No tricks here - only treats! Browse a bevy of spooky sweets that are perfect for your next Halloween party or fall gathering! 

October 31st is just around the corner and I've been spending some time getting well-equipped for the occasion. I've been on the all-important Halloween candy-buying spree (and eating too much of it), I've haunted the house with bats and spider décor - and most importantly - I've developed some fun new recipes that are so Halloween party appropriate! 

My friends at HGTV.com asked me to whip up some ghoulishly good party treats for the website, which are all featured and linked in this blog post!

These little Butternut Squash Bundt Cakes are moist and tender beyond words! Butternut squash puree gives them a soft crumb while amaretto-butter syrup saturates them with flavor. A drape of marigold-hued glaze makes them beautiful for fall.

Hello, friends! It's been a while since I last posted here. I've been making lots of winter holiday goodies that I can't wait to show you! Cute things are in store, and I'm excited for all the sweet things to come.

I've also been developing fall recipes and enjoying all the warm spices that create wonderful fragrance in my kitchen. These little butternut bundts have been a recent favorite. They're a new take on my favorite pumpkin bundt cake, but they're made with butternut squash puree instead of pumpkin puree. 

This sweet spread is an easy way to enjoy summer's tomato harvest long after the season has ended. Add it to a charcuterie board for a gourmet touch, or gift a jar to your favorite epicure.

I first tasted cherry tomato jam many years ago at a local brasserie, where they served it alongside grilled calamari and an array of house cured meats on a charcuterie board. What a revelation! It was so wonderfully sweet and summery, and its flavor harmonized with everything on my plate. Each time I dined there I made sure to order something that had tomato jam as an accompaniment.

This year I planted cherry tomatoes in my little 6' x 11' garden outside the workshop with designs to replicate my favorite tomato jam. And boy, did I ever have a bumper crop!

Layers of brown sugar cake, sea salt caramel frosting, and a sandy graham cracker exterior make this cake a beach lover's dream!

I've been meaning to share this cake I made for Food Network for a while now, and I guess I'd better get to it because time's a wastin'! I can't believe we're already in the last full month of summer.

If you're like me and didn't make it to the beach this year, this cake is a nice consolation. I admit - I've had many slices of this cake and it is delicious! I may even dedicate a whole blog post to its sea salt caramel frosting (it's that good!). And! It's so fun to build. Yes - it's a little involved and has a few steps, but its general construction involves ice cream cones, sugar cubes, and lots of graham cracker crumbs.

This quick bead was inspired by a 1932 cookbook recipe and uses simple pantry ingredients. It's rich with peanut butter flavor and can be endlessly varied with a smear of your favorite spread.

I'm slightly late to the game with this recipe, as the original was posted to Reddit last year and became internet famous during quarantine. It harks back to a 1930's Five Roses Flour cookbook published at the height of the Great Depression, and contains recipes for home cooks who may not have a large stock of fresh ingredients.

These Jordan almond-topped mini cakes are perfect for intimate wedding receptions and baby showers. They are delicious with bright almond flavor and will make your table beautiful!

A few of my friends are currently navigating the process of planning a wedding during this time, when availability of resources and venues are questionable at best. Many are opting for smaller celebrations and backyard gatherings with immediate family and friends. One thing is for sure, love will never be cancelled, and should always be celebrated! And I'm in favor of making these intimate gatherings even more special.

With this in mind,  I decided to whip up some small-scale fancy cakes that could be served as an alternative to a towering wedding cake. They have distinctive almond flavor - which to me is the flavor of wedding cake. Each cake has a single, beautiful Jordan almond on top, and edible gold leaf for some sparkle. Small but special - that's the motto!