiking. With or without babies on my back.

  523. Lisa says:

    Colorful leaves! I live in Florida now so no autumn for me…I look at your photos of the mountains and aspens and sometimes they take my breath away.

  524. Erica says:

    Pumpkin pie, warm sweaters, and apple cider.

  525. Mireya says:

    Apple cider and scarves :)

    Thanks for the giveaway!!

  526. Trisha says:

    A stroll through the farmers market full of pumpkins.

  527. Melissa M says:

    First off…adorable lab!

    The golds, oranges and red variations in the changing trees. Chilly nights and cooler days where you want to sit on your favorite chair wrapped in a blanket drinking fresh hot apple cider.

    Thanks for the give away!

  528. Kimm says:

    Pumpkin Pie!!!

  529. Angelina says:

    Autumn, my fav season…apple picking, apple pie ala mode, crisp air, snuggly sweaters and scarves, but most of all, the fantastic fall foilage here in New England.

  530. Christina says:

    I think of the autumn leaves falling to the ground! Love it.
    Btw, I tried making macarons before. Is it suppose to look that flat when you pipe them onto your baking sheet? Maybe I didn’t let them dry long enough. I will have to try again. :) Love your blog!

  531. Lisa says:

    Apples… in cider, crisps, pies, cobblers, and cakes!

  532. Jess says:

    Crisp air, sleeping weather, kitchens cool enough to bake in, a new palate of colors outside, apple picking, soups, and knitting instead of sewing.

  533. Laura says:

    I love dulce de leche–growing up we made it, had no idea what it was (we made the cheap-o cook condensed sweetened milk in a can type) and called it Brown Wiggle. Little did we know it was actually something sophisticated associated with South America!

    Anyway, and I know this typical but I cannot help it, I am not original here, fall is football, soup, fresh baked bread and something with cinnamon in it…

  534. Jalanda says:

    Autumn is oven roasted root veggies and hard squashes. Autumn flavor on a plate!

  535. Adeline says:

    (the lurker comes out to comment)
    Growing up in the south of France, autumn was heavy rains and floods. Much nicer since I moved to Scotland: now it’s all about stormy skies, colourful leaves and lots of roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes!

    Also had to say those macarons look amazing, I’ll make those over the weekend. Thanks for the recipe!

  536. Karolina Palmer says:

    Autumn for me is a chilly morning with warm coffee. Going for a bike ride with my new husband and watching the leaves fall. All about cozy scarves and cozy baked treats!

  537. Ethan says:

    Although I wish autumn were misty days, warm cider, and brilliant gold and orange leaves – but in my neck of the woods we hit 100+ this week. However, autumn is still “orange” to me…autumn is carving pumpkins from the garden with my kids, and fresh squeezed oranges from local trees.

  538. Stacey Turner says:

    Curled up on the couch with Apple Cider garnished with cinnamon sticks and fresh apple slices. It is amazing. I love looking outside watching the leaves fall off our tree while I bake stuffed squash and endulge in eating cinnamon rolls! Isnt fall lovely?!

  539. meeshka erickson (mary) says:

    autumn is about starting school, building the first fires in the fireplace, warm and wooly sweaters, chili and hot cocoa… my favorite time of the year – hands down…

  540. Kristina says:

    Crisp air, red maple leaves, and hot cider…and the clothes…oh, the clothes: jackets, scarves, mittens —I love it!

  541. Erin says:

    I live in the Hudson Valley in New York – fall is the most amazing time of year! Vineyards full of grapes ready to harvest, apple picking, baked goods, soups, and wearing warm clothes!!!

  542. Amber Hancock says:

    Hoodies – I love them I love hoodies with jeans and flip flops, while watching a football game.

  543. Blanca says:

    Dipping churros into a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top cuddled up in “La Palleresa” café in Barcelona. Mmmmm, the best!

  544. Jill P says:

    Red kuri squash and *hopefully* a new pair of boots.

  545. Crystal says:

    I love the autumn colours and warm cookies!

  546. Laura says:

    Fall is apple picking, with the scent of cider and freshly made doughnuts wafting through the crisp air.

  547. eleisa says:

    simply the smell of fall…..

  548. Victoria says:

    Found your blog through tastespotting.com. Lovely photos, lovely recipe. For me fall is when it is cool enough to make the Gypsy Soup from The Moosewood Cookbook and eat it in a warm earthenware bowl. Mmm.

  549. Kristin says:

    Breezes with just a touch of bite, oranges/yellows/burgundies/browns, pumpkins and spices and football

  550. jenn says:

    Butternut squash soup, fiery aspens and that lovely chill in the air.

  551. edina says:

    Since we moved to Southern California a few years ago, the fall season is becoming a distant memory! However, in two other places we used to live, the Pacific Northwest and SF Bay Area, a quintessential autumn moment for me was the distinct change in the ether. Once you felt the crisp air on your face, you knew summer was really over and the best season had begun.

  552. Jacquie says:

    Driving around and noticing how everyday the leaves are a different color. Autumn is my favorite season of the year.

  553. angela says:

    Octoberfest, german beer, apple cider, beautiful colors of changing leaves. Autumn is my favorite season.

  554. Jeannette says:

    apples. plain and simple. apples and the smell of mulled cider :)

  555. ReNi says:

    phht.. now i’m hungry for something sweet.. food blogs are going to kill me one day ;)

    >> wrapping up warm with a nice cup of tea on a rainy day

  556. Joanne says:

    the smell of burning leaves, the fun of apple-picking with friends, and the return of my desire to knit warm things

  557. Michelle says:

    Snow already? Oh my. I’m not ready for that yet!!
    I think fall is all about color – love the leaves, love the apples and pumpkins and gourds. So colorful and pretty. The flavors and aromas are pretty awesome too. Bring on the cinnamon!

  558. stephanita says:

    apple cider, crunching leaves, cardigan sweaters, New England…Fall reminds me of home.

  559. Cess says:

    Apple picking and cider donuts! I am from upstate NY afterall :o)

  560. Disha says:

    Autumn for me is the memory of stepping on fallen leaves to hear them crunch while skipping back from school..n autumn is the lovely smell of cinnamon apple pie in the oven!

