We fell hard for Terrain. Real hard. Maybe it was the ubiquitous pumpkins, or the adorable cafe, or the terrarium delirium – but whatever it was, our first outing to the original store near Philly induced shopping blackout (i.e. we woke up the following morning covered in Terrain shopping bags and hazy half-remembered memories).

image courtesy Terrain

So, it is with mild trepidation that we will be venturing to both Terrain stores this weekend for some book signings. I am only bringing one credit card this time, and one 20 dollar bill. And lots and lots of treats to sample and books to sign. We hope to see you there. Info below:

Baked at Glen Mills Terrain this Saturday (October 20th)/Baked at Westport Terrain this Sunday (October 21st)

And I would like to take you into this weekend with a discourse (and recipe) on my Fall Cakelet pan. I shouldn’t love it, but I do. It is much, much too cute for me – like a bag full of kittens. And I don’t bake “cute”. I bought it surreptitiously (tried, at least)- doing my best to sandwich/hide the pan between a whole bunch of kitchen stuffs I didn’t need. Then I ran home (and I don’t usually run) to fill it full of batter…and OMG…how can you not fall in love with the mini acorns and pumpkins???

I am not sure if the pan I purchased (from Williams-Sonoma) is still in production, but I found an Acorn cakelet pan and a Pumpkin cakelet pan that are damn close. And, I kind of like the recipe the pan came with (below, with a few adaptations) but I almost never use the suggested frosting (to glue the cakelets together). Instead, I slather one flat side with almond butter or Nutella then smack them together.

Apologies for the “cute”. Couldn’t resist.

Fall Cakelet Recipe ADAPTED FROM WILLIAMS-SONOMA

Cakelet Ingredients

1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbs all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup whole milk, room temp
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup maple sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
1/3 cup gran sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten, room temp

Position rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 350˚F. Grease pan (I used spray, but you can use butter/flour).

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the milk and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the maple sugar and granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon 1 Tbs plus of batter into each well of the prepared pan. Tap pan on work surface to even out. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Let cakelets cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Pop the cakelets out of the pan (use a toothpick or small offset spatula) and cool completely on wire rack.

Make the glaze.

Glaze Ingredients

1/3 cup gran sugar
1/3 cup real maple syrup
3 Tbs water
1 1/2 Tbs. bourbon

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine all of the ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a low boil and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Mixture will thicken.

Assemble the Cakelets

Use a pastry brush to apply glaze to each individual cakelet. Immediately dip the cakelets in a coarse raw or sanding sugar. Let dry for about 45 minutes, then sandwich them together with anything you like (peanut butter, Nutella, almond butter, favorite frosting, etc…). Allow cakes to set for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. Enjoy.