Halloween is right around the corner, so why not get in the holiday spirit with this decadent pumpkin-chocolate trifle?! The dessert is made even better with Chocoley‘s rich dark chocolate–trust me!

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Happy belated Thanksgiving! I spent the holiday at home with my family eating mass amounts of food and drinking copious amounts of wine. We typically celebrate Thanksgiving at a family friend’s home, but since they were out of town this year, we gobbled up the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes at my house. I made this decadent pumpkin pie for dessert and it was a huge hit. Although time-consuming, the pie was absolutely worth all the effort!

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Have I mentioned how much I love pumpkin? Yeah, probably. I love it even more when paired with cream cheese frosting. So, these whoopie pies are right up my alley. The cakes are fluffy and full of flavor, with a slight kick from the bourbon in the filling. Bring these pies to a fall dinner party or Thanksgiving dinner and they’re sure to be a hit.
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Baking is the perfect outlet when I have a lot on my mind. It’s sometimes even more therapeutic than a heavily poured glass of wine, believe it or not!

I recently realized that I hadn’t posted a baked good since March. Yes, MARCH. Clearly, I had to remedy this situation, so I decided to bake this spiced pumpkin bread. I wish I could explain how unbelievably amazing my apartment smelled during the baking process. It was a torturous hour of waiting, but worth it in the end when my roommate and I got to indulge in a slice straight from the oven. The bread was even better the next day.

If you’re looking for more pumpkin inspiration, check out the recipes below:

Crock-pot Pumpkin and Turkey Chili

Pumpkin and Gingerbread Trifle

Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Buttercream Frosting

Trifle with Roasted Apples, Pears and Pumpkin-Caramel Sauce

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise 

Pecan Pumpkin Butter Bars

Pumpkin, Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna

Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

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I’m sure anyone living in Southern California is saying, “Chili? In 90 degree weather? Are you crazy?” Maybe. But it is fall, after all, and I’ve been itching to cook with pumpkin. I also purchased ground turkey, so it seemed fitting that I combine the two to make chili. Though the pumpkin is almost entirely masked by the other ingredients, it still adds a subtle sweet and earthy flavor.

If you’re not a pumpkin fan, check out these other chili recipes here and here.

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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 Greg so generously made room for me on the pumpkin band wagon with my trifle, I figured I’d try sneaking another dessert on board.

I made these fluffy pumpkin spice cookies with orange buttercream frosting over the weekend. Upon each bite, the palette is hit with the slight tartness of the orange followed by the spice of the pumpkin. My brother took them to work today and said they were a hit with all of his co-workers. :)

Need more pumpkin inspiration? Head over to Maris’ site at In Good Taste for her baked pumpkin doughnuts. Check out Mary’s pumpkin cake with caramel icing over at One Perfect Bite. Also, Erin’s pumpkin spice hot apple cider at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts.

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Since it seems everyone else has jumped on the pumpkin band wagon except me, I figured I’d fix that over the weekend. Though pumpkin isn’t the star of this dessert, the flavor is still recognizable.

This trifle is as decadent as it looks. One large spoonful will surely fill you up, complete with apples and pears roasted in browned butter, creamy cinnamon pastry cream, silky pumpkin-caramel sauce and soft ladyfingers soaked in Sherry. Told you it was rich.

If you’re looking to impress guests on Thanksgiving, I think this dessert would do the trick. :)

Thank you to Jaime over at A Dash of Domestic for passing the Versatile Blogger Award to me!

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This is undoubtedly the perfect dessert to make a significant impression on dinner guests. Although time-consuming (I spent about 6 hours total making all 4 components), the end product was absolutely delectable. I discovered this recipe when watching a Thanksgiving episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. The moment I saw everyone’s reaction after sampling the dessert, I decided to take on the challenge of one of Bobby’s laborious recipes.

I found his five-star recipe for pumpkin bread pudding with spicy caramel apple sauce and vanilla bean creme anglaise on the Food Network website. I first made the homemade pumpkin bread, which turned out moist and rich with flavor. Next, I made the homemade caramel sauce and vanilla bean creme anglaise.

I had to improvise a bit because I did not have every ingredient in the recipe. For example, instead of using bourbon for the pudding, I used whiskey. I also did not have any star anise for the cream anglaise, so I left this ingredient out. However, I doubt I would include star anise even if I had some in my spice cabinet because I am not a fan of licorice.

Next time I make this dish, I will split the task up into two days, making the bread, caramel and creme anglaise the day before. This way, I would only have to make the pudding and bake the dish the day I want to serve the dessert.

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I’m not even sure where to begin with these dessert bars. They are honestly some of the most delicious and addicting dessert bars I’ve ever tasted—and they’re not even fully homemade (cake mix involved). I typically try to avoid using any type of box mix, but had heard so many rave reviews about these bars that I figured I should just follow the recipe.

The sweet aroma of cinnamon and pumpkin wafted through the kitchen during the baking process. I was too impatient to wait for the bars to cool, so I cut myself a small piece soon after removing from the oven. My taste buds couldn’t have been happier. The softness of the crust and smoothness of the pumpkin layer complimented the sugary crumble topping. Muirhead’s Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams-Sonoma made the difference in this recipe.

My brother in particular could not stop eating these delectable bites. They were his addiction for the two days they lasted until everyone (mainly him) gobbled up every last crumble.

I plan to make and bring these bars to our family friend’s house for Thanksgiving. They’re just too simple and scrumptious not to.

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