Serve your sundae in a cookie cup. Photo
by Marcin Bania | IST.

We’re starting with a S’mores Sundae—chocolate ice cream, marshmallow creme, crumbled graham crackers and chocolate sauce. To celebrate the season, we’re following with a Gingerbread Sundae—cinnamon, ginger and vanilla ice creams with cubes of fresh-baked gingerbread, topped with whipped cream, candied ginger and chunks of Chocolove’s crystallized ginger and dark chocolate bar. (The truly indulgent can add caramel sauce). Whatever your favorite flavors, combine them, indulge and enjoy!

• See some of our favorite ice cream brands, including cinnamon and ginger flavors.
• See all the different types of ice cream and frozen desserts in our Ice Cream Glossary.
• Discover our favorite graham crackers.
• Check out Chocolove’s chocolate bars.

• Fall Munchkins Donut Hole Treats. Decorated with autumn-colored non-pareils, these cuties were the winner by a mile. Suggested retail price $4.49 for a 25-count box.
• Pumpkin Donut. Our second favorite was the glazed cake donut, which was said to be pumpkin-flavored. We didn’t taste the pumpkin, but the dough is—surprise!—a fun pumpkin color. And it’s a good glazed donut. Suggested retail price $.89.
• Fall Harvest Donut. We didn’t get to try this yeast ring donut topped with orange icing and a festive sprinkle mix. But we love yeast donuts; maybe tomorrow? Suggested retail price $.89.
• Pumpkin Muffin. This large muffin—share it with someone—is topped with white icing and streusel crumbs. It’s too crumbly for us, and the pumpkin flavor could be more pronounced. Suggested retail price $1.39.

What about a lowfat muffin? Now there’s the:

Our fall favorites at Dunkin’ Donuts: The glazed
Pumpkin Donut at left, with pumpkin-colored
dough inside and the colorful Fall Munchkins.
At top, Pumpkin Muffin. At right, Low Fat
Caramel Apple Muffin. Photo by Evan Dempsey
| THE NIBBLE.

• Low Fat Apple Caramel Muffin. This is Dunkin’ Donuts’ first low-fat muffin, with only three grams of fat. It’s part of the DDSMART menu of better-for-you items that meet at least one of the following criteria: 25% fewer calories; 25% less sugar, fat, saturated fat or sodium than comparable fare, and/or contain ingredients that are nutritionally beneficial. This muffin may have 25% less fat, but it’s a big muffin with plenty of calories and carbs. Might we suggest that “better for you” would be a mini two-ounce muffin, and not six ounces or more? We’re just saying! Suggested retail price $1.39.

 
In terms of the iced coffee: Starbucks won ($3.05 compared to $2.82, representing NYC prices with tax).

The name “cupcake” is derived from the teacup. Before the advent of muffin tins, where they are baked with a paper or foil liner, cupcakes were often baked in individual tea cups (as well as ramekins). They are frosted and often decorated with sprinkles, candies, rosettes, coconut and other toppings. In recent years, cupcakes have moved beyond children’s party fare and have become popular with pastry chefs and consumers as sophisticated alternatives to large cakes at weddings and other celebrations, where cupcake “trees” stack the cupcakes in the shape of a large, tiered cake.

• Check out all the different types of cake in our Cake Glossary.
• Find more of our favorite cakes and recipes in our Gourmet Cakes Section.

Happiness is a vanilla cupcake. Photo by Ben Phillips | IST.

“French Kisses,” prunes stuffed with foie
gras. Photo courtesy of Dartagnan.com.

1. Buy plump, pitted prunes and mousse de foie gras (duck or goose liver mousse—or substitute less expensive chicken liver mousse).
2. A classic preparation is to first marinate the prunes overnight in Armagnac (you can substitute Cognac); but it gives quite an alcohol punch to the prunes and we think it interferes with the foie gras flavor. Try it with half the batch to see what you think, or marinate lightly, for an hour (or eliminate this step altogether).
3. Then, with a pastry bag or small spoon, stuff each prune with mousse and serve on a tray.

These tasty tidbits are perfect with Champagne or sweet sherry, or as part of a first course on an assorted hors d’oeuvres plate. We could make an entire dinner of them!

• Check out another gourmet treat, Chef David Burke’s smoked salmon “lollipops,” called Gourmet Pops. 

Dukkah is a versatile Egyptian dry seasoning mixture of chopped nuts or chickpeas, plus a variety of flavorful seeds, spices and herbs. It can turn a simple dish—like a side of vegetables—into something dazzling.

But, serve it with a bottle of wine and instruct guests to “dip like an Egyptian”: Serve dukkah the classic way, in a bowl with a bowl of olive oil and sliced bread. (Dip the bread in the olive oil, then in the dukkah. Yum!)

The Prize: All 5 Flavors Of Oregon Dukkah

One winner will receive one of each flavor of Oregon Dukkah: Coconut, Smoky Hot, Sweet, Traditional and Zesty. The whole line contains hazelnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, and some variation of spices, so you can use this Egyptian favorite on anything from appetizers to desserts. Be the first on your block to “dip like an Egyptian.” Approximate Retail Value: $27.50.

“Dip like an Egyptian” with dishes of dukkah
and olive oil and a basket of bread. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

• Check out our review of Oregon Dukkah, made with Oregon hazelnuts. Find out how you can use dukkah in some tasty recipes.
• To Enter This Gourmet Giveaway: See THE NIBBLE’S Salts, Seasonings, Herbs & Spices Section. Click on the link at the bottom of the page by noon on Monday, November 16th, to enter your email address for the prize drawing. (Privacy is observed; your email address will not be used for any other purpose.)