  561. Bebe says:

    squash, stews, soups, roasts, apples, pumpkin bread,…
    crimson, gold, honey…
    crisp, fresh mornings with warm sunny afternoons
    woodsmoke
    dressing in layers, polarfleece, running tights…
    ski season is almost here!

  562. ZDubb says:

    So hard to choose! I define autumn with apple cider, pumpkin everything, and mulling spices. All of that plus football!
    I’ve NEVER had macarons… I’m living an incomplete life.

  563. CandyCupCakes says:

    Wearing your favourite coat, sitting on a bench under a tree with autumn-colored leaves and drink that favourite coffee from the little cafe down the road, while chatting with a good friend. That is autumn for me :)

  564. Kalee says:

    I must admit, macaroons are the one thing I am terrified to bake! These look delicious! And I like the idea of the nano, because it’s lightweight enough to go running with. My husband’s full size one just is too heavy!

  565. Ina says:

    Delicious recipe – makes me want to try to bake macarons (never thought about that before).
    What I like about fall: Walking throug heaps of coloured leaves, the smell of humid earth, foggy quiet mornings, wearing thick hand-knitted socks again and hot chocolate with a pinch of cardamom.

  566. kate iline says:

    Days that are cool enough for you to pull on your favorite sweater and curl up with a piping hot bowl of stew.

  567. Ryan says:

    Living at the base of Sundance Resort, autumn, to me, is the changing of the leaves and the preparation of the trails. The light, cool, crisp air. The smell of creamy chicken soup and apple crisp.

  568. linda says:

    beautiful variety of apples for stunning pies…pumpkin cookies, ghost & goblins!

  569. Elissa says:

    Since summer is unbearably hot and humid where I grew up, autumn for me means dry, crisp air.

  570. Mimi says:

    Fall … a big sigh (of contentment) could sum it all up.
    Mimi

  571. olivia says:

    autumn is…
    nervousness as i wait for my carpool to pick me up.
    nervousness for the first day of school after the nice summer days filled with friends and swimming.
    nervousness at the thought of reconnecting with the other girls i haven’t seen for months.
    nervousness for the possible difficult year ahead.

  572. Aditi says:

    Buttered apples with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar!

  573. Cara C. says:

    The beautiful turned leaves in the state park on my drive home for fall break… perfect.

  574. Vivian says:

    My heart breathed a deep sigh of yearning when I saw this post, I just love macarons and hope to be able to make as perfectly formed ones as yours someday! I will need to find a day to give your recipe a try :)

  575. Sena says:

    I feel that only during Autumn, you can smell nature/earth a lot more stronger.
    the vibrant colors of the leaves changing also makes me feel more nastolgic.

  576. Dominique (De vous à moi...) says:

    L’automne pour moi: les feuilles qui tombent, les champignons, le potiron, de nouvelles recettes réconfortantes et mon anniversaire!

  577. April says:

    Autumn is nothing without the appropriate music to accompany it. So I put in Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago,” get some friends, and take the long drive to Stone Lake Cranberry Fest, in Stone Lake, WI. Crowds of people enjoying the crisp air, sampling vendors’ goodies, and snapping up gorgeous crafts to give as Christmas presents.

  578. Tonia says:

    Multi color leaves everywhere….

  579. Liz says:

    Well, this isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but colored leaves crunching at your feet on a crisp day with the smell of woodsmoke does it for me.

  580. Lina says:

    Slow cooked meals and apples.

  581. Miriam says:

    Changing leaves, crisp fresh air, and most of all, weather that is cool enough so that I can turn my oven on again and get back to baking!!

  582. dma says:

    I live in the Boston area, near a cemetery. My best views of fall foliage are on walks through the cemetery…

  583. Katie says:

    Clear skies, crisp air, and the smell of leaves.

  584. Amelia L. says:

    The slightly burnt smell in the air at night and crunchy leaves.

  585. Parita says:

    Hmm…chilly, cold air with some warm soup!

  586. Kristy says:

    crunchy leaves, pumpkin patch trips, hayrides, bonfires, chilly chili nights..

  587. jen says:

    A horseback ride through the fall colours on a beautiful sunny, crisp day!

  588. Nama says:

    Anything pumpkin. And eggnog. :)

  589. Kalmo says:

    Pumpkin is everything fall for me! The color and spicy flavor (pie form haha).

  590. Angelique says:

    Football, crisp air, and new notebook/ pens/ pencils…even if I’m a grad student, who doesn’t love a little back to school shopping?

  591. Susan says:

    autumn haiku

    crispy mountain air
    by the fireside with a book
    pie in the oven

  592. Peach says:

    It’s all about the pumpkins. I start growing them in the summer and collecting them October 1st. I must must did I say MUST have pumpkins surrounding me. There is something about them. They are magical and the essence of Fall. From the Hunt to the Smashing the day of Thanksgiving after supper of course.

    Pumpkins!

  593. Betsy says:

    Oh its all about the MUMS for me I LOVE them!

  594. haya says:

    hiking in the autumn coloured woods. and then eating squash.
    LOVE AUTUMN.

  595. bron says:

    I keep coming back to these Jen, they are truly gorgeous!

    As for your Autumn/Fall, ahh well for me it’s all about warmer weather, daffodils and tulips, fruit blossoms, longer sunnier days, bouncing baby lambs….hehe I’m probably disqualified now huh, *hangs head in shame*!

    xxxx

  596. Christine F. says:

    falling leaves, sweaters and warm, baked goods.

  597. thebrunettebaker says:

    The humidity here in So. Georgia goes away, the cooler temps. finally arrive and I bring out the comfort food recipes like chili and hot chocolate.

  598. raina says:

    Autumn is like a second spring with all the colourful leaves. The place where i come from, the ground is covered with red coloured leaves of Chinar (kind of maple tree) and when you walk over them they make a crunching sound that’s music to my ears. And ofcouse , hot tea and some baked goods too!

