The One Fall Dessert Claire Saffitz Is Skeptical Of - Exclusive

Claire Saffitz is the master of perfecting a good pie crust and creating a solid fruit cobbler. As a chef and dessert cookbook author — her latest, "What's for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People" hit stores on November 8, 2022 — she's big into baking and enjoys using lots of fall spices when doing so.

"I bake a lot with warm spices," she told Tasting Table in an exclusive interview. "In fact, I have to often edit myself to not put cinnamon in everything. I do love cardamom. I love the almost citrusy but also warmth that it brings to a recipe, although you have to be careful not to overwhelm with it."

However, not all fall recipes and desserts are created equal, especially where Saffitz is concerned. While she does a lot of baking, there is one item you won't see her making in her kitchen during fall — or any time of the year. The baking pro told us the one fall dessert she's most skeptical of and why she's not on board with the seasonal trend.

When it comes to fall desserts, many people crave pumpkin pies, apple crisp, and of course, apple cider donuts. But for Saffitz, she is not one of the many who are obsessed with the latter.

"I'm not a huge fan of the apple cider donut thing," she told Tasting Table. "It's mostly because people go crazy for it. It's not what I think of when I think of fall desserts that I want to eat. That one is a trend that I'm a little skeptical of. The excitement tends to be more about the apple-picking season than it is about the actual food itself because I'm not so sure that it's as deserving of all the praise that gets heaped on it."

But this is not to say she is not a fan of fall desserts. She uses lots of fall spices after all — including ground coriander and ground cloves, of which she says, "the tiniest pinch of ground clove makes everything taste like it's perfect for the holidays." Saffitz also likes to incorporate various types of squash in her fall desserts, noting she loves "the toasty orange color" that kabocha squash gives to a dish. 

Saffitz said, "... I do generally love fall baking. I get excited when the weather gets a little bit cooler and the apples come into the market and the pears and everything."

Catch what Claire Saffitz is baking this fall by following her on Instagram.