There is just something about this time of year...

...that makes me want to bake. Perhaps it is instinct that tells us that we are supposed to fatten up for the coming cold of winter, thickening our layer of blubber to stand up to the impending chill. Or it could be the desire to create culinarily (Yes, I just coined that, don't try to use it in Scrabble). Or maybe, it's just the siren call of sweets that I find so irresistible. Whatever the reason, this is the season.

One of the other fun aspects of baking at this time of year, is sharing freshly made treats with others. Many of my close friends and family have been the beneficiary of my seasonally bountiful kitchen, it's just fun to spread a little caloric joy. Since it's not always possible to share my sweet treats with everyone, I figured I would share some of my favorite recipes here:

Glazed Pecan Holiday Nuts:

These are a perennial favorite and so easy to make. The sugar,cinnamon and vanilla form a syrup on the outside of the nuts that when cooked just right makes a gritty sweet coating, complimenting the pecans (I've tried other nuts and pecans are the best IMO). Everyone I give these to says they are the delicious. Another tip, there's always some chunks of the sugary goodness that doesn't stick to the nuts. I save that and use it as a topping for muffins, or blueberry coffee cake (see below).
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/s878y7mc/glazed-pecan-holiday-nuts.html

Hershey Kiss Triple Chocolate Blossoms:

This recipe, I improvise a bit to delicious result. 1) I don't use the chocolate chips. 2) I don't use milk chocolate Hershey Kisses, instead, I use the Mint Truffle Kisses, only available around the holidays.

They are like a meltway concealed inside a Hershey Kiss. If you plunk them onto the cookie shortly after taking them out of the oven, they kiss melts, moistening the otherwise dry cookie. The mint center is a bonus.
https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/en_US/recipes/4715/kisses-triple-chocolate-blossoms.html

Layers of Love Brownies:

A favorite from my treasured Nestle cookbook. The caramel and white chips in the middle layer add a whole level of texture. A note, these get better the longer they sit. I think the caramel seeps into the otherwise dry brownie over time.
https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/32212/layers-of-love-chocolate-brownies/

Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake:

Takes a while to cook, so plan ahead if you are making it for breakfast. See my note above about augmenting the topping with nut crumbs. When I don't have the nut crumbs, I usually double the topping amount to ensure I get good coverage.
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/14da0hz/cream-cheese-and-blueberry-coffee-cake.html

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce:
I have made this many times, it is big favorite in our household. However, in all the times I've made it, I've never used raisins (blech) and never made the bourbon sauce. I find letting it go longer in the oven is better, a sprinkle of a coarse sugar on top is nice. and allow to cool a bit before serving. (I couldn't find the recipe online, so I snapped a photo, hopefully it is readable).


So these are my favorites, shared with you all. Feel free to share yours in the comments section. Enjoy.