Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween is my favorite holiday ... well, except for my birthday and maybe Christmas (because I get ... I mean, um, give presents). Nonetheless, it's a holiday that simply cannot pass by without some pumpkin-y skull-and-spider-themed dessert.

I'd planned to test a new recipe for my cookbook, a Vanilla-Spice cupcake with Pumpkin Mousse. But the mousse was a total fail. The cupcakes, however, turned out alright. I couldn't bring plain ole cupcakes to work today though, so I schmeared 'em with a quick chocolate ganache. Here are a couple of my besprinkled (yes, that is a word ... I looked it up) Vanilla-Spice Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache:

They had a bit of a pumpkin-meets-chocolate taste going on, even though the vanilla-spice cupcakes didn't contain any pumpkin. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and such lent the vanilla cake that special pumpkin pie flavor. Ganache wouldn't be my favorite choice here, but it was a quick and easy save. After my pumpkin mousse failed, I got all sad and afraid I'd have to just throw the cupcakes away. Who wants an un-frosted cupcake, right? Luckily, ganache always comes to the rescue!

I'm going to try them again soon, but with a pumpkin buttercream instead of the goopy mousse. I'll keep ya'll posted. Until, have a spooktacular Halloween!

Attention testers: My Memphis-style tempeh barbecue sandwich recipe is up on the tester site.