Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

These are without a doubt the most popular thing I’ve ever made.  Nothing else even comes close.  So many of my friends consider these whoopie pies to be the best thing I’ve ever made and one even went so far as to describe them as the best dessert he’s ever had.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of individually wrapping whoopie pies. It adds to the charm and keeps them from sticking together.

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Pistachio Shortbread

My best friend Caroline lives in Boston so she doesn’t get to eat many of the treats that I bake.  Whenever she visits and I’m talking about the desserts I make she asks, “Can you ship that?”  Too often the answer is no.  Anything that needs to be refrigerated is out.  Anything that needs to be eaten the day it’s baked is out.  Anything that is very delicate or crumbly is out.  On her most recent visit I mentioned this pistachio shortbread recipe that I’d been wanting to try.  Caroline is a pistachio fiend.  And when she asked if I could ship it I was so pleased to be able to say yes.

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Upside-Down Caramel Apple Muffins

Last weekend a few friends and I trekked out to Wickham’s Fruit Farm on the North Fork of Long Island. The weather was beyond amazing and the apple picking was superb.

I have been picking apples at Wickham’s Fruit Farm for the past few years. The orchard has a fleet of tractor wagons that bring you out to the latest crop of apples. Mr. Wickham is there every year, for every wagon, to explain how to properly pick them and where the best fruit is. It’s one of my favorite fall traditions and no trip to LI in October is complete with out some fresh apples and hot cider donuts. I always pick the Mutsu apples for baking, Mr. Wickham recommends them because they aren’t overly sweet and their ability to maintain their shape in a pie. We took back two huge bags and they have been sitting in my kitchen for the last week anticipating their purpose in life. Luckily while scanning through NYTimes.com this recipe for Upside Down Caramel Apple Muffins caught my eye.  I haven’t had much experience with upside down desserts. I made a apple tart tatin a few years ago with great success and a upside down pineapple cake in a coffee can once at boy scouts with my brother, but that pretty much sums it up. I had everything I needed already at home except for the sour cream so I picked that up, but in general this recipe is great because it doesn’t call for any unusual ingredients.

When I first saw the finished product I was worried because the apples didn’t seem to stick and the muffin batter didn’t meld with the slices, it was more like an apple cake with slices on top. But after I served them at work flipped, they got rave reviews from all the happy taste testers.

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Foolproof Jelly Roll Cake

Ages ago I read an article about Red Ribbon Bakery on Serious Eats and I finally made it there this weekend.  Red Ribbon is Filipino bakery chain that opened it’s first location in New York last winter.  I was intrigued by the description of the cakes as “soft and moist”.  I’m a sucker for light and airy cakes like angel food, chiffon, and sponge.  The cakes I got from the bakery didn’t disappoint: the mango roll was moist and only subtly sweet and the coffee walnut bavarian was the rare layer cake that you can eat an entire slice of without feeling disgustingly full afterward.  As I was eating these cakes I realized that I should make more of this style of cake that I actually enjoy eating at home.

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Lime Curd Bites

Last weekend I attended a gnome themed housewarming.  My first thought was to make cupcakes that looked like toadstools.  I’m sure they would have been adorable, but their main appeal would have been visual and I always prefer to make things that stand out because of their flavor.  I decided to focus on making something “gnome sized” instead, and settled on these adorable lime curd bites and pecan tassies (recipe next week.)

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