Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Jennie Guido

Who else is so ready for fall they can barely stand it? Small confession here. I’ve had my pumpkin-spice candles burning in my house since early August, and my clay pumpkins hit the front porch just in time for September 1.

Maybe I am just basic with my love for all things fall, but come on. Who can deny that those spicy scents and warm hues that are so popular this time of year don’t give you all of the warm and fuzzies? It’s the perfect lead-in to the best holiday of the year — Christmas.

Having a birthday that is smack dab in the middle of fall, days before Thanksgiving, and a month before Christmas I guess is what really makes me love this season so. The fact that I have a Thanksgiving-geared birthday means birthday cake for dessert after turkey. It also means that I can legally decorate my house for Christmas without too many people judging me for mixing the holidays. I was born to be a lover of fall!

This recipe from a past issue of Louisiana Cookin’ in particular makes your house smell of fall around every corner, and just one bite will make you want to put on a sweater and play in a pile of freshly fallen leaves. Well, that is if we had leaves that changed colors and actually fell before we put out our Christmas decorations. You also may want to bump your air conditioner down a few degrees to set the mood. You’ll want to curl up with a blanket and enjoy these.

 

Cane Sugar Snaps

3/4 cup all-vegetable shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup cane syrup

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup raw cane sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat shortening and granulated sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, beating until just combined. Add cane syrup, beating until just combined. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, and cloves. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to shortening mixture, beating until combined. In a small bowl, stir together cane sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using a spring-loaded 1-ounce scoop, scoop dough, and roll into balls; coat in sugar mixture. Place dough balls at least 1½ inches apart on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 13 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks.