All About Autumn

My dearest Emily made the trek up from Portland this past weekend with crafting on the brain. Her requests: To make something and to bake something. After a trip to Michael's and the grocery store, it was a two birds kind of situation.

Wandering Michael's.

We whipped up the batter for our Apple Cinnamon-Sugar Cookie Bars with Brown Butter frosting, and while those were in the oven, worked on our fall wreaths.

Em went with a fall leaves theme and I went the more floral route. I love them both, and we got a kick out of how different they ended up.

My components, snipped apart and ready for action.

Em eyballing floral placement options.

How'd we make 'em? Simply a styrofoam wreath form and a pile of fake flowers, all snipped apart into individual blooms/leaves/foliage with a pair of wire cutters. Then all you have to do is poke the wire 'stems' into the styrofoam. Done!

Em's fall color fiesta - Leaves, berries, beauty!

Mine, already taking the spot of a spring-y-er wreath inside the door.

As for those ridiculously good bars and frosting (from LemonsForLuLu with notes from me):

For the bars:
1 C butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 C flour
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 C diced, peeled apples
2 tsp cinnamon

For the frosting:
1 C browned butter
16oz. powdered sugar
1/2 C milk
1 tsp vanilla

I recommend browning the butter first thing as it needs to sit in the fridge for an hour before making it into frosting. So get browning! Then:
Preheat your oven to 350° and grease a 13x18 cookie sheet (I use the butter wrappers for this). In a mixer (or with a hand mixer), combine butter and sugar and mix on medium speed until creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Mix in vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl (I know, I hate that too but it's important), combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Blend in flour mixture on low until completely incorporated. Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick test in the middle comes out clean.
Now about that frosting. Get your browned, now-solidified butter out of the fridge and drop it into a mixing bowl. Beat it until smooth. Carefully add powdered sugar alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar (translation: sugar, 1/4C milk, sugar, 1/4C milk, sugar.) Once the frosting is a spreadable consistency, mix in vanilla.
Wait until the bars are COMPLETELY COOL (really. I mean... really.), then spread the frosting over the bars. Ready, set, indulge.