Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Holiday Recipes!

Christmas is just a week away--which begs the question, why don't you have something sweet in your mouth, right now? Here's a batch of sweet ideas to get you baking!

Doughnut stop believing: these doughnut snowmen are an adorable way to justify eating four doughnuts at once!

These s'mores cookies by Lovin in the Oven look ooey, gooey, and pretty perfect (pictured below).

Utziger Haselnuss Leckerli via Petit Atelier Cuisine. Try and say that three times fast. Better yet, don't--just eat them up.

RecipeGirl's chocolate mint filled cookies are a rich (yet refreshing) delight.

Iced Eggnog Cookies by Cookie Madness: yes, yes, yes!

Maple bacon chocolate chip cookies by Food Blogga: she's pretty much covered all the bases here.

Because tiny things are cute: mini gingerbread houses by Not Martha.

Gingerbread Cupcakes on Martha Stewart: you know you want some.

Dulce de leche cashew thumbprints by Peabody. Doesn't the thought just make you shiver with happiness?

Bring on the figgy pudding with this recipe from Dorie Greenspan.

If you're feeling ambitious, why not give this cassata recipe a go?

Gingerbread Mad Men by yours truly: possibly a new classic.

Decidedly NOT gingerbread: a house made of chocolate and bacon to keep Santa fat and happy.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Bakery Cupcake Recipe Links!

Want to bake like a pro? Here is a sweet collection of recipes from some of the nation's best cupcake bakeries!

Buttercup Bake Shop in NYC: Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Magnolia Bakery in NYC: Their classic vanilla cupcakes!

Sprinkles Cupcakes in LA (and others): Strawberry cupcakes to dream about.

Sweet Revenge in NYC: The "Pure" Cupcake pairs perfectly with Pinot Noir (via Behind the Burner)

Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle: their legendary Chocolate Graham Cracker cupcakes, as featured on Martha Stewart!

Back in the Day Bakery: this old-fashioned cupcake recipe is super-easy, and was featured on Paula Deen.

Billy's Bakery in NYC: their celebrated chocolate cupcake recipe.

Cupcake Cafe in NYC: these buttery and not-too-sweet cupcakes are an aquired taste...but I've sure acquired the taste.

Auntie Em's in LA: What throwdown? These coconut cupcakes are a keeper.

How Sweet It Is in NYC: Mexican Chocolate-Pudding Filled Cupcakes! Sounds like a fiesta!

Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica, CA: Meyer lemon raspberry cupcakes. Yes!

Baker's Dozen: A Sweet Batch of Halloween Links!

Trick or Sweet! Here is a batch of sweet Halloween links full of ideas ghoulishly delicious ideas and recipes, some from the CakeSpy archives and some from other sweet spots around the web:

Homemade Candy Corn

What happens to Halloween Candy when it dies?

Wicked Witch's hat: a super elaborate popcorn ball (and cute Halloween recipe!)

Candy Corn Nanaimo Bars

Putting the "fun" back in Fun-Size Candies!

Mellowcreme Strikes Back!

Quick and easy ghost cookies, using nutter butter cookies!

Sweet coconut-orange thumbprint cookies are delicious, and a perfect quick cookie for a Halloween party!

Ghoulish Halloween Cupcakes!

Cereal Killer: Reese's Puffs bars with buttercream frosting!

Sweet (and cute!) Dracula Cookies!

Oogly Butterfinger eyeballs!

It may not scream "Halloween"--but this four-layer pumpkin cake would make anyone's October 31 sweet.

Happy Halloween!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Brown Butter Links!

Gourmet may be on its way out, but it's certainly leaving a legacy of deliciousness. And in the most recent issue, their feature on brown butter (most notably how it makes cake more delicious) sure made a lasting impression. Here's a collection of links to tempt palates and feed the hunger for sweet knowledge about brown butter:

First things first: an explanation of what brown butter is and how to make it.

Of course, the aforementioned delectable-looking brown butter pound cake from Gourmet.

Brown Butter Cookie Co. specializes in Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies.

Oh, and if you wanted your own brown butter cookie recipe, Gourmet also has you covered. (RIP Gourmet!)

For the sophisticate, how about a hazelnut brown butter cake, via Smitten Kitchen?

And for more pinkies-out deliciousness, a caramelized apple tart in a browned butter custard, via RecipeGirl.

