It’s autumn now and this year has been a whirlwind for a lot of us. With the temperatures dropping and the leaves following suit, a slab of this biscotti dunked in your morning coffee is a sweet something you’ll want to wake up to. Autumnal flavors pumpkin and spices and an extra crunch with the help of a heaping cup of almonds folded into the dough makes this a favorite of mine to bake on a Sunday for munching on during the week.

Pumpkin Almond Biscotti

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 teaspoon vanilla (you may also add 1 teaspoon almond extract, if you’d like some extra almond flavor)

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1 cup almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt and vanilla (and almond extract if you’re adding some). Once creamy, beat in the egg and pumpkin puree. Slowly incorporate the all purpose flour and almond flour, then stir in the almonds.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spoon and spread the mixture into a log shape. The dough will be sticky, so a wood spoon works well here.

Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting diagonally with a sharp knife to create the biscotti pieces. Keep them propped up on the pan but separated so that the sides can get toasted during the second bake.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake the sliced biscotti for about 40 minutes or so. Allow to cool on the counter before removing from the pan. This recipe is designed to make crunchy but not-too-hard biscotti. Enjoy!

Sometimes you don’t get things right on the first try, but sometimes the stars align and somehow you do. The first time I tinkered with formulating a vegan curry recipe, I set it on the counter for loved ones to try and within moments of bringing spoonfuls to their mouths, a resounding response of approval was reverberating in the kitchen. We sopped up bowls of the golden sauce with fresh naan and turmeric rice, not to mention a dollop of yogurt whipped with garlic and lemon and mint to curb the spice a bit. Sometimes I like to sprinkle a pinch of dukkah, a middle eastern spice and nut mixture, on top for a bit of an unorthodox crunch. This curry is loved by carnivores and vegetarians alike - soft morsels of potato and spiced chickpea simmered in a pot of broth and tomato and creamy coconut milk make it hearty but not heavy.

Chickpea Potato Curry

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 cans coconut milk

4 large golden potatoes, cubed

2 yellow onions, diced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups tomato puree

6 oz tomato paste

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon ginger

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili flakes (less if less spice is desired)

One pinch each of ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cilantro and dukkah for topping (optional)

Olive oil

In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the onion and cook until translucent. Add all the spices, the garlic and.the potatoes, tossing to coat the onions and potatoes with the oil and spices. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking until the paste begins to brown on the bottom of the pan. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, broth, and tomato puree and scrape the bottom of the pot to be sure no bits of potato or tomato paste have stuck. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, check to be sure the potatoes are quite soft. Using a potato masher in the pot, mash the curry a few times to thicken it with the mashed potatoes and chickpeas. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with some cilantro, some dukkah spice if you can, with a dollop of yogurt and alongside naan or rice.

If spring were a cake, it just might be this one. With a crunchy crust of sugar and almonds and dusted with a bit of powdered sugar, it’s humble and no-fuss, no frosting making it completely appropriate for an afternoon snack with a splash of coffee or tea. The crumb is buttery and rich with a hint of rose and cardamom. For an after-dinner treat, serve it with some bubbly and a dollop of whipped cream.

Rosewater Cardamom Cake

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup sugar, plus a few extra tablespoons for coating the pan

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating the pan

• A pinch of ground cardamom

• A drop of rosewater

• A pinch of salt

• Sliced almonds, for lining the bottom of the pan

• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Liberally coat a 6 inch cake pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar to coat. Sprinkle a handful of sliced almonds on the bottom of the pan and set aside. To be certain the cake won’t stick, you can cut out and place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan before smearing with the butter and sugar.

Using a stand mixer or a hand held beater, cream the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes. Melt the butter and whisk it into the egg and sugar mixture. Add a pinch of cardamom, a pinch of salt and a drop of rosewater. Fold the flour and salt into the batter and pour into the pan.

Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Allow the cake to cool completely before running a knife around the edges and turning it over onto a serving plate, with the slivered almonds and sugar crust on top. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Sometimes less really is more. This peanut butter granola is just that — oats tossed in a peanut butter syrup and toasted, no fruit or nuts, a no-fuss kind of deal with a minimal ingredient list (which now, more than ever, is something we’re all needing). Brew yourself some coffee, spoon this over a dollop of greek yogurt and call it a morning well started.

Peanut Butter Granola

• 7 cups rolled oats

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

• Salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla. If you’re having trouble incorporating the peanut butter into the mixture, gently heating it on the stove in a saucepan or in the microwave and whisking after it warms can help bring it together.

Stir the oats into the peanut butter mixture, adding salt to taste — I like my granola on the saltier side, so a few pinches of kosher salt usually does the trick.

Spoon the granola onto a baking sheet, patting it down with a spoon until it’s formed an even layer.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then take the granola out and stir it to ensure even toasting. Bake for another 15 minutes then allow to cool completely on the pans, undisturbed, so that the granola can clump together a bit.