It’s now November, the weather is getting cold and it’s time to start making comfort fall foods. Here are two recipes to get you ready for Thanksgiving and to get through these brutal cold months.

Homemade pumpkin pie

If you have ever seen a “sugar pie pumpkin” at a pumpkin patch or in the grocery store, those can actually be used to make pumpkin pie filling from scratch. 

Here are the ingredients needed:

• Two large eggs
• One large egg yolk
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Two teaspoons cinnamon 
• One teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
• Two cups pumpkin puree from a sugar pumpkin
• One and ½ cups heavy cream
• One homemade pie crust, chilled or frozen

If not all of the spices are available, pumpkin pie spice works just as well. 

To make the homemade pumpkin puree, cut the stem off of the pumpkin and then cut it in half. Then scoop the pumpkin “guts” — the seeds and pulp — out. 

Then cut the pumpkin halves into smaller pieces. Then put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a fork can be pierced through it. 

After the pumpkin pieces cool, scoop out the insides of the pumpkin away from the skin, which will peel easily. 

Then, either put the insides in a food processor, blender or just mix it by hand — all work well — until smooth. I recommend following this video. 

To make the actual pumpkin pie, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit then make the filling. 

First, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Then, mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, salt and spices. Then mix in the puree, stir in the cream and beat until everything is mixed well. 

Then fill the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 45 to 55 minutes more. 

The pie is done when a knife tip comes out clean after being inserted into the center. The center should be just barely jiggly. 

It’s recommended to let the pie cool for two hours, but who really listens to that. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy. 

Apple cider cupcakes

Another great option for fall, but a nice change from the stereotypical pumpkin flavor — apple. 

For these cupcakes the ingredients needed are:

• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup olive oil
• One teaspoon vanilla extract
• Two large eggs
• One teaspoon baking soda
• One ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• One ½ cups flour
• ¾ cups apple cider (homemade or store-bought)

For the frosting you will need:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• Eight ounces cream cheese
• Two cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Two tablespoons apple cider
• Two teaspoons vanilla 

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then in a large bowl whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, olive oil and vanilla. Then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. 

Add the baking soda, cinnamon, half of the flour and half of the cider and whisk to combine. Add the rest of the flour and cider until combined. 

Then line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and pour the batter, about ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes. 

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. In a large bowl cream the butter and cream cheese together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. 

Add in the powdered sugar, a little bit at time, until fully incorporated. Add the cinnamon, apple cider and vanilla and mix. 

Once the cupcakes have cooled, transfer the frosting into a Ziploc bag, cut the tip and pipe the frosting on the cupcakes and enjoy. 

Olson can be reached at [email protected].