When the Kitchen Smells Like Fall

by Angela Sanford

   Fall is here, and with the cooler temperatures comes the first fire in our furnace. Its warmth and familiar scent take me back to my early childhood, when our pyjamas were placed in the warming oven of the kitchen stove to be warmed for the end of bath time. Those same cooler temperatures make fall baking especially inviting, stirring up memories of the kitchens I grew up in and the comforting scents of apples, pumpkin and spices that once filled my those kitchens.

   While pumpkin spice lattes make their annual return to cafés, pumpkin pie takes centre stage at our Thanksgiving dinner, sharing the spotlight with apple crisp. Both are made from scratch, and the apples in our crisp were picked from our own trees back in August. Despite being the stars of the dessert table, they rarely receive the attention they deserve. By the time dessert arrives, most of us are simply too full to do them justice!

   After Thanksgiving dinner, the leftover turkey is turned into soup, most of which finds its way into the freezer for easy meals throughout the winter. It’s a project I rarely undertake at Christmas, but Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without it. Extra batches of chili join the soup in the freezer, ready for colder days ahead. I’ll also make a batch or two of honey-oat bread, gluten-free, of course, to enjoy alongside them. The bread, however, rarely lasts as long as the soup. In fact, it seldom survives beyond the second day.

   These may be my favourite fall flavours, but the rest of my family would likely vote for the cookies and squares that draw me back to recipes once made by family members who have been gone far too long. From ginger cookies to cinnamon loaf, graham wafer squares and so much more, each recipe brings its own memories. Measurements are often guided more by judgment than exactitude, just as I was guided by their experienced hands. And really, can you ever have too much cinnamon?

   Each treat is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, warming us from the inside out as we take in the aromas of the kitchen and watch the colours outside change with the season. The leaves seem to turn almost overnight, while the temperatures continue to drop.

   A morning spent baking is satisfying in a way that’s difficult to explain. Time seems to slow to a crawl, and memories of my grandmother’s and mother-in-law’s handwritten recipes dance through my mind. Baking is a mood changer for me. Whatever the rest of the day may bring, I can walk past a plate of freshly baked cookies, take a single bite and find myself back in the peaceful moments of that morning.

   The recipes may have been passed down to me and help me to remember some special people I miss, but I’m looking forward to having my grandchildren around to share in this ritual — measuring, mixing, sneaking tastes and, no doubt, leaving a little (or perhaps a lot of) flour on the floor.

   After all, the best part of fall baking isn't getting every measurement right or keeping the kitchen spotless. It's making something delicious together while creating memories for the little ones who will one day remember us — and having a any excuse to lick the spoon.