I’m still processing that Christmas is in exactly one week. This month, rather, this year, has flown by. It’s been a fantastic one, but I’m ready to see what 2013 has in store.

I went to my boss’ Christmas party this past weekend and was in charge of bringing mini cupcakes. Since I wasn’t completely satisfied with the gingerbread cupcakes I made for a friend’s party last year, I wanted to find a better recipe. This recipe was a definite winner–not a cupcake was left at the party. These little guys are perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or a quick dessert.

Snow at our work Christmas party!

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Since I was still battling a cold (much better now!), my weekend was mellow and relaxing, yet productive. My roommate and I fully welcomed December–we bought and decorated a Christmas tree, listened to Christmas music on repeat and had a holiday dinner with some close friends.

Our dinner party provided the perfect opportunity to start baking with gingerbread, so I made these simple gingerbread ice cream sandwiches. If you’re not an ice cream fan, these bars would also be delicious topped with a ginger cream cheese frosting and candied ginger.

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As promised, here’s the recipe for the pumpkin and gingerbread trifles I served at Thanksgiving. Since November is almost over (I can hardly believe it), I wanted to squeeze in one last pumpkin recipe.

I’m in charge of bringing a dessert every Thanksgiving, but couldn’t decide on what to bring this year. My Mimi (aka grandma) came to the rescue and suggested I make these pumpkin trifle cups, as she said they’re always a hit. I tweaked her recipe a bit, making homemade whipped cream, adding cinnamon, etc., but kept the general focus of the dessert.

My Mimi was right–the dessert received rave reviews. I’ve already contemplated variations I could make on the trifle. I think a lemon curd, whipped cream and graham cracker trifle would be pretty delicious. :)

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Since I’m fully embracing the Christmas season, I wanted to experiment with the holiday’s most popular and traditional flavors. My mom purchased a variety of Christmas themed cupcake liners a month ago—a small gift that wouldn’t excite many people. But I, of course, was ecstatic over her purchase. I wanted to use some of these liners before Saturday, so I decided to bake some cupcakes for my friend, Dana’s, ugly Christmas-sweater party.

I baked gingerbread cupcakes and chose to pipe them with a cream cheese frosting. Although moist and delicious, the cupcakes did not have a strong gingerbread flavor. I decided to add cinnamon and imitation maple extract to the frosting to give the cupcakes a more prominent taste. The frosting turned out absolutely delectable and paired wonderfully with the cupcakes.

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