The fairy songs become clear when the leaves start to change. I can hear them calling me, their voices ring in the rain drops and murmur in the dry grass. They follow me in the fall, in my time of birth and rebirth, to remind me that I belong with them and have no need to trouble myself with the terrible happenings outside of their realm. What a relief it is to hear them call me by my name and beckon me toward the magic and away from the world of power and the ruthless snakes who wield it. I live here among those wolves, but my spirit is with the wisps, flitting through the forest toward the sea.
I like to imagine myself far from here and now, living in a quiet space in the trees. All my chores are slow and practiced, my life is simple and divine. The sunlight has glitter in it and my backyard houses creatures both mythic and tame. In this world there are no ranks to climb or kings to bow to, there are no titles or titans or reasons to feel small. In this world, wisdom is the only power, and goodwill is the only currency. What a wonderful fantasy it is to have in my heart.
It’s finally witchy season and I am not above the simple joy of pumpkin spice. I saw these adorable pumpkin bagels and wanted to recreate them to make a little magic in my kitchen. These spiced bagels are chewy and satisfying but not at all sweet on their own, so I paired them with a honey walnut cream cheese to please my sweet tooth.
Ingredients:
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons yeast
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
4 ½ cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
½ cup brown sugar
Instructions:
Mix the water, yeast, and cinnamon sugar in a large mixing bowl and let stand until bubbly — around 5 minutes.
In another bowl sift together the bread flour, salt, and pumpkin spice.
Whisk the pumpkin puree into the yeast and water mix, then add the dry ingredients.
Stir until the dough just comes together, then turn out and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be tacky but should not stick to the counter. If it does, sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of flour until the texture is right.
Transfer the thoroughly kneaded dough into a clean and greased bowl, cover with plastic, and let rise until doubled — about 1 ½-2 hours.
After the dough has doubled, cut into 8 equal portions and roll into balls.
Use cotton kitchen twine to create the pumpkin-like grooves.
Place one ball on top of a length of twine about 18 inches long and pull the two ends up meeting in the middle of the ball.
Twist the twine at the top so the strands are at 3 and 9 o’clock, then take each side of twine down again so the strands rest at 5 and 11 o’clock.
Carefully turn the ball over and pull the strands of twine up, twist, and pull down again to split the last section into equal parts.
Flip the ball over and pull the strands up a final time and tie off in the middle. This should make the ball of dough resemble a pumpkin.
Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Transfer the mini pumpkins to a lined baking sheet and cover with plastic to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare a pot of water to boil. You need the water to be about 4 inches deep, no matter the size of your pot. Stir the brown sugar into the boiling water.
Carefully drop the proofed pumpkins into he boiling water and cook for 45 seconds on each side before returning to the baking sheet.
Quickly cut the twine off each one before baking.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are toasty brown.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before attempting to cut.
Serve with sweetened cream cheese. I used a little honey and some chopped walnuts to flavor mine.
Tressa Dale is a writer, pre-K educator, culinary and pastry school graduate, and a U.S. Navy veteran. She lives in Kenai with her husband, 5-year-old son, and beloved black cat. Find her on Instagram @tressa.m.dale.