Cool off with brown butter ice cream, via Chez Pim.

Experience delicious overload with Browned butter scotch pie, via Desert Candy.

Dress up a homey favorite with Brown butter rice krispie treats.

Enjoy a rich and decadent confection with brown butter fudge.

Sophisticated flavor, fun presentation: brown butter blondie pops, via Peanut Butter and Julie

Brown butter icing: just one more reason to love Martha.

Brown butter bacon chocolate chip cookies: sweet (and salty) perfection!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Cupcake cars! Thank you Neiman Marcus for the visual candy. (via Cake Gumshoes Dan and Catherine)

A loving look at dulce de leche, with stunning photos, on Not Without Salt.

You like me, you really like me! CakeSpy is nominated for the Foodbuzz blog awards: vote for me here! (please)

NYC Cupcake ban: So sad!

Yet another reason to love Mark Bittman: The Minimalist makes cake, easily, on a stovetop.

Care for some liquid nitrogen in your ice cream? (via Cake Gumshoe Eric)

A few days late, but it still makes me titter: brownie bandit still at large in Seattle!

Why do I have such a dessert crush on Dana Cree? Because she can make blue cheese ice cream...and make it delicious.

A sweet glimpse at the dessert scene in Buenos Aires: Tangerina Cakes! (pictured top)

English. Toffee. Bars.

Doughnuts that are gluten free, and delicious? Gluten Free Taste of Home will make you a believer.

My kind of breakfast: the fluffernutter sandwich from Bouchon Bakery in NYC, as reported by Serious Eats.

Speaking of Bouchon, how about Tartelette's rendition of the SF location's lemon tarts?

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

From top left, clockwise: MKE Cupcake Queen reigns supreme; Coco Cake cutes it up, Cuppie-style; sweet marshmallow witches; delicious Fiadoni. Links below!

Never too early to get started: CakeSpy Holiday Cards are available for pre-order in the newly revamped CakeSpyShop.com!

Simply perfection: double vanilla cupcakes, via Simply Recipes.

Dirty but sweet: in Chicago, Sweet Mandy B's has a delicious-looking Dirt Cup.

Milwaukee Cupcake Alert! CakeSpy buddy Sandy, AKA the Milwaukee Cupcake Queen, makes buttercream waves with Iron Cupcake!

Coffee stencils: because your coffee deserves to be as cute as the cake it's served with!

Like, OMG: Cuppie-ish cupcakes! These look delicious, via Coco Cake.

Cereal deliciousness: check out the General Mills Cereal Spooktacular!

Didn't get to attend the BlogHer conference? Read Not Martha's recap, it's as if you were there!

Kicking off the Halloween Candy season: these Marshmallow Witches on Taste of Home are freaking adorable.

Fiadoni: roughly translated, delicious Italian Pocket Pies.

Salty-sweet, make-your-life-complete, chocolate dulce de leche cupcakes, via JustJenn.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Sprinkles offers some of the sweetest cupcakes for the cause the first week of the month.

Are cupcake lovers seeking eternal childhood? Newsweek investigates.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

From top left, clockwise: cookie dough pops by Handmade Cookie Co.; CakeSpy/Penguinbot tote; Bake and Destroy cupcake; button by Stevie Lynn jewelry.

Cookie dough pops: the most beautiful three words ever?

In Miami, there's a new (vegan) cupcake in town: Bunnie Cakes makes custom order vegan and gluten-free cupcakes to order in a great variety of flavors.

Oh. My. God. Penguinbot and CakeSpy collaborate, resulting in the sweetest tote and wrist bags ever! You can buy them at the newly revamped cakespyshop.com!

Special Delivery: San Francisco's Bike Basket Pies delivers their freshly baked wares via bicycle!

Bake & Destroy's Elvis Cupcakes: I've tasted them. Jealous? You should be. But don't be too sad, because there is a recipe.

Plastic fantastics: do you love these hand-cut acrylic cupcake buttons by Stevie Lynn Jewelry as much as I do?

Sweet Potato Spice Cake Doughnuts. Need I say more?

In Detroit, retro desserts reign, according to the Detroit News.

Oatmeal S'more Cookies? Yes, yes, yes.

Cheesecakes, delivered to your door.

