Lunchtime Links for October 31st, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Chocolate peanut butter fudge bars.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Red velvet cupcakes.
• Aida Mollenkamp: Pumpkin spice Ricotta cheesecake bars.
• How Sweet It Is: Sour cream coffee cake with brown butter glaze.
• Picky Palate: Pumpkin spice snickerdoodles.

Shake Shack - Halloween Specials

Happy Halloween everyone!  In the midst of gorging on fun size (or full size, we're all adults here) candy, be sure to check out these fun specials that are available at Shake Shack this weekend:

- Halloweenie (Vienna all-beef hot dog wrapped with bacon and topped with pumpkin maple mustard; $4.50)
- Shack O’Lantern Shake (vanilla frozen custard handspun with pumpkin, marshmallow and autumn spices; $5.50)

I've had the Shack O' Lantern shake before and I can definitively say that it is AWESOME, and anyone that is a fan of pumpkin treats should try it out! 

Lunchtime Links for October 30th, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin snickerdoodle blondies.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Bacon cheddar pull-apart bread.
• My Baking Addiction: Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.
• Damn Delicious: Honey garlic chicken.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Secret waffle recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Oreos

Here we have one of the most recent Oreo flavors, Pumpkin Spice Oreo.  Whoever comes up with the limited edition Oreo flavors must have so much fun at work, haha.  This Pumpkin Spice Oreo can be found in most supermarkets/Targets (at least around me here) so it shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of at this point.  

I love the original Oreo cookie, but I am quite fond of the vanilla/Golden Oreo cookie as well, so this was off to a good start.  The filling is bright orange and frankly a little scary when you first see it.  While it does have an overwhelmingly sweet small and taste, that's pretty much expected at this point so I wouldn't necessarily call that a negative issue.  There's a good amount of pumpkin spice-y notes in the filling, so there's no doubt or vagueness about what the flavor is supposed to be.  These are quite good if you like pumpkin flavored sweets, but you can't really eat too many of these at once, which is probably a good thing.  If you're worried about having a whole pack of these in your possession, do what I do and bring them to work so everyone can try them out! 

Lunchtime Links for October 24th, 2014

• The Pioneer Woman: Chocolate pie. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Philly cheesesteak soup.
• The First Year Blog: Candy bar cake. 
• Picky Palate: Pumpkin snickerdoodle cake bars. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Salted caramel Mocha mug cake. 

Shake Shack - Apricot Jam Crumb Custard + DogMeister

I normally get the burger at Shake Shack, but I have also enjoyed their hot dog offerings as well.  This DogMeister is "topped with Shack cheddar and American cheese sauce and crispy ShackMeister Ale-marinated shallots."  I LOOOOOOOOOVE Shake Shack's fried shallots, they are SO SO good.  The crunchy shallots layered with the gooey cheese and griddled dog... mmm!

I also had the Apricot Jam Crumb custard on this visit, which had a bright yellow/orange hue from the apricot, I'm assuming.  There were big chunks of crumb topping mixed in which I definitely liked.  Fruit-based desserts aren't always my favorite, but the buttery crumbs definitely made up for it. 

Lunchtime Links for October 23rd, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Snickerdoodle bread.
• I Heart Naptime: Pumpkin cheesecake dip.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Parmesan cauliflower bites.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Cinnamon burst pancakes.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin spice latte fudge. 

Atlanta Visit - Doughnuts, Jeni's, and BBQ

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I had a wonderful visit to Atlanta last month to see my friends A and D. We had a lot of food plans in our agenda, and it was great getting to check out so many places in one weekend!

My first meal upon landing in Atlanta was this plate of deliciousness, courtesy of Cypress Street Pint & Plate.  After some appetizers, D and I split an order of the Sublime Doughnut: 

½ lb burger. cheddar. caramelized onion. applewood bacon. two sublime doughnuts.  Yes, we were totally being responsible by deciding to split one order, hahaha.  The doughnut buns were so good and didn't fall apart at all from the inside ingredients, which I was very impressed by.  

After dinner, we stopped in Jeni's for ice cream.  I was super excited to check out my first Jeni's scoop shop since I normally can only buy their ice cream at grocery stores. I tried a scoop each of the Bangkok Peanut and The Milkiest Chocolate in the World.  The Bangkok Peanut was more spicy than I thought it would be, but I thought it was an interesting flavor and went well with the sweet milk chocolate.  The shop is super cute and in a very nice area with lots of shops and restaurants around it! 

One more food highlight of our weekend was at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q - mmmmmmmmmm this was so good!  We split this combo plate with chicken, ribs, wings, and beef brisket, as well as two sides of macaroni and cheese. This order was a great way for us to try a little bit of all the options, and everything was great. This was super delicious and I would definitely go back for more BBQ.

I always have a great time when I visit A and D in Atlanta and this weekend was no exception.  Special thanks to them for taking me to all of these fun places, and appreciating good food and trying new places! 

