Mini Chocolate Pumpkin Pies

Mini Chocolate Pumpkin Pies

Oh, Thanksgiving. How you torture me.

For weeks, I test out pie recipe after pie recipe, putting my very favorites right here on JAB for all to enjoy. But when the big day comes, I have to decide which pies to put on the table. So far, I’m committed to a Dutch apple pie with oat crust and some kind of cookie pie, as well as my pumpkin ganache pie. But that leaves two pies up in the air, plus a non-pie dessert. I’m thinking Kahlua cake.

These little guys are certainly a serious contender. They’re small enough to be portion-controlled (though who wants that on Thanksgiving?), and they have just the right amount of both chocolate and pumpkin. Plus, they’re elegant. I’m quite a fan.

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Pumpkin Mini-Bundts With Maple Icing (Gluten-Free!)

Pumpkin Mini-Bundts with Maple Icing (Gluten-Free!)

Some desserts are clearly, obviously good. Nobody needs to advertise them. We’re talking brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake. Everyone loves cheesecake.

Then, there are the desserts that look unassuming and unexceptional, but they blow the popular choices out of the water. These mini-bundts are in that category. You know, the how-is-this-so-good-I-can’t-stop-eating-it category.

And they’re pretty healthy, too! These pumpkin cakes might be a baking miracle. They have no butter (I’m not counting the icing here) and they’re gluten-free. Let’s do a happy dance!

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Pumpkin Ganache Pie

Pumpkin Ganache Pie

How do you make a pumpkin pie even better? You got it! Add a layer of chocolate ganache to the top. Moment of silence for the delicious pie, folks. It wasn’t long for this world.

As Thanksgiving looms ever closer, I can’t stop baking pie. All of them are contenders for the big day, but it’s going to be hard to pick the best ones. I’ve always had such a hard time with the concept of “favorite” dessert.

I mean, come on. How are we supposed to pick an ultimate winner when so many desserts are so wonderful? And pie is the happiest of all holiday treats. Still, if I had to start expressing preferences, this pie would be up there. It’s a traditional pumpkin pie with a thick layer of chocolate ganache on top. Needless to say, it’s a winner.

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Monster Cookies (Gluten-Free!)

Monster Cookies (Gluten-Free!)

Holiday cookie baking has begun! Start your engines, ladies and gents. It’s going to be a great season!

With everybody baking out the wazoo this time of year, it can be hard for our gluten-free eating friends to join in the fun. Honestly, so many of the gluten-free cookie options out there are both overpriced and dry as sawdust. It’s something about the flour replacement that doesn’t quite ring true.

But worry not! These cookies have passed the ultimate test, i.e., Kenny ate them. And liked them. If you don’t know how special that is, keep reading. But I’ll tell you one thing for sure: these cookies are packed with oats, peanut butter, and chocolate for the perfect snack time pick-me-up.

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Leftover Halloween Candy Pookie

Leftover Halloween Candy Pookie

Who wants a pookie? You know…a pie and a cookie? I do, I do!
A few of you out there are still looking for ways to use up so-called “leftover” candy. I don’t really get that concept. It’s not chicken, people. It’s not gonna go bad that fast. Eat it and enjoy at your leisure.

But heck, if you really want to bake it into something, make a pookie! This lovely cookie dough is filled with all your Halloween candy favorites and baked into a pie shell. With Thanksgiving looming, we should be getting our pie thing going anyway. Let’s do a hybrid holiday treat!

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Turkey Cupcakes

Turkey Cupcakes

It’s gobble-gobble time. All lovers of cute treats, check it out!

After Halloween, there’s a ton of spilled candy corn everywhere. In pantries, cabinets, behind the fridge…yep. I wind up finding candy corn wedged into small spaces way after it’s out of season. How to deal with this?

Use it, fast! And the best way to transition from one holiday to the next is to use candy corn in these adorable chocolate ganache cupcakes. With an Oreo turkey on top, nobody can resist! Look at their little faces.

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Candy Bar Chocolate Bundt Cake

Candy Bar Chocolate Bundt Cake

I’ve got your back this week with ideas for how to use your leftover Halloween candy. I mean, duh. Eat it. But if not…bake it!

Nothing will please a crowd faster than chocolate cake, and when you add a rich chocolate glaze and cover the cake with all kinds of candy bars, you’re basically asking people to come to your house and never leave. If that sounds okay to you, proceed!

After all, nothing will fill a house full of visitors faster than baked goods. I find that when there’s a candy assortment in the mix, you just have to get used to having privacy invaded on a regular basis.

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Halloween Marzipan Truffles

Halloween Marzipan Truffles

Pay attention. We’re about to go with the classy Halloween treats.

You know, the ones that don’t have eyeballs or gummi worms all over them. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I saw a spiderweb chocolate tart a week or two ago that was so gorgeous it made my mouth drop open.

These truffles are easy and a perfect Halloween party treat. They’re simply marzipan dipped in chocolate with some orange flair! Orange is the new black and all. At least, this time of year.

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Spooky Spider PB Cup Cookies

Spooky Spider PB Cup Cookies

I hope you find these cookies cute rather than gross. See, Kenny’s petrified of spiders, so these aren’t doing good things for him.

I’m totally down with spiders. For one thing, they eat mosquitoes. That makes them awesome. And I took care of a tarantula named Pinky back in high school, and he was a real sweetheart. So I have very positive associations and all.

This is my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe all dressed up for Halloween. Is it me, or are creepy treats mainly just adorable? Must be the candy eyes.

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