  599. ~~Rhonda says:

    Goldenrod. Doesn’t matter what the temp is. When I see goldenrod blooming, I know it’s fall. Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway! ~~Rhonda :)

  600. ~Gail says:

    Making my Grandmother’s recipe for homemade chicken soup with matzo balls, roasting pumpkins and pumpkin seeds and making pumpkin bread with the orange libliness of it all.

  601. Kristen Phillips Gray says:

    Autumn is isn’t Autumn without air that has a tiny bite! So good!

  602. jill says:

    changing leaves and time to wear scarves!

  603. Tammy McCullough says:

    Crisp days, caramel apples and wood smoke…

  604. holly says:

    Quintessential autumn has to be homemade applesauce with cinnamon & ginger.

  605. s. graham says:

    apple and pumpkin picking with crisp blue skies. and sweaters!

  606. Frank says:

    The satisfying multi-generational family walk though stubbly wheat fields and air tinged by smoke after a filling Thanksgiving dinner.

  607. Renee says:

    yummo – those macarons look insanely good!

    Quintessential Autumn – autumn leaf fights in the park! We even had a photo taken at our wedding of our bridal party throwing autumn leaves over us! It ended up being one of my fave pictures!

  608. Randi says:

    For me, I know its autumn when I’m wearing a sweater, my hiking socks, curled up in a blanket, in the mood to bake with apples and make hot chocolate. Until then its just a chilly summer.

  609. Jaxon says:

    Great end product right there!

    To me, fall is the smell of the leaves rushing over the lawn at dusk!

  610. Andrea says:

    Apple cider!!!

  611. Dixie says:

    The first cool, crisp morning of fall. I love it…..

  612. Banh says:

    Hi, love the site! i’ve tried to make macarons a million times and have only just got it right, they really are so much fun.

    to me, autumn means walking through big piles of leaves and redistributing them.

  613. Elizabeth says:

    Well, I always know it’s autumn when we change the clocks back, and I wake up in the dark, dark, dark morning and drive to work. So, quintessential autumn is a morning trip through the black night, and the smell of coffee in the car.

  614. Fung Lee says:

    Annual trip to up state New York to pick apples with friends and having a pot luck picnic under the apple trees.
    Returning home to make apple pies for friends

  615. Irina says:

    In all its nostalgic glory, the quintessential fall for me is, without a second thought, antonovsky apples – crisp (never mealy), tart, sweet, juicy, greenish yellow – basically all you would ever want in an apple; the best apple for any kind of baking for me. Available only September to may be mid October; I have only seen them back in Russia and never since I moved to the US. It must just be too warm for them :) Blissfully, California provided an amazing sustitute – persimmons! That would be a (somewhat distant) second runner up.

  616. barisaxyvet says:

    The smell of the cooling nights. ::sigh::
    :D

  617. Holly J says:

    Wearing jeans more often & cooking french onion soup! Awesome bride photos!!!

  618. Tina Braun says:

    Autumn is my favourite time of year. What really says autumn to me is walking outside with a cozy sweater on, feeling the nip in the air, crunching fallen leaves and drinking a salted caramel hot chocolate. Yum!

  619. toontz says:

    Crunchy leaves.

  620. nags says:

    i live in that part of the world where there are no seasons. however, autumn to me is synonymous with the colour red :)

  621. Christa says:

    Getting to wear sweaters!

  622. Yen-Ling says:

    Autumn= soft sweaters, warm colors, pumpkin and apple cinnamon scents.

  623. SirChimpy says:

    Red and Gold leaves reflected on the Charles River, shaking acorns from my son’s pockets at the end of the day, and finally Apples, Apple Cider, and Apple Cider Donuts. YUM. :)

  624. shannon says:

    for me autumn means apple cider and boots!

  625. Stephanie says:

    pumpkin in baked goods — muffins, cookies, breads, pancakes (not really a baked good but just as good)..

  626. Judy says:

    Autumn = the fragrance of roasting green chiles and the Balloon Fiesta.

  627. Lisa says:

    For me, Halloween marks the start of fall here in Texas. And unpredictable cool weather. It’s been positively apocalyptic here, but I’ve been loving it.

  628. Kim Fischer says:

    The crisp bite to the air does it for me. We live in Mississippi now, but sometimes late at night I can *almost* smell it again.

  629. Chaitali says:

    Every October we go fruit picking at a nearby orchard where we pick tons of apples, plums and pumpkin. So autumn for me is all about baked goods..stewed plums, fruit tarts, apple and pumpkin pies and heavenly apple crumble :)

  630. Tess says:

    The rain no longer feels warm on my bare arms and the air has a slight bite to it as I take it into my lungs. That’s the start of autumn for me.

  631. Marie says:

    We don’t have autumn here.

  632. Evie says:

    The changes in the colors and flavors at the farmers’ market and the anticipation of planning, preparing and sharing a Thanksgiving feast with wonderful family and friends (I start early!!)

  633. Esme says:

    These look delicious.

  634. Graffititype says:

    The smell of wet pavement and leaves, red and yellow leaves, and crisp air.

  635. chef barbie says:

    autumn to me is in the leaves on the grass and the sidewalks. the chill in the air and the preparations for pumpkin patches.

  636. Cathleen says:

    The crisp, cool air that still doesn’t have a cold bite, but is warm enough to not need a lot of layers.

  637. white on rice couple says:

    That picture of Kaweah has to be the cutest picture of 2009!!!!! It’s so funny, cute, happy and wonderful at the same time!!! And stunning dessert, people, portrait, landscape, everything! Count us in on this giveaway, THANK YOU hero Jen!

  638. Rachelino says:

    Zipping up my knee high boots for the first time. I can’t got by a chill in the air or leaves turning. I live in the Bay Area. :)

  639. Cyre' says:

    Right in the heart of Houston, quintessential autumn is long-sleeved henleys, the pervasive smell of cinnamon at strip malls, chunky soup, and students pegging away at their books.

  640. Claire says:

    I have been meaning to make macaroons for ages. These look delicious.
    Autumn to me is getting excited again about cooking squashes, apples and pears and other in season foods and also making hearty stews and soups.

