Ancho chile powder gives ordinary pumpkin pie spicy-sweet flavor with just a kiss of heat. Zesty lime whipped cream is tart and cooling, and compliments the pie's peppery flavor.

If you're looking for a new spin on pumpkin pie - and if you love Mexican cuisine - this pie is for you! For those unfamiliar, ancho chiles are poblano peppers (of chile rellano fame) that have been ripened and dried. Peppers that are allowed to ripen from green to deep red are sweeter, which gives them an affinity for all kinds of desserts.

The use of ancho in this pie reveals earthiness without covering any of the pumpkin flavor. It's just different enough to surprise and delight your guests at the end of Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm sharing something a little bit different today, and it's something I love doing - decorating the holiday table! I'll admit that it takes me a while to figure out what I like, so I start thinking about elements for my December table when November arrives. I find that planning this early is a real time-saver during my busiest month! 

Two of the season’s most beloved flavors are combined in one delicious cake! It’s simple to assemble and makes a great alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving Day dessert.

Pumpkin pie recipes are plentiful on the blogosphere right now, but I'd like to draw your attention to this pumpkin cake for just a moment. It's a rustic beauty that isn't too hard to put together, and it's one of the tastiest pumpkin cakes I've ever made. The batter is loaded with pumpkin puree, which is then poured atop a pool of butter caramel and chopped pecans.

At the end of baking you'll have two caramel upside-down cakes with sugar-crusted edges. The two cakes are layered with freshly whipped cream, which balances the sweetness of the pecan praline topping.

Chai Cupcakes are flavored with a medley of aromatic spices that evoke the essence of fall. Ginger, cardamom, and black pepper notes shine in both the cake and vanilla-chai frosting.

The weather is dipping into cooler temperatures this week, which means I'll be cozying up to my favorite spicy beverage - spoiler alert! It's not a Pumpkin Spice Latte (ha!).

Lately chai lattes are my hot beverage of choice. There's something so comforting, almost healing, about their heady spices. I was inspired to use those same flavors in tender, buttery cupcakes.

Lobster Mac and Cheese Baked in Filo makes an elegant side dish, but it's also hearty enough to serve as a main course! It's an indulgent offering for holidays and special dinner parties.

Lately I've been exploring the savory side of baking and enjoying it immensely! There's a whole new world of things to be wrapped in pie crusts, puffy pastry - or in this case, filo dough. Lobster Mac and Cheese is  a favorite here, so I decided to give it the ol' pastry chef makeover. It's just the thing to switch up the usual Thanksgiving side dishes, so I'm making it for our dinner this year.

Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Seed Caramels are filled with autumn's best flavors. Dry-roasted pumpkin seeds give them the perfect salty bite!

Of all the caramel recipes I've made over the years, this one ranks high. It could be my new favorite of all time. Maple syrup and bourbon give the caramels complex flavor, and pumpkin seeds deliver just the right amount of salt and crunch.

After passing these out to friends and family, someone asked if they could purchase more!