Autumn Ombre M&M's Cake & Vintage Hot Apple Cider #HarvestFun #shop #cbias

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Ombre is one of the new big things in fashion and decor.  We see gorgeous ombre hair designs, long ombre-patterned skirts---even fantastically ombre-painted walls are making an appearance all over Pinterest.  When I had the chance to work with M&Ms fall candies, I thought, why not make an ombre-designed cake?! It's finally fall and I'm so thrilled to be making some delicious autumn treats to share with my readers!

Before I frosted and decorated my cake, my family couldn't agree on what it was supposed to be. Some of the boys thought it was a football. Avalon thought it was a fish. I was initially making a leaf--but once I got it decorated, I thought it looked more like an acorn. Either way, it was really easy for me to make the (obscure) design by tracing it onto a 13x9 cake and cutting it out with a sharp knife. In the past, when I've made more detailed designs, I've drawn the shape onto parchment paper, cut it out, and cut around the shape as a stencil.

Since the fall-themed M&Ms have beautifully coordinating colors, I thought they were the perfect thing to use to make my ombre design. After frosting the cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting, it took about 30 minutes to make the design with the chocolate candies.

This is a great quick dessert idea, not just for fall baking, but for any season or occasion. The design options and color choices are endless.

Another delicious fall recipe is Hot Apple Cider, and Mott's Apple Juice is the perfect juice to use in making it.  Hot cider is a timeless treat---the earliest record of it having been made in 55 BC when Julius Caesar found the people of Kent brewing up a delicious hot apple drink.  I found the following recipe in my grandmother's cookbook from the mid-1950s. I thought it would be fun to write it out just like the book has it written.

Mulled Apple Juice or Cider (from The American Everyday Cookbook, 1955)

4 cups apple juice or cider
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Put into a large enamel or glass saucepan the apple juice or cider, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar. Heat slowly, so it requires from 20 to 30 minutes to reach the simmering point. When this point is reached, remove the kettle from the heat.
2. Strain the liquid into 5 or 6 cups and serve immediately.
Variation: Hot Buttered Cider: Add 1 teaspoon of butter to the liquid just before removing from the heat.

What are some of your favorite fall recipe ideas?

Connect with M&M's on Twitter and Facebook and check out these other great ideas on the Fall Baking and Entertaining Pinterest Board.

Linking with:
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life
A Return to Loveliness @ A Delightsome Life 
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
The Scoop @Stone Gable