Fall is my favorite of the seasons. The leaves begin to flirt with color changes and the wind smells different, crisper somehow. My favorite way to bring a little fall into whatever season I’m in is with spices. I’ve paired chai spices with sweet and earthy winter squash for a delicious and thick butter. You can use any winter squash here but my favorites are butternut and red kuri. Eat it like you would apple butter, smeared over toast, swirled into yogurt, or on top of your morning oatmeal.

In savory applications, I often find I have to add an acidic component to beets to counteract their intense sweetness. If I don’t it often feels as though I’m eating dessert. So, I decided to ride the wave of their natural sweetness and turn them into a sweet treat! These muffins are easy to whip up and taste like a healthy homage to red velvet cake. I find that baking by weight is most accurate with gluten free baking so you’ll see that reflected in the recipe below.