Lunchtime Links for October 22nd, 2014

• Handle the Heat: Ultimate gooey brownies.
• The Kitchn: Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies.
• Dessert for Two: Homemade caramels.
• Seasons and Suppers: Individual loaded baked potato pull-apart bread.
• Crazy for Crust: Apple cider cinnamon rolls.

Atlanta Visit - Sprinkles Ice Cream and Cookies

During my visit to Atlanta last month to see my friends A and D, I had to schedule some time to check out the Sprinkles Ice Cream and cookie shop!  The shop is located in a mall, but there is a separate outside entrance as well - which also houses the cupcake ATM.

The interior was SUPER cute, and there was so much to look at.  Cupcakes, ice cream toppings and cones, cookies, and an extensive menu along the wall.  

Since I can get Sprinkles cupcakes in DC, I knew that my purchases would definitely be ice cream and a cookie.  The ice cream above is a kid's cup of their red velvet ice cream.  The kid's cup was the perfect size for a little snack, and as you can see there is plenty of red velvet cake inside.  I also love how the ice cream coordinated with the cup and spoon, haha.

I also bought a peanut butter pretzel chip cookie to take home - this cookie is huge!  I loved the flavor combination of this cookie, and I think this would be a big hit with any sweets fan.  Since there aren't too many outposts of Sprinkles' ice cream/cookie shops, I definitely recommend checking it ouf if you are in Atlanta! 

Sprinkles - Atlanta

3393 Peachtree Road

Atlanta, GA 30326

Lunchtime Links for October 21st, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Flourless peanut butter pumpkin mug cake.
• Damn Delicious: Easy Lo Mein.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin Tiramisu.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin blondies.
• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin French toast.

Georgetown Cupcake - Chocolate Dipped Caramel Cupcake

Here we have a free Chocolate Dipped Caramel cupcake, another one in the recent set of "chocolate dipped" secret flavors at Georgetown Cupcake.  This combination is definitely a winner - especially that caramel cake.  A caramel flavored cake might sound a little out of the ordinary (compared to a caramel topping or frosting), but it is very sweet and delicious.  The thin layer of glossy chocolate ganache pairs well with the caramel cake, almost like you're eating a very soft candy bar haha.  I hope Georgetown Cupcake brings back this caramel cake again soon!

Lunchtime Links for October 20th, 2014

• Kirbie's Cravings: Mini flourless peanut butter pumpkin muffins.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Three cheese skillet nachos.
• Brown Eyed Baker: Pumpkin recipes.
• How Sweet It Is: Potato chips with Sriracha BBQ sauce and Greek yogurt blue cheese.
• The First Year Blog: Jack-o-lantern milkshakes.

Jif Whips - Pumpkin Pie Spice Peanut Butter

In recent years I have noticed what could only be called an EXPLOSION of pumpkin-flavored foods hitting the grocery store shelves in the fall.  I'm not complaining, but it's becoming more difficult to decide which products I want to buy and try out, haha.  

This Pumpkin Pie Spice Jif Whips was a fairly easy decision, as I already love peanut butter anyway.  As the name indicates, this is a much lighter version of peanut butter, with the consistency being more like a tub of whipped butter or cream cheese.  The pumpkin pie spices are noticeable as soon as you open it, but it mixes well with the usual peanut butter scent.  I've enjoyed spreading this on apple slices for double the Fall Food taste, haha.  Due to its fluffy consistency, I could see this being an excellent option for a dip, or as a quick frosting for breads and other baked goods.  I found this at Target, so start there if you're in the market for a tasty seasonal spread! 

Lunchtime Links for October 17th, 2014

• My Baking Addiction: Salted caramel cheesecakes.
• Damn Delicious: Parmesan Tortellini bites.
• Bakerella: Chocolate chocolate teacake. 
• The Kitchn: Skillet lasagna recipes.
• Handle the Heat: Baked pumpkin Nutella French toast.

Target - DelightFulls and Pumpkin Yogurt

During a recent trip to Target, I found lots of new items to fill up my basket with!  Starting up top, these are the new Toll House DelightFulls morsels. Out of the four choices, the peanut butter and caramel fillings sounded the best so I picked up those.  

On the bottom left, we have a pumpkin Noosa yogurt, which is currently only available at Target.  Noosa yogurt is delicious, and this pumpkin version was really, really good.  If you haven't had Noosa yogurt before, it's very thick and tastes richer than regular yogurt, so a little goes a long way.  

Finally, we have the Chobani pumpkin yogurt, which is a fun seasonal breakfast treat for me.  I don't believe this is Target-specific, so be sure to check your supermarket if you want this one!   

Lunchtime Links for October 16th, 2014

• Table for Two: Pumpkin spice mug cake.
• The Pioneer Woman: Homemade Frappuccino.
• Dessert for Two: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin chocolate chip Streusel cake. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin spice shortbread cookies. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Mint Cookies and Creme Cupcake

Well, there are a few obvious pros and cons to this Mint Cookies and Creme cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake:

Pro: COOKIES AND CREME.

Con: Mint, blahhhhhhhhhh.

