Recipes Inspired by my Fall Candles

As many of you know, my Farm to Table Collection was inspired by my desire to build a candle set based on a home-cooked meal. Having an appetizer, main course and dessert that all aligned with fall seemed like a unique idea that I hadn’t seen anywhere else. Additionally, attending markets each week and getting to know the farmers who raise and produce such amazing food also inspired me.

Well, the collection turned out great and today I am going to share some recipes that are linked to each one of the fragrances. People always tell me these scents make them hungry and now you can take the next step and make the dishes that inspired each one!

Appetizer - Pico de Gallo

Here in Texas, pico de gallo is everywhere. I have good, bad, and ugly pico. Knowing that tomato-scented fragrances were all the rage in the luxury candle market last year, I decided to do my take on it and create something that would be local and a little more fun. It turned out to be my favorite candle I had ever made. Here’s a quick recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen for some amazing pico de gallo:

Ingredients

• 1 lb tomatoes, (3-4 medium), diced
• 1/2 medium onion, (1 cup chopped)
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced (optional)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp lime juice, from 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeno pepper, and chopped cilantro.
• Stir in 2 Tbsp lime juice and lightly season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper, or season to taste. Enjoy right away or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Entree - Sweet Potato Soup

I wanted to have a fall candle that was pumpkin-adjacent 😂. Sweet potatoes have a similar flavor profile and can use similar spices to cook great dishes. There is nothing better than a warm soup on a fall day and sometimes it’s all you need as an entree. This is how my Sweet Potato Soup fragrance was born. The scent is rich, creamy, and spicy just like this recipe from Love & Lemons:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 heaping teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium sweet potatoes (1½ pounds), peeled and cubed
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, reserve 1/4 cup for garnish

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper and sauté until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and the apple and cook until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and smoked paprika, and stir. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and then 3 cups of the broth and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup more broth and blend. Season to taste and top with a swirl of coconut milk, pepitas, cilantro, and Aleppo pepper, if desired. Serve with crusty bread.

Dessert - Fig and Apple Tart

I love the smell of figs. I love the smell of apples. Put them together with the smell of a freshly baked dessert and you have a winner. I wanted to have a sweet fragrance that reminds you of fall and that gives you a cozy feeling. Fig and Apple Tart was the perfect counterpart to my other two scents and this recipe from Ritzy Mom shows you how to make a delicious treat:

Ingredients

Walnut Pastry Crust

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 cup AP Flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons butter cold and diced
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Walnut Crumb Topping

• ⅓ cup AP Flour
• ⅓ cup walnuts
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter cold and diced
• pinch fine sea salt

Fig And Apple Filling

• 1/2 pound figs stems removed and chopped
• 1/2 pound tart apples peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Walnut Crust

• To make the walnut crust, you will need a food processor. First, blitz up your walnuts until they are coarsely ground. Then add in the flour, pinch of salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Pulse it a few times to combine before adding diced-up and very cold butter. Pulse until it resembles pebbles before adding the egg yolk and heavy cream. Then pulse a couple more times before dumping the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper. Use your hands to gently knead it together into a dough disc and flatten it. Don’t overwork the dough, so finishing off with your hands helps to prevent too much mixing.
• Cover with a second piece of parchment and use a rolling pin to push it even flatter. Then chill it for about 15 minutes, just so it becomes easier to press into your tart shells.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 4 and roll each out into a 5-inch circle. Place each over a tart pan and press in. Use your fingers to push it against the bottom and the sides. If the dough breaks that is ok. Just use your fingers to fix any cracks and patch them up.
• Put the tart pans onto a baking sheet. Gently prick the bottom of each crust, but do not pierce through to the bottom. Bake for 10-14 minutes. Then set aside.

Walnut Crumble Topping

Either chop up or use your food processor to coarsely chop walnuts into small pieces. Then add to a mixing bowl with flour, brown sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon. Mix it up and then cut in cold butter with a pastry blender. This will also help to break down any larger pieces of walnuts. Then set this topping in the fridge until ready to use.

Fig and Apple Jam Filling

• While the walnut crust of these fig, apple, and walnut tarts is chilling and baking, work on your filling. This sticky compote will not only fill your home with the most inviting fragrance, it taste like a dream! This filling is made up of fresh figs and apples, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, and sweet vanilla notes. Feel free to add a drizzle of dark rum in there for even more depth!
• First, wash and stem the fresh figs. Then cut them into chunks and place them into a saucepan. Add the sugars, coconut oil, cinnamon, orange juice, and zest, and stir it to coat.
• Then put your pan on medium-high heat until the fruit begins bubbling and releasing all juices. The fruit compote will have a lot of liquid at first, and once this happens, reduce the heat to medium and begin mashing the fruit. The fruit will begin reabsorbing all of that flavorful liquid and turn into a sticky and fragrant compote. Allow it to cook until it has absorbed all of the liquid, about 15 minutes. the fruit will be pulp and all of the figs will have broken down.
• Then remove from the heat and add vanilla. If you want to add a little rum, this would be the time. Then put it into a blender or clean food processor and blend to a puree. Or feel free to use an immersion blender if you have one.
• By the time the filling is ready, the tart crust will be pre-baked and ready for it. Scoop out equal portions into each of the tart shells and smooth down. Then top with the walnut topping and bake for another 20 minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature until ready to serve.

I hope these recipes inspire you to get your fall cooking in gear! I also hope my fall scents get you inspired to elevate your space!