Pink Cake Box is making cakes for a cause--if you're in the NJ area, enter their raffle to win one!

Amy Atlas outdoes herself with this gorgeous faux bois dessert table.

Have you seen CakeSpy buddy Bakerella's new site design? It's gorgeous!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Nanaimo Bar Links

Nanaimo bars are, simply put, heaven on a plate: rich little nuggets consisting of three layers of awesomeness: a thick, cocoa and coconut crust anchors a dense slab of custardy buttercream, all topped off with a substantial shellac of soft but firm chocolate. They're a specialty from the city of Nanaimo, but can be found in bakeries in the BC environs as well.

But did you know that there are some very delicious variations on the classic? Here is an assemblage of sweet variations of (and in some cases, embellishments upon) the delicious Nanaimo Bar:

Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake: so rich you will probably die, but at least you will die happy.

Raw Nanaimo Bars: you won't burn down the house for these babies.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars: the creamy, rich peanut butter adds a subtle savoriness to the bars.

Nanaimo Bar Ice Cream Cake: two beautiful things just got more beautiful.

Cappuccino Nanaimo Bars: Coffee adds a nice flavor dimension to this sweet variation.

Cherry Nanaimo Bars: Rich, but with some natural sweetness too.

Peppermint nanaimo bars: this is what Thin Mints want to be when they grow up.

White chocolate and pecan Nanaimo Bars: White chocolate lovers can't miss this sweet variation.

Vegan Nanaimo bars: Because it's not always all about the dairy.

Nanaimo bar mix: If you don't want to make your own, I won't tell.

Chocolate nanaimo bar pie: Once again, two awesome things get awesomer.

Gluten free nanaimo bar: Free of gluten, but not free of delicious.

Bonus: If you're in NYC, Dirt Candy is serving up several variations on the Nanaimo bar!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

(In picture, from top left clockwise: Evan Kleiman's Pie; Meringue rings; Olive Oil Cake; Oreo Cereal Treats)

Perfect for Labor Day Weekend: a choose-your-own adventure deconstructed berry dessert!

Gherkins and Tomatoes muses on the history of written recipes. It's heady stuff, but fascinating.

Joe Pastry delves into the history of the jelly doughnut!

After-school treats join together, deliciously, when Cocoa Krispies Treats meet milk and Oreos, in one decadent bar from pastry genius Peabody.

Hokey Pokey: find out what it's really all about.

This cake has olive oil in it, and therefore is health food. Delicious health food! via the Food Librarian.

Fresh Flours: I loved learning more about local flour producer Shepherd's Grain Flour via Not Martha.

Mark your calendars for the new Trophy Cupcakes location in Bellevue's Bravern Shops!

This Monkey Bread on Beantown Baker looks sick. And by sick I mean so delicious it hurts.

Discover a new cookie: how 'bout the chrusciki?

Did you know the Ritz-Carlton does a cupcake tea?

Have you been following Evan Kleiman's pie-a-day project? If not, catch up on it here--and enter the contest here!

Put a ring on it: these "meringues" are really jewelry! Sweet!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Just a small collection of sweet things that are consuming the CakeSpy collective consciousness this week:

Circus Animal Cookie Magnets by Cherry Dot!

Sweet cupcake pendants in a rainbow of colors, via Bmoresweet

Stuffed Artisan Cannolis slated to open this fall in NYC!

Gooey Butter Cake...or Neiman Marcus Bars? Sasha Says investigates.

Common Object Jewelry has sweet jewelry cast from gummi bears (image above) and chocolate chips!

Caipirinha Truffles via The Cookie Shop? Oh yes! (image above)

It's Biscuit Time: Sticky Apple Butter Biscuits via The Knead for Bread.

Cookies? Cocktails? How 'bout both...at the same time? via Edible Crafts (image above).

Seriously...is Magnolia Bakery taking over the world?

Jess Thomson presents a cake that is easy to bake and perfect for breakfast.

Strawberry Bavarois With Chocolate Pashmak. I don't even know what it is, but it sounds ridiculously good!

All things awesome unite, sweetly, when Savory Sweet Life guest blogs about cupcakes on the Al Dente Blog.

If you missed my Serious Eats entry on Cupcake Milkshakes inspired by CupShakes, well, here's your reminder to check it out.

Rice Krispie treats with a special surprise: they're filled with ice cream!