Baking With Spirit: The Warming Round Up

I think we've been successful this month in willing the seasonal weather to come through by baking warming desserts. We started the month at close to 20C here in East Anglia, and since I've experienced at least two morning frozen car situations and, as we close the month, the temperature here is a slightly more seasonal 10C. Still not wintry, but we're getting there...

I've got a fantastic round up of entries for you this month. Let's take a look:

Laura at I'd Much Rather Bake Than... got on the Christmas wagon early by making this Pecan, Pear and Mincemeat Galette. She really has a way with words, so I'll let you read her description of it yourself, but safe to say I was salivating by the end of the post.

Are you still shunning Christmas, or perhaps you don't celebrate it? Perhaps Ros' Carrot, Ginger & Rum Spiced Cake from The More Than Occasional Baker will warm you up in a dreaming-of-tropical-islands way. I think the tin she used really makes the cake; Ros can come round any time if she's bringing this with her.

Over at Pauline's Occasional Baking Adventures we have this stunning Gingerbread & Guinness Bundt with Salted Caramel Drizzle. This was the first time Pauline baked gingerbread, made caramel or used black treacle, so considering how many firsts there were it's fantastic to hear that it was a hit with the gingerbread fans. 

I brought this Brandy Apple & Caramel Upside Down Cake to the party. I have to admit that it was a bit of an experiment, but it turned out brilliantly and got a lot of good reviews at work to boot.

Bringing up the rear (in style) is Craig from The Usual Saucepans with this Orange & Amaretto Gingerbread. He found a gingerbread recipe amongst some recipe clippings and has dressed it up with some excellent flavours. I'm definitely going to make this in the lead up to Christmas!

Thanks to all of you who entered the challenge this month; I now feel warm enough to enter December. Come back on Monday to find out which challenge is next.