Baking in September can be tricky in Los Angeles because of the heat. It used to be a bit more moderate, but these days, we can experience the hottest temperatures of the entire year in September and October. Also, we are so busy right now that we are focusing on baking and cooking things that can last several days. In fact, we are better at meal planning in early fall than we are at any other point in the year.
What are we baking in September?
Dairy-free Quiche
I just made my first dairy-free quiche using a recipe from Eating Bird Food. Was it a success? Sort of. It was a success in that it was totally edible, parts were good, and it kept us fed for three days. I also learned a lot about timing and preparing ingredients before the bake. Next time, this process is going to be far easier (knock on wood). All mistakes were mine, and none were because of the recipe.
Were mistakes made? Oh, yes. You’ve seen me in the kitchen. Mistakes were made.
Pro tips:
- Don’t accidentally use a cake pan instead of a pie tin. This will throw off your timings, the egg mixture will pull away from the sides, and the top crust will burn. However, if that is all you have, it does work; you just need to stay on top of the bake.
- Always check your ingredients. I knew we had nutritional yeast from one of Andy’s creations a couple of months ago. What I failed to remember (and did not check) was that it was “smoky BBQ” flavor. I didn’t even know that was a thing. But it is. And it tastes fairly strange against a spinach, Italian seasonings, and bell pepper base. Again, lessons learned.
- Always check your produce. This is a subset of the last tip. We had a large bell pepper in the refrigerator for about a week. So, I started chopping it up for the quiche, only to realize that there were parts inside that were looking a little rough. It was still edible, but it meant that I only used half of the pepper to avoid the damaged parts. This threw off the flavor balance.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
These were a hit. They had a crunchy top like bakery muffins when they first came out of the oven, and they lasted five days with refrigeration. Technically, they lasted six days because we have no notes for anyone who decides to start reheating their muffins to beat “the stale” back. I used the Double Chocolate Muffins recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. So wonderfully yummy. They are incredibly rich, so I would not make them every week, but I love them when I do.
Lemon Squares
We had a few Meyer lemons left after our last harvest, so I turned to King Arthur’s trusty lemon bar recipe. It’s very nearly lemon curd on the top, and a lovely short crust on the bottom. It’s not too sweet, but it is bright and luscious. When you are baking in September and face a sudden heat wave, they are perfect. But, frankly, if I had lemons in December, I’d also be tempted to try them.
What are you baking in September?
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