Sweet-tober Fest

I have a love/hate relationship with mini candy. I love them. They hate me. It is that simple.

I found a recipe for Halloween monster cookies. They had lots and lots of good stuff in them.  Mini chocolate chips, peanut butter and mini M&M's to name a few.


I couldn't get them out of my head.

I purchased a bag of mini M&M's.

I ate the entire bag of mini M&M's.

"No cookies for you," I told myself.

The following week, the monster cookies remained a big part of my thought process so I purchased yet another bag of mini M&M's.

That same evening the mini M&M's were calling out to me.

"I would only eat a few handfuls," I reasoned with myself.

Somehow the bag was opened.  You know how it is.  Don't lie.  You have done this too.

After several handfuls and headed down the road to a bigger and fatter "big fat belly," I managed to stop myself.

"Sam the Can" didn't get to eat the remaining bag.  I had to pull out the big guns.  The garbage disposal got these.  I couldn't trust Sam the Can on this one.

"No Halloween Monster Cookies for you - ever," I told myself.

Mini M&M's are no longer allowed in my house.

Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

I settled for chocolate sugar cookies with royal icing.

I somewhat saved myself.  But not all the way....the thoughts are still there.

I wonder is there is a "Candy Anonymous" group out there somewhere?

Things get out of hand quickly sometimes.  Occasionally, I manage to stop the train wreck.  Other times I don't.

That's just life, baby.

Since the "Halloween Monster Cookies" failed me.  Maybe you can make them.  I was going to decorate them for Halloween. If you want to give it a go, you can find the recipe at "Just a Taste."
P-L-E-A-S-E let me know if you have success.  I will celebrate with you as I wallow in my sorrow and tears.

Enough of that nonsense.

It's no secret that Fall is my favorite season.  I love the crispness in the air, the pumpkins and the explosive bursts of color the mountains bring - just to name a few.  I also love the Fall decorations - potted mums, hay bales, scarecrows and all the other fun Fall stuff.

Most of all I LOVE Fall baking.

I made this pumpkin cheesecake and it rocked the planet.  You can find the recipe at Glorious Treats.  For the icing I used 7-minute-frosting.  I think it is also called cloud frosting. I added some caramel drizzles and chocolate shavings because, the more the merrier, right?  

These Maple-Bacon pancake cupcakes are also something I can't keep around for very long.  The flavor combo of the maple and bacon are, you know, like best friends.  I used pancake batter and whipped up some maple buttercream.  Topped them with maple syrup drizzles and a big slab of bacon.  

Since these have bacon, they are a breakfast food.  Yes.  Cool, right?  I know, I am brilliant. Sometimes I amaze myself.

Nothing beats homemade vanilla marshmallows with a sprinkle of cocoa and a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly day.

Speaking of breakfast, I will have more chocolate chip pumpkin bread, please.

Always.

A slice of "Poppin Pumpkin" cake with cream cheese buttercream.  I used this same recipe for a 3-tier wedding cake once.  The wedding was in the Fall and it was beautiful.  The cake design - well, not so much.  I didn't care for the cake design but loved the cake flavor.

Chocolate and vanilla jar cakes all dressed up for Fall and Halloween.

Scary.

A rustic Fall cake with lots of modeling chocolate decorations.

Salted caramel sauce is one of life's absolute pleasures.  When you pair it wit brownies, dark chocolate butter cream and dark chocolate ganache, you get the most fabulous flavor combination ever.

If you want to give this one a go, you can find the recipe at Bakingdom.

Keep in mind if you want the caramel "surge" once you slice it, it is best to eat it soon after assembly.  

The second time I made this cake, the caramel sauce had soaked into the brownie layer.  I was so sad when there was no caramel surge.  

I know, it doesn't take much to make me happy.  A simple caramel surge can make my day.

A simple chocolate cupcake with dreamsicle buttercream and a chocolate ganache drizzle.

Hello and BOO!  Are you scared yet?  This is a simple cake to make if you can roll fondant really, really big. 

I invested in "the mat" from Sweet Wise and it makes this process much easier.  Not that rolling fondant is ever "easy" but "the mat" helps tremendously.  

This cake was a double-barrel, 6" round.  It was 8" tall, which means I had to roll the fondant approximately 24" in diameter.  To put that in prospective, my counter top is only 24" wide.

Oh yeah, and here are the chocolate sugar cookies I made.  The royal icing is not as tempting to me as those dang mini M&M's.  These will have to do for this year.

I will leave you with the hubster's Autumn art. I love this. 

He designed this while I was gone one afternoon.  When I returned home, there it was screaming out, "Hello Fall!" So cute and happy.

A few days later, I noticed the pumpkin had fallen over on the ground along with the small scarecrow.  

There was a squirrel close by seriously eating something. He looked very suspicious. I don't know if squirrels like pumpkin or not so I assumed the pumpkin had fallen over on it's own.

When the hubster came home and positioned everything back in place, he informed me that the corn stalks are full of corn. 

I can only imagine how many times he will be "putting everything back" as the squirrels feast on the new corn supply and accidentally knocking the pumpkin over again and again.

I am happy the squirrels will be getting a nice Fall treat too.

What is on your Fall baking list?  

Thanks for stopping by!

Donna

xoxo