  641. Piszke/Candy's says:

    The cold, wet, clean but smokey smell of the earth, leaves, grass in the morning.

  642. Samantha says:

    Squirrels! We have a huge pecan tree in the front yard and autumn means more squirrels (joining the ones that never left) gathering pecans and burying them all over the yard. They’re highly entertaining.

  643. Maninas says:

    Back home in Croatia, autumn is the smell of roasting chestnuts lingering around street corners in the cool and misty dusk.

    Here in the UK, the explosion of colours underneath my feet, in the rustling of the leaves.

  644. Kay says:

    I’ve been living in a country that is, on average, 35 degrees C every single day. I never experienced what Autumn was like until quite recently, when I moved to the UK.

    It’s just magical. No better word to describe it really.

  645. Lorna says:

    My favorite thing about autumn hands down is walking/crunching the fallen leaves.. beautiful colors and nice weather for scarves!

  646. Reni says:

    Things that I remembered the most about autumn are freshly picked apples bought from local farmer stands, crisp air, orange colored leaves, maple syrup and Vermont.. I’ve only experienced autumn once when my family visited my brother in Columbus in 2000 (we live in tropical country).

    BTW, that photo of Kaweah with the IPOD on her nose is soooo CUTEEE.. Love it, love it, love it..

  647. Kimm S. says:

    hikes in the woods, fresh picked apples, sweaters and thick fleeces and lots of pumpkin flavored baked goods!

  648. Erica says:

    Wow, what a great post and giveaway! My favorite part of autumn has always been the smell – coming from New England, there’s nothing like the smell of crisp leaves in the cold air. Food-wise, I love anything pumpkin-flavored; I wish it was more acceptable to eat pumpkin-flavored things year-round, because I definitely would!

  649. EAnglin says:

    The smell of simmering tomato sauce as I race to pack away the last rush of tomatoes. Hard frost is the ultimate deadline.

  650. miskat says:

    Quintessential autumn for me is rainy, cold and in gold colors.

  651. cck says:

    College Football. Heat. The poem, October’s Party, by George Cooper.

  652. Elizabeth says:

    apple cider, changing colors of the trees, soup, pumpkins, and wearing sweatshirts!

  653. annie says:

    Eating a bag of freshly picked apples and reading “Little Women” again, which I have done every autumn for 35 years.

  654. Kristen says:

    Wool sweaters. Soup. Crusty bread. Numb cheeks after a long walk.

  655. ali says:

    Driving to Hayward’s farm to get local apples, pears and honey. Picking the last of the squash and elderberries and feeling remorse.

  656. rachel says:

    There’s no Autumn as such where I live, but when I think of autumn, the shades of brown in nature and carameled apples are what strike the most.

  657. Stefanie says:

    Its the light, it gets such a nice warm hue, perfect for photos, and make me think of red leaves, pumpkins and apples!

  658. Carolyn says:

    Smell of pumpkins during carving another Halloween masterpience and toasting the pumpkin seeds with olive oil, salt & pepper for a tasty snack afterwards.

  659. Derek says:

    A cool weekend morning bike ride surrounded by the changing colors of leaves followed by putting on a big pot of chili and watching football all day.

  660. Evelyn Chan says:

    Crackling of autumn leaves underfoot, pumpkins and comfort food.

  661. Dan O says:

    Backpacking as the fall colors change. Sitting around a campfire or campstove in the cool air with wine, hot chocolate, and friends, and my lady snuggled up next to me.

  662. paddlemama says:

    APPLES. The end.

  663. Elizabeth says:

    To me, Autumn is the hallway leading from camping season to ski season. Just happens to be beautiful at the same time.

  664. Ana Maria says:

    for me autumn is a new beggining…love to see kids going to school again, I get to ware my favorite sweaters, drink a cup of hot chocolate, watch the red trees and their falling leaves and get romantic….oh so romantic!

    kisses from Milano

  665. alice says:

    Because I live in Seattle where we truly have a Fall season.. I would have to say the changing color of the leaves, chai lattes, apple cider, and pumpkin picking at the p-patches.

  666. Ulla says:

    fall to me is butternut squash soup, a damp chill in the air and a hug from my boyfriend!

  667. Kristina says:

    It’s tough here in Southern California to find “Autumn” when it’s still 95 degrees in the shade and the palm trees don’t change color. I know it’s Autumn when I start to see pumpkins in the store and darkness comes earlier.
    I love the photo of your dog with the nano on her nose. How you ever got her to sit still so you could take the photo is a mystery to me.

  668. Amy A says:

    Autumn to me is really good football, pumpkin spice frappuchinos, pumpkin spice hershey kisses and a house that smells like cinnamon. :)

  669. Marie Chantal says:

    Fall is the return of the turkey! I love it on the table and as a decoration!

  670. Ginny says:

    I’ll have this day in a few weeks… Planting out the heirloom garlic and picking the fall snow peas and salad greens. Then, driving down the road to the local dairy / creamery to pick up our last order of fresh butter for the season (thirty pounds). We’ll get cream while we’re there and make apple spice ice cream. It will be cool enough outside to start canning and baking.

  671. Jennifer W. says:

    Autumn for me is the smell of pumpkins, apples, and the beautiful changing of the leaves, oh I almost forgot I love to wrap a cozy new sweater on with a pair of beautiful boots.

  672. Bosun says:

    Yellow gingko leaves…

  673. angie says:

    Apple picking – somewhere that sells donuts and lets you climb the trees.

  674. Lindsay says:

    It’s all in the cooking: chili, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin bars, snickerdoodles. My house smells delicious.

  675. jan says:

    halloween parties with my kids! party on! :)

  676. snacksgiving says:

    Autumn for me is when I start adding a bit of heat to my desserts..But in general I find myself drink a lot of spiced chai – sweet ginger tea. Very warming and tastes wonderful

  677. Magnetic Lobster says:

    Quintessential autumn is being in Ann Arbor and the days are finally starting to get colder, and it’s Saturday and you can hear the cheers from the stadium (which frankly isn’t even all that close!) and the place is relatively empty because everyone is at the football game or watching it on TV.

