Holiday Baking

Here I have collected some of my very own favorite seasonal recipes for fall. These are perfect when the weather starts to cool off outside and you want to take the chill away. Grab your favorite cup of cocoa and warm yourself up with one of these cozy confections.

Cranberry Orange Cheesecake- This is a light and flavorful cheesecake with a hint of orange zest topped of with a wonderfully sweet and tart cranberry compote studded with orange all on top of a chocolate wafer crust (8 inch cheesecake)

Spiced Pumpkin Cake- This is a wonderfully moist and flavorful pumpkin cake with a hint of fall spice with added textures and flavor from coconut and raisins. The two 9 inch layers of cake are topped of with a decadent cream cheese frosting that pairs perfectly with the cake

Sugar Crusted Ginger Chewies- this cookie has all the elements of a delicious gingersnap cookie full of rich bold flavors with an added element of a chewy center and a crust of sweet raw sugar on the outside, perfect for the holiday season

Pumpkin Pie- this is a smooth, silky pie full of all the traditional flavors a pumpkin pie should have. This pie has a darker hue than most because it is homemade right down to the crust which is lined with crushed gingersnaps and roasted pecans. Make yourself the favorite this year and bring this to the Thanksgiving table.

Pumpkin Cheesecake-this is a luscious cheesecake that combines the best of pumpkin pie and cheesecake, despite the richness of flavor the cheesecake is light and creamy resting on top of a roasted pecan gingersnap crust giving it a unique flavor accented by roasted pecans and cinnamon vanilla whipped cream on top to serve (10 in serves 12-14)

Carrot Cake-three layers of homemade carrot cake with pecans filled and frosted with a homemade cream cheese frosting and more pecans, dense and moist perfect anytime (9 in round, feeds 10-12)

Pecan Crunch Biscotti-the perfect twice baked Italian cookie for dunking in coffee of just eating it on its own, candied pecans fill the biscotti and it is dipped in a browned butter glaze, good enough to eat by the spoonful

Pumpkin Cookies-a huge pillow of fluffly pumpkin accented with the flavors of pumpkin pie studded with the smooth flavor of white chocolate chips, absolutely delicious

Banana Nut Bread with Cinnamon Crumble-this dense flavorful loaf of bread is full of texture with the walnuts and banana and is covered with a cinnamon crumble topping, the perfect banana nut bread to start off your morning (makes a 9 inch loaf

Pumpkin Truffles-a decadent bittersweet chocolate ganache flavored with the spices of a pumpkin pie coated with a semi sweet shell, unbelievably smooth center, like biting into a piece of pumpkin pie, but chocolate! (makes 2 dozen 1 inch truffles)

Carrot Cake Muffins-full of flavor and texture tastes just like a cake with the cream cheese frosting, but since it's a muffin you can eat it for breakfast

French Puffs-moist cinnamon vanilla muffins coated in cinnamon sugar hot out of the oven, cinnamon warms you from the inside out

Caramel Truffles-Smooth, Decadent semi-sweet or bittersweet ganache (depending on your preference) with ribbons of carmel running through that melts in your mouth, rolled in chopped pecans for an added dimension of flavor and texture

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies- two thin cake-like carrot cookies with tangy cream cheese sandwiched in between, great combination of textures and flavors

Rolled Holiday Sugar Cookies- thin, soft sugar cookies rolled out in your favorite holiday shape iced with thin powdered sugar glaze, decorated if you choose