Pumpkin-Maple Whoopie Pies

The end of the year always sneaks up on me. I'm strolling right along, enjoying my summer and like bam! (take that Emeril) it's Labor Day.  Then all of a sudden, September morphs into Halloween.  And by the time I'm barely coming down off my left-over candy sugar high, Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

I really should pay more attention. It's not like the world hasn't been trying to clue me in.  I've been wearing my thick wool coat to work for weeks now, barely a leaf is left on a tree, and my mom's already emailing me asking what I want from Christmas - it's obviously Fall. (And yes, my mom starts her Christmas shopping exceptionally early.  I guess you have to when you have 5 kids to shop for......)

All these signs, yet I'm still trying to grasp the fact that this week is Thanksgiving.  Thursday? You mean THIS Thursday? Are you kidding me? Even more shocking, I have yet to bake on thing made of fall-inspired pumpkin goodness.  And that my friends can not happen. It just can not. It's like kitchen rule #3.

Please don't ask what rules 1 & 2 are- it's kinda like Fight Club. I can't talk about it

So I called upon pumpkin and cinnamon and nutmeg and clove and last but certainly not least, maple syrup. Fall has officially arrived in Sarahland.

Gingerbread Cupcake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

My little, Charlie Brown-esque tree? Up and decorated.

My favorite snowflake snow globe? Properly displayed on my TV stand.

The world most fantastic smelling sugar cookie candle? Lit and sitting on my countertop.

Yes, it is officially Christmas season.  (Give or take the fact that it was 70 degrees outside last week.)

And with Christmas comes my intense need to bake.

Everything.

Sugar cookies. Peppermint bark. Truffles. I have plans of filling my kitchen with everything delicious and festive.

And to start- Gingerbread Cupcakes.To be honest, I haven't sampled my fair share of gingerbread.  Growing up, my dad loved gingersnap cookies, but I always found them too hard and crunchy. So I just assumed all similar ginger baked goods were the same.  Why oh why was I so silly?

This cake is awesome- soft and moist, but has the spices that just sing Christmas.