  678. mary landis says:

    Fall is the tameracks turning yellow gold, and then dropping all that color on the forest floor.

  679. Leigh says:

    For me fall is when it finally gets cool enough to use a jacket *usually November here in Georgia* combined with the last, few SEC football games!

  680. Lan says:

    Autumn for me is the crunching of leaves underfoot and the crisp breeze and cool weather. It’s so refreshing!

  681. Abbey Mahler says:

    Football and leaves.

  682. Amy says:

    Making that first pot of soup of the season. And breezes that make your cheeks turn pink!

  683. Meredith says:

    Apple butter simmering on the stove and taking sweaters to the dry cleaner

  684. Kelly says:

    Warm sunshine that doesn’t warm anything but the skin on your face.
    And pumpkin pie!

  685. Asianmommy says:

    Autumn is cool weather and crunchy, fallen leaves in beautiful colors.

  686. Carol Sumrall says:

    Fall means the start of school for my 10 nieces and nephews. It means that my house is now empty and quiet. I long for the weekends when my front door swings open, kids pile in, and we can connect again. I use the more quiet weekdays to reflect and to make a list of all the things that I want/need to do. I am off to get started!

  687. Fae Goodman says:

    Definitely red and yellow leaves all over the sidewalks. It’s the thing I most miss about Kentucky, since we moved to New Orleans last summer.

  688. Ainhoa says:

    Eating chocolate pecan pie while I watch a movie and it rains outside (And this fall, it also means I get to move into my new house!). I love your blog, by the way. The photos and the food are both really inspiring.

  689. Megan Read says:

    The thing I love about Autumn is making seasonal delights like butternut squash soup, pumpkin cookies and apple pie. I love the smells of cinnamon and nutmeg that fall seems to immerse itself in.

  690. Patty Limjap says:

    Autumn means hayrides and pumpkin picking and leaves changing color in the Shenandoahs!

  691. Andreas says:

    New wine (wine (or rather grape juice) which is still fermenting and thus slightly fizzy from the CO2 released by the yeast) and onion tart.

  692. Elis says:

    Two things mean autumn for me: pumpkin foods everywhere (yum!!) and being able to bust out my knit hats. Cozy…

  693. Lucinda says:

    hiding in leaf piles and scaring my neighbors.

    and the smell.

  694. Angela says:

    Hmm I can’t even think of autumn right now, it’s about 100 in LA. But I’m looking forward to crunchy leaves (sorry gardeners) and brisk cold air at night.

  695. angela b. says:

    I love when the tree are multicolored, part green part yellow and part red, like the lovely flowers lynn is holding.

  696. Beth says:

    Fall is soccer in the rain and school carnivals, damp leaves with slugs in the piles, the smell of allspice and cinnamon, windshield wipers, golden afternoon light, hay and pumpkins on the porch, a nip in the air, hot tea, and the return of sleeves.

  697. Jeanny says:

    Autumn is cold Korean buckwheat noodles in sour-y and spicy broth!

  698. Alice says:

    Pot roast, oxtail soup and apple cake. And the morning after Halloween, finding colorful feathers, sequins and other sparkly bits the princesses and fairies left behind in the grass.

  699. Nicole says:

    It’s parents chasing children as they jump into piles of colorful leaves. Apple picking, pumpkin decorating, and knowing that the holidays are coming.

    Oh, and my birthday too!

  700. J. says:

    Pumpkin pie, turkey and my birthday. Every 7 years, all on the same day.

  701. Luney says:

    Hmm… the quintessential thing about autumn is dragging out the snuggly sweaters and that amazing smell in the air. Where I live we don’t really get seasons (it’s spring/summer all year round) so no pretty leaves. You have to go outside and take a sniff to tell what season it is.

  702. Susan Marie says:

    In Texas, autumn is all about football! Nothing beats going to a college game on a Saturday afternoon when the temperature has finally dropped a bit and there’s a crisp breeze, and the sky is so blue it almost hurts to look at it…

  703. Clabby says:

    The blackberries in the hedgerows and the crisp leaves underfoot.

  704. Jeanne says:

    Since I lived in New York all of my early life, fall to me is the maple across the street turning to yellow, orange, red. We used to rake the leaves, and rake the leaves, and rake the leaves. Then we’d burn them on the side of the street (now not allowed, I know). But, the fragrance of the burning leaves and the colors all around my town – that’s fall to me. I miss it here in Los Angeles :-(
    Jeanne

  705. Sarah says:

    Finally, crisp air all day long.

  706. Courtney says:

    Sweaters!

  707. Stephanie says:

    Leaves changing colors and pumpkins!!

  708. Kirsten says:

    Apple picking, baking with the apples we’ve picked. Colourful leaves, crisp air and Thanksgiving (I’m Canadian).

  709. Sara says:

    Hmm. Fall is long walks through leaves with the pup, butternut squash soup, and pumpkin-chocolate pot de creme!

  710. Lena says:

    Leaves changing, scarves, cinnamon and apples – pretty much sums up autumn in california. The weather change is so subtle, you almost miss it sometimes.

  711. Carrie says:

    That crisp feeling in the air.

  712. Emkay says:

    For me, autumn is listening to the leaves crunch under my feet when I go for a walk.

  713. Lee in KY says:

    Hot apple cider &/or fried dried apple pies. Yum!

  714. Iris says:

    Autumn for me is piles of fallen leaves, Halloween, and scarfs!

  715. Emily says:

    Orangey-brown, crispness, bonfire smoke, and tasty, tasty comfort food!

  716. Jelli Bean says:

    I love jumping in leaf piles and throwing my dog in too! Thanks for the new spin on alfajores. Since spending almost a year in Argentina, my husband can’t get enough ddl. This will be a great twist.

  717. Julianne says:

    Fresh baked bread and honey butter eaten on the couch while wrapped in a blanket and watching Top Chef on Tivo.

