A "Welcome Fall" Breakfast

While Autumn officially doesn't start until this Friday, for the past week or so it's really felt like Fall in Wisconsin. I couldn't be happier about it - I love Fall! I love its crisp weather, lack of humidity, fun fashion choices and mostly I love Fall foods.

Yes, like seemingly every other girl on Earth, I'm minorly obsessed with all things pumpkin flavored. I've been trying to put off baking pumpkin whoopie pies, cookies and mac 'n cheese, but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold out. I'm trying to wait until the end of September to really go full-throttle on my pumpkin consumption. I mean, I haven't even bought an obnoxiously popular Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, yet! (Is it just me, or has the Pumpkin-Spice Latte become super cliche in the past couple years? I feel like people drink them just because everyone else is.... or do I just sound like a bitter coffee hipster right now?)

And thanks to Godiva Coffee, I think I'll be able to steer clear of Starbucks for even longer. Last week, as a part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received a package from Godiva containing two of their seasonal flavored coffees: Pumpkin Spice and Pecan Caramel Bark. Both flavors are really delicious, but the Pumpkin Spice coffee really stands out.

To enhance the delicious pumpkin flavor, I decided to make a maple-cinnamon-infused whipped cream to top my Sunday-morning coffee. Homemade whipped cream is a snap to make, and this maple-cinnamon flavor is perfect for Fall!

All I did to make the whipped cream was whip a cup of whipping cream (how many times in one sentence can I say "whip?") until little peaks began to form. Then, I added a tablespoon of powdered sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of pure maple syrup and two teaspoons of cinnamon. I had a tasty, Fall-inspired whipped cream in about three minutes flat.

It didn't last long in the piping-hot Pumpkin Spice coffee, but it added a really delicious creaminess to the drink. Perfect for a chilly Fall morning!

Continuing with the maple-and-cinnamon theme, alongside my coffee I had Kodiak Cakes topped with an apple-maple-cinnamon combo. Kodiak Cakes are made from a simple boxed mix that you just add water to. For those of you whose hearts break when you're looking forward to pancakes, but your fridge is bare of eggs or milk, Kodiak Cake mix is perfect to have on hand. It's also made of whole-wheat flour and has no added sugar, which is a nice nutritional bonus.

To make the apple topping, Eric sauteed some fresh, tart Gravenstein apples we'd bought at the local farmer's market with some maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon. He kept it in the pan until the juices and syrup got slightly bubbly. Then we just topped each our of stacks with a big spoonful. The pancakes were amazing - the topping tasted just like apple-pie filling!

Between the Pumpkin Spice coffee and these appley flapjacks, we had the perfect slow, quiet Fall Sunday morning. I can see this happening a lot more often throughout the Autumn season.

Do you have a go-to "first meal" of Fall? What's your #1 Fall-inspired treat to make, eat or drink?