However, I will say the presentation was fantastic, with the pretty light green frosting and ample Oreo bits on top. Clearly, not one of my favorite flavors as I'm not a fan of mint sweets or mint and chocolate together, but I always appreciate a twist on the regular cookies and creme cupcake. 

Lunchtime Links for October 15th, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin cinnamon rolls. 
• Kevin & Amanda: Dutch butter cake. 
• How Sweet It Is: Bang Bang shrimp with Napa cabbage slaw.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Mocha chip doughnuts.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Cheesecake Oreo banana pudding.

Lunchtime Links for October 8th, 2014

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin olive oil cake with brown butter glaze.
• Handle the Heat: Pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodle muffins. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Apple cake with cream cheese frosting. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Mini pumpkin doughnut muffins. 
• I Heart Naptime: Pumpkin Bundt cakes with caramel sauce.

Crate & Barrel - Pumpkin Plate

As soon as I saw this Pumpkin Pun plate on the Crate & Barrel website, I knew I HAD to get it, haha.  It's a super cute dessert/appetizer plate, and perfect for the fall.  Since I no longer have a local store by me, I waited to see if there would be a sale online.  I'm glad I did, because I was able to get this on sale, and free shipping!  I have already used this plate many times when I'm enjoying the 293847239847293743 different pumpkin desserts I've bought or made so far, haha. 

Lunchtime Links for October 7th, 2014

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Cookies and cream frozen custard ice cream.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Sriracha buffalo chicken dip.
• Averie Cooks: Fudgy pumpkin bars with vanilla bean browned butter glaze. 
• Gimme Some Oven: Chicken Parmesan baked Ziti.
• Crazy for Crust: Pumpkin spice sugar cookies. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Chocolate Banana Hazelnut Cupcake

While this may look like a regular Chocolate Hazelnut cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake, there's a bit of a surprise in the cake portion - banana!  If you like banana bread, this is a fantastic variation of it.  The tasty banana cake is topped off with a thick layer of chocolate ganache and plenty of candied chopped hazelnuts.  While this was a free secret flavor, I definitely think that this could hold its own on the regular menu.  This cupcake was delicious, and it definitely gave me some ideas for my next banana bread!

Lunchtime Links for October 6th, 2014

• Averie Cooks: Pumpkin ice cream pie.
• The Comfort of Cooking: Soft cinnamon rolls.
• Damn Delicious: Taco pie.
• Gimme Some Oven: Fuji apple chicken salad. 
• How Sweet It Is: Bacon cinnamon rolls.

Shake Shack - October Custard Calendar

Monday: Cinnamon Pear Cobbler
Tuesday: Oatmeal Creme Pie
Wednesday: Peanut Butter Marshmallow Swirl
Thursday: Candied Apple
Friday: Shackenstein
Saturday: Caramel Walnut Cake
Sunday: Pumpkin Pie

Lots of seasonal flavors at Shake Shack this month, mostly pie and pie-esque flavors, haha.  I definitely want to go for Wednesday, Friday (I tried this years ago, I wonder if it has changed at all), and Sunday!

Lunchtime Links for October 3rd, 2014

• Eat, Live, Run: Two pan Sriracha roast chicken.
• Dessert for Two: Homemade marshmallows.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Baked Tortellini.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Pumpkin cupcakes with Nutella frosting.
• Handle the Heat: Homemade bread bowls.

Shake Shack - Shacktoberfest

It's that time of year again where Shake Shack turns into a Brats n' Beers festival, also known as Shacktoberfest!

Here is this year's lineup, full of all sorts of delicious menu items.  I've enjoyed this event in the past (also here) and I look forward to going again this year!

The Shacktoberfest menu runs from today through October 12th, so be sure to get there during that time.  If you want one of the giant collectible beer steins, I would definitely recommend going on one of the earlier days as they have sold out of them in the past.

Lunchtime Links for October 1st, 2014

• Crazy for Crust: No-bake peanut butter pretzel bars.
• Love Swah: Mini baked doughnuts with chocolate ganache.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Pumpkin cinnamon cookies. 
• La Fuji Mama: Japanese mini hamburgers.
• Bakerella: Brownie bites. 

Georgetown Cupcake - October Flavors

October at Georgetown Cupcake means PUMPKIN, and Halloween-themed cupcakes are the special flavors!

- Pumpkin Spice: Pumpkin spice cupcake with a maple-infused cream cheese frosting topped with a fondant maple leaf
- Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin-infused cheesecake cupcake topped with maple cream cheese frosting and a fondant maple leaf
- Halloween Ghost: Chocolate squared cupcake with a fondant ghost
- Halloween Bat: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake topped with orange buttercream frosting and a black fondant bat
- Chocolate Spider Web: Valrhona chocolate cupcake baked with crushed toffee pieces, topped with purple buttercream frosting and fudge spider web drizzle
- Vanilla Spider: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake baked with M&M candy pieces, topped with orange buttercream frosting and a black fondant spider

Of course I always enjoy seeing pumpkin cupcakes on the menu, but I also love that there's some variety to the Halloween cupcakes this year.  The last two Spider ones especially, with toffee and M&Ms mixed into the cake sound great!