  718. Emily says:

    Fall is driving thru upstate NY, suddenly noticing more than half the leaves on the trees have turned. That is my indication for the other thing purely fall…apple picking.

  719. Michael Cross says:

    Autumn in Nova Scotia is about beauty. The leaves are just starting to turn and soon color will be all around us.
    Watching our little dog chase blowing leaves is a bonus.

  720. cindy says:

    Duh–FIGS. Btw, I made macarons the other week, and they did not poof quite as much as yours and my buttercream filling was too soft. But after chilling them in the fridge (the buttercream problem), they actually were quite tasty. I’ll try again.

    Is this a comments record for you?

  721. Connie C. says:

    The traditional American dinner cooked by my sister and her boyfriend. After stuffing ourselves, we lay bloated on the couch and pop a DVD in. Ahhh, love it.

  722. Jon says:

    Every fall I take a drive with my mom to nearby Lancaster County,PA for apples,cider,squash and other fall bounty.We stop at many roadside farm stands,see Amish in their buggies and school children riding home on their scooters.It is a tradition I look forward to every year.

  723. gertrude says:

    For me it is all about the color of the leaves and pumpkin pie.

  724. noa says:

    Fall to me is FINALLY not being way too hot. And blooming squill. (But that was long ago, in a faraway country).

  725. Sam C. says:

    A crisp, cool day outside where I can admire the beautiful autumn colours the trees show off with. Also, wearing scarves.

  726. Stef says:

    I sorely miss living in Lancaster County, PA fall comes along…

    Things I miss that just aren’t the same elsewhere in the country:
    1) Apple Cider
    2) Chicken Corn Soup
    3) Apple anything (they just aren’t as good in Texas…)
    4) Leaves changing / cool fall nights

  727. Christine Jaeger says:

    The slow switch to hot tea and hot coffee. (and maybe even just hot water!)

  728. Dianne says:

    Every Autumn we take a drive through Kananaskis country to see the changing leaves and we have our last picnic of the year. Most years we are even greeted by snow at the summit.

  729. brittany says:

    the smell in the air – the wet, crispy smell of fall coming – I love it.

  730. Minh Chau says:

    I love the autumn in Hanoi, Vietnam. The autumn here is very sad but beautiful. Everything seems to move in a slow motion, the sunlight is faded and the cloud is lazy. I love riding my bike around Hanoi to “taste” autumn. The smell of young-sticky-rice, so fresh and delicious. I love them, and you must try it and you definitely fall in love with them.

    if you ask a Hanoian what he miss the most in this city, I bet he’ll say, “I miss the autumn in Hanoi”.

    Thank you for your marvelous posts and photos! Wish you a wonderful autumn.

  731. Connie says:

    Well first of all, I’ve always wanted to make macaroons. I should get on that…

    To me, autumn brings to mind the word ‘crisp.’ The air is crisp, there are many crisp apples to bite into, and the fruit crisps made with the leftover peaches of summer are delicious! Autumn wouldn’t be the same without a trip to the apple orchard to pick (and eat) copious amounts of apples to be packed for lunches or baked in pies. The colorful leaves, cool air, and ripening produce make Autumn a romantic and beautiful season.

  732. Laurie says:

    I love autumn in Northern California – trips to Apple Hill for fresh apple cider and homemade pumpkin pie from Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm. Plus all the fruits of the harvest come to a climax!!

  733. Diane says:

    Football and apple cider.

  734. DeeDee says:

    anything pumpkin – soups – and hot tea!

  735. bananablossom says:

    Walking in tree-lined streets covered with golden fallen leaves!

  736. Sharon Brown says:

    Cooking comfort foods.

  737. Yasmin says:

    What is quintessential autumn for me is leisurely walks beneath avenues of trees adorned with red and yellow leaves…brought back sweet memories of days spent in Central Park New York, Shanghai and Beijing.

  738. Klare says:

    My birthday is right in the middle of autumn. The season really cannot be complete without a trip to the orchard around the corner from my house to get some Stayman Winesap apples, and to make a variety of different dishes all around butternut squash.

  739. Kendra says:

    Apple pie and chicken noodle soup. I have fond memories of my grandmother making both of these dishes whenever fall set in. When I was about 5, I walked into her kitchen to find a fresh apple pie sitting on the kitchen counter and decided that no one would really mind if I just broke off a little nibble of that delicious-looking crust. Of course, once I’d torn off a piece and eaten it, it just looked so obvious that a piece was missing. So, I methodically broke off every bit of crust and ate it, thinking that no one would ever notice. Ah, to be five again….

  740. Kathy says:

    Autumn to me is that crisp feel to the air that happens right around the end of September. Not cool, just a tiny bit of bite that makes you inhale and breathe more deeply.

  741. Anne says:

    I love being back at school w/ the air turning cool and leaves falling!

  742. minh says:

    the texas state fair! i can’t resist the sweet temptation of all things fried and unhealthy, rigged games, and questionable rides….it’s the best birthday present every year.

  743. Jane M says:

    Raking our leaves into a giant pile and watching our dog run and leap into the pile and smile and wag his cute poodle tail. At 13 years young he can’t resist a pile of leaves!

  744. Shirley says:

    Autumn also gets me more into a baking mode, gets me thinking about what baked items I want to make to give out as gifts this year during the holiday season. And of course, apples, pears and persimmons!

  745. Kelly says:

    I live in Upstate NY, so autumn for me is all about crisp, cool weather, orange and yellow leaves, bushels of apples and delicious Oktoberfest beer! Autumn is my very favorite season…. I think I would be happy with year-round autumn!

  746. Lesley Lammers says:

    I know it’s fall when I am carving the pumpkins, cleaning them out, rinsing and cleaning the seeds, salting them, roasting and eating them fresh and hot out of the oven, then I know it is fall!

    Your photograhs are so inspiring, they are just gorgeous and beautiful!! So far I have made your Hot and Sour Soup recipe, and it was delicious!!!!!!
    Sincerely,
    Lesley

  747. Ida says:

    In Singapore, we don’t get to experience autumn. Guess the only thing we do to celebrate autumn is actually mid-autumn festival… so… it’s MOONCAKES for me!

