As I write, we are deep into autumn, which has always been my favorite time of year.  I love it when the days get shorter and the weather turns colder - time for warm boots and chunky sweaters. It is time also, of course, for certain kinds of foods, like rich stews, mulled drinks, and, dare I say it - sugar, in all it's wonderful forms.
     Yes, it was Halloween this past week, and we enjoyed (survived?) a sugar-filled day, even before the trick-or-treating started.  We made Halloween sugar cookies:

Our mission was to decorate them with all manner of candy:

And someone was so excited that she couldn't wait for the cookies to come out of the oven:

She was able to engage finally in a shameful sugar fest that included not only burying sugar cookies under a mountain of frosting and sprinkles, but also transforming pumpkin cupcakes into edible (inedible?), giant spiders as well:

 
     The simple sugars of Halloween baking are fun, charming, and I would even be willing to argue, in certain cases, necessary.  They are not, however, what I associate most with autumn.  For that, we have to look further afield, to the less refined sugars of treacle, brown sugar, and golden syrup.  Butter + any one of these sugar products makes for a carmel-ly taste, which has to win first place as the taste of autumn.   Put any of these sugars with butter, ginger or allspice in a baked item, and you have the perfect treat for a cold autumn day.
     We went hill walking last week.  It was a little strenuous (I mean, come on, this is Britain, so the hills aren't going to be that high, are they?), and very cold.  Can you tell?

     And the perfect pick-me-up during the walk was a dark, sticky gingerbread, which was remarkable for it's warming properties (was it the calories, do you think?):

  
      The ultimate crowd pleaser, however - the heartwarming, golden syrup-infested, comforting, this-will-lift-you-out-of-a-clinical-depression, post-hill walking treat was my flapjacks.  Need I say more?

Hill Walking Flapjacks

225 grams butter
110 grams demerara sugar
6 tbsp golden syrup
375 grams porridge oats
dash salt
dash ginger

Grease a 10 x 8 inch square pan, and line it with greaseproof paper.  Slowly melt the butter, sugar, golden syrup, salt and ginger together in a large saucepan.

When the sugar and the butter are melted, pour in the oats.  Stir to coat thoroughly, then pour into the prepared pan.  Bake at 180C/350F for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown around the edges.