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National Dessert Day

People around the country indulge every October 14th on National Dessert Day!  Celebrated by way of the local bakery, grandma’s house or chocolate shop, desserts include candies, pies, ice cream, fruits, cookies, pastries, cobblers, and donuts, too.

The available ingredients affect the range of desserts made in each region. The very first desserts required minimal effort or preparation since ancient cultures were more focused on the nutrition in foods to survive. Over the years, desserts have changed from natural candies and nuts to complex soufflés and multi-layered cakes. In modern culture, there are many more options available in desserts.

 

Be Bald and Be Free Day

Be Bald and Be Free Day on October 14th celebrates the naked crown. Sometimes the day is referred to as Bald and Free Day.

Bared noggins take the spotlight during this holiday. It recognizes the beauty of a naked scalp. Baldness comes in several forms, too. Partial or total, sometimes a chrome dome is by choice. Others come by it naturally.

Whether your ‘chrome dome’ is the result of hair loss or shaving your head, this National Day celebrates you! And not everyone goes bald from traditional aging and hair loss. Some lose their hair from medical treatments making this observance extra special for these individuals.

 

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

Original recipe yields 24 servings

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

⅓ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and crystallized ginger in a bowl; set aside.

 

Step 2

Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

 

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.