  748. Meg says:

    The constant internal struggle between clinging to my summer clothes and longing for my warm winter clothes, with a not-so-secret excitement for hearty cold weather dishes brewing just under the surface.

  749. Esther says:

    For me autumn is light and colour. The depth and clearness of the light is never better than an autumn day just after it rained and it sets off the colour of the turning leaves beautifully.

  750. Ann says:

    Butternut squash soup, macintosh apples, and that crisp fall smell in the air.

  751. Vivian says:

    Roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes are definitely my favorite part of autumn. I hardly ever see these being sold anywhere in the US, but when I used to live in China, there would be vedors selling freshly baked sweet potatoes on every street corner (they would be simply baked whole with the skin on, without mounds of spices to cover their amazing natural aroma)!

  752. Elizabeth says:

    Going with my family on a gorgeous crisp and sunny day to the lovely pick-your-own orchard on top of the mountain near here, eating their delicious caramel apples and cider donuts and drinking cider slushies until I get a brain freeze from my greediness.

  753. Mit says:

    Quintessential fall – is an apple/honey cake decorated with scarlet autumn leaves!

  754. Maggie says:

    The smell in the air. I can always smell when we have passed from summer to fall.

  755. Sally says:

    Mooncakes!

  756. Tracy says:

    I really miss Canadian autumns! Nothing beats that crisp feeling in the air and the chance to go for a long walk in the park to gather brightly colored leaves, pick apples, and make all those wonderful comfort foods- soups, stews, and fall fruit pies!

  757. Kelly F says:

    Pumpkin flavored things… ice cream, coffee cakes, lattes, the list could go on and on

  758. christa says:

    leaves changing colors!

  759. Jennifer Plowman says:

    Children and their excitement for jumping into fall leaves, carving pumpkins, picking out costumes, and trick or treating. Who could not be caught up in their giggles of sheer bliss?

  760. ericascrimpshiresmith says:

    Pumpkin chess squares and SEC football!!!

  761. Jessica says:

    The macaroons look divine! My fall item: candy corn. Bags and bags of candy corn.

  762. Carissa says:

    Apple cider preferably with one of those cinnamon sugar donuts.

  763. Sarah Kim says:

    To me, it would be new problems to be solved in time to enjoy my life. It’s been very difficult for me already!

  764. Sharon Kim says:

    The warmth of the sun!

  765. wendy says:

    Oh. my. gosh! Those macarrons look delectable!
    Quintessential autumn for me is warm sunny days and wrapping-up-in-a-blanket cool nights. It’s heaven! Also, the sight of a pantry full of produce and all the canning done!!!

  766. Nancy says:

    Autumn says I can bake again since it is too hot to bake in the summer!

  767. Ilana says:

    Autumn for me is being able to breathe! Its around the end of Sept./early october that the Florida humidity subsides and we get to enjoy oxygen, often associated with temperatures under 99 degrees!

  768. Steve says:

    Autumn to me is the first cool crisp morning. You immediately know it is autumn when the chill hits you and almost every bit of summers humid (or dry) heat is gone.

  769. Andrea S says:

    Autumn makes me think of apple orchards and apple cidar, the leaves turning all shades of orange, red and yellow and butternut squash!

  770. Jessica says:

    Autumn for me means the arrival of the luscious Spiced Pumpkin Pecan coffee from Harry & David. This coffee is my absolute favorite! It is only available for maybe two months out of the whole year :( I look forward to it every September and fill my freezer with as much as I can get my hands on. It would be easier if you did not have to buy it from the store.

  771. gkstr says:

    Autumn? Bracing for the bitter winter cold and ensuing mould growth inside.

  772. Momo says:

    The smell of smoke and burning leaves in the brisk night air.

  773. Alison says:

    The air. There is that moment, a single moment, when you walk outside and can smell autumn coming. It isn’t something you can describe; it’s just there.

  774. Tom B says:

    When I think of autumn I think of the great colors of changing leaves and Pumpkin Ice Cream!

  775. jill says:

    MMMM… just did my first braise of autumn as we have a beautiful soaking rain and 60 degree weather. Soups, Braises and Stews, Oh my. That’s my favorite.

  776. soopling says:

    I’m with Alison (above) on this one. It’s just something in the air.

  777. shawna says:

    apples! one of my first and fondest memories of being a kid living in new england was going apple picking in october. we’d get our halloween pumpkins and, i swear to you, 100 lbs of apples that would be stored in our cellar. we’d eat them all winter long! so when i start seeing big, fresh, red-and-green mcintosh apples at the store and farmer’s market i know its fall… even if it was 85 in southern california today.

  778. Juliana says:

    Jen I have to say I just love your blog. i emailed you but NM because I see you are away for you bday. My son’s bday is tomorrow too. Lots of fall bdays. Anyway fall to me is apple picking in New England with my kids and friends and making lots of different cider recipes. We just moved to FL so I will be missing that very much this year

  779. Michael says:

    Being a southern California guy, autumn to me is more than just the changing of leaves or the passing of summer’s heatwave, but a feeling of anticipation for textbooks, late nights, the gathering of family and friends, and nature’s way of cleansing itself. Laughter, beauty, and growth.

  780. S says:

    Pie! (apple and pumpkin) And feeling that Christmas is on its way. :D
    Thanks for your generous offer!

  781. Bethany Lynn says:

    hot cider and something baked with cinnamon (like baked apple blossoms) by a fire with some soft jazz music playing!

  782. Laura says:

    Leaves changing color and apple cider.

  783. muglinka says:

    pumpkin beer; zucchini pancakes; fresh bread; roasted squash; pumpkin curry; apple crisp; preserved peaches; meat pie; scarves, orchards, and the smell of leaves.

  784. erika says:

    The smell of wet leaves outside and apples baking inside! Can’t forget the lovely winter stews as well!

  785. arcane says:

    apple pie; pumpkin butter, ripe pears, new shoes that crunch over still dry leaves; crisp air… and did I say apple pie?

  786. Gloria says:

    Pumpkin bread and apple pie =)

  787. Anne says:

    A moment of relax with hot tea after a day spent on autumn garden cleaning :)

  788. Mei says:

    I’ll always remember autumn as a time for those lovely long walks in Swiss parks, admiring the changing hues of the maple and oak trees, that awfully sweet smell of gentle rain on the grass, the smell of French style apple tart baking in my oven and enjoying a nice portion of Swiss fondue with the hubby.

  789. Lisa D. says:

    A bag of those Brach’s mallocremes shaped like pumpkins, bats, corn stalks and corn!

  790. Ophelia says:

    Fall is the time for tart, sweet apple slices dipped in honey! :) And for slurping French Onion soup when the weather is chilly!

    Love the macaron recipe!

  791. Ian says:

    Autumn is enjoying cider while bundled up with the ones you love. There’s nothing better than a loved ones warmth to fight the chills of Fall.

  792. Amy A. says:

    I love the cool, freshness of Autumn. I am not much of a hot weather gal, so I really enjoy the crisp air and the beautiful color of the changing leaves! It’s the best.

  793. Alexandra says:

    Crispy leaves on the ground and in the trees :)

  794. Catie says:

    NO NOUNS!!! WOW
    fun, frisky, flavorful

  795. Andrea says:

    allergy medication! and shorts! the 100 degree heat doesn’t stop till the end of October

  796. Eric says:

    Cool crisp mornings and colorful trees.

  797. Michele says:

    Autumn to me is Pumpkin Cookies with cream cheese frosting and an afternoon drive in the mountains followed by butternut squash soup! Yum Yum!

  798. Carmen says:

    In New Orleans Fall means finally a break in the sweltering heat and the end of hurricane season is in sight!

  799. Joanne says:

    Autumn coincides with fond memories of trips to the local orchard.

  800. Angelia says:

    The smell of burning leaves, pumpkin pie and cinnamon……Ahhhhh!

  801. Monique says:

    Stepping outdoors and taking a deep breath of the cool, brisk air.

  802. Tori says:

    Hiking Silver Falls State Park just as the leaves are beginning to turn. It’s 9 miles and always breath taking.

  803. Samantha says:

    Fall is for boots, leather jacket, bread baking and bonfires!

  804. Beth says:

    Autumn? Having a little extra reason to snuggle up a little bit closer to the one you love.

  805. Gracia says:

    Stepping into a nice cosy traditional english pub after braving the miserable english weather… even better if you manage to snatch the seat next to the open fire so your jeans dry quicker!!

  806. Andrea says:

    The first sign of fall means stocking up at the farmer’s market, freezing, pickling and hurrying to get in one last big batch of oven-dried tomatoes before they are gone!!! (NO… I don’t procrastinate, why? ;) )

  807. Linnea says:

    Here in Seattle, Fall means grey skies and rain, the perfect excuse to cuddle up one the couch with a good book, hot cocoa and pumpkin scones.

  808. Chelsea says:

    The harvest, amazing colors, crisp air, hikes, campfires,new projects–knitting, making ferments, pies, apples, last of the peaches, how about learning to play guitar this year?

  809. Diana says:

    Fall is all about falling in love with the colors of nature.

  810. Ann says:

    Warm sun and cool breeze with splashes of fall colors. Comforting food that fattens you up for the oncoming winter is a plus.

  811. jenyu says:

    Oh hey! Contest entries beyond this point will not be counted, but feel free to comment on the food if you like. Thanks for entering, everyone! -the management (jen)

  812. jenyu says:

    Thanks for all of the comments and sorry – the dog stays with us! :) You guys had me thinking about pumpkin, apples, and crunchy fall leaves all week!! :)

    Lauren – San Ignacio is the brand.

    Adelina – uh, doubtful :) I don’t teach photography – barely able to figure it out myself! ;)

    Lisa Is Bossy – yup, read every dang one of them!

    Christina – don’t know, but that’s how mine always work out. Ask Tartelette!! (http://mytartelette.com/) She knows everything about macarons.

    Cindy (Figs) – each giveaway seems to increase in commenters, so yes, this one is a record! or maybe the loot is getting better?? hee hee.

  813. Stuart says:

    Autumn screams pumpkin to me (and apparently to a lot of others, too!).

    I think I need to work out a way to get the smell of autumn (particularly the leaves) into a pumpkin dessert :)

  814. Susan says:

    The taste of roasted sweet potatoes, the smell of cold air at sunset, the sound of crunching leaves, wearing my favorite tall knee boots and brown coat.

  815. Delbert Shepperd says:

    It was uncommonly helpfull express you so much in return sharing. I will allowance it with my friends. Thanks

  816. Macarons… Success! at says:

    […] made Use Real Butter’s alfajores variation with David Lebovitz’s Dulce de Leche.  I followed the recipe to a T, […]

  817. liz miranda says:

    I would like the reciep in U.S. measurements

    how much is 50 g sugar ? in cups etc. please convert and email the reciep thank you

  818. jenyu says:

    Liz – 50 grams is a measurement of weight. Weights are more accurate in baking… yes, even here in the U.S. A kitchen scale will solve that issue.

  819. Quartermaster James says:

    Warm, fragrant evenings outside; sipping Pinot Grigio on the deck; grilling the harvest.

  820. Project Food Blog… VOTING OPEN! at says:

    […] Macaron recipe with some chocolate […]

  821. Kelli C says:

    um, love macarons and you make them look sooo easy!

  822. Zeta says:

    *drooling on keyboard* This blog is awful – I just started my “no sugar” cleanse this morning and now this… ;)

  823. Oasis says:

    @Zeta, what actual cleanse are you on? I instruct clients on cleansing and have not heard of a “no sugar”cleanse diet – LOL! You sure picked a terrible blog to read if you are saying “no” to sweets – those macarons look DELICIOUS! Mmmmmm…

  824. Chanh says:

    Can’t wait to try this! Enjoy your blog.
    What I miss about autumn is the smell and colors that bring in the fall season.

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