How to make...Jack-O-Latern cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 extra large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• About 4 tablespoons peanut butter

Procedures

1. 1
   In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Dough should come together, if too crumbly, add 1 teaspoon water. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for one hour.
2. 2
   Adjust oven rack to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough in half and roll one half out onto a lightly floured surface to a thickness of approximately 1/8th- inch. Cut out 12 pumpkins using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Using a pairing knife, cut jack-o-lantern faces into 1/2 of the cookies. Bake cookies until just dry on top, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. When completely cooled, spread top of faceless cookies with about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter (more or less depending on how much you like peanut butter). Top with a face cookie to complete sandwiches.

How to make...Oreo cake.

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•  
• For the Oreo whipped cream:
• 50 Oreo cookies
• 4 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Procedures

1. 1
   Make cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly coat the inside with non-stick pan spray. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into large bowl; set aside. In medium bowl, whisk sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
2. 2
   Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake until cake is just firm and toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan to completely cool on wire rack, about 1 hour.
3. 3
   Carefully cut 6 Oreo cookies in half; set aside. Chop remaining cookies into 1/4s; set aside.
4. 4
   To Assemble Cake: Whip 2 cups of cream on medium-high speed to soft peak, spoon into large bowl and refrigerate. In same mixer bowl, whip remaining 2 1/2 cups cream, sugar, and vanilla to soft peak. Fold into already whipped cream.
5. 5
   Place about 1 cup whipped cream in bowl and refrigerate until ready to decorate cake. Fold chopped Oreos into remaining whipped cream.
6. 6
   Slice cake in half horizontally to create 2 layers. Place bottom layer on serving plate. Spread about 1/3 of Oreo whipped cream onto cake. Top with second cake layer and use remaining Oreo whipped cream to frost top and sides of cake. Chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours to allow cookies to soften.
7. 7
   Place reserved whipped cream in pastry bag fitted with star tip (re-whisk if necessary). Pipe 12 whipped cream rosettes around perimeter of cake and garnish with reserved Oreo cookie halves. Serve.

   
   

   (Credit to @antararoy13)

How to make...Chocolate cheesecake.

Ingredients

• For the Crust:
• 3/4 cup crumbled vanilla wafers (about 30 wafers)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
•  
• For the Cheesecake Filling:
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup (about 1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled 
•  
• For the Glazes:
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 3 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

Procedures

1. 1
   For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners. In food processor, pulse wafers until they turn into fine crumbs. Add butter, sugar, and salt and pulse just to combine. Use fingertips to press 1 tablespoon cookie mixture into bottom of each cup. Bake just until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer tin to cooling rack. Decrease oven temperature to 300°F.
2. 2
   For the Cheesecake Filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in sour cream, then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt. Decrease mixer speed to low and add chocolate. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
3. 3
   Divide batter equally among muffin cups and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
4. 4
   For the Glazes: Bring 1/3 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat or in bowl in microwave. Place bittersweet chocolate and corn syrup in small bowl. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until smooth. Spoon glaze over cupcakes, smoothing with back of spoon. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
5. 5
   Put a raspberry on top (if you want to), serve and then eat (because lets face it, that IS the best part!)

How to make...Nutella cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 jar (13 ounces) Nutella (you may not use the whole thing)

Procedures

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2
   Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. 3
   In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter; once fluffy, add the sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl with each addition.
4. 4
   Pull a piece of dough, about 2 tablespoons, from the bowl. Form a 2-inch flat (but fairly thick) circle by hand. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling on top of this dough-pancake. Close the dough over the filling to form a soft dome, making sure dough is covering the filling on all sides, and pinch the top to seal the cookie (it might resemble the top of a Hershey's Kiss; you can also flatten it with your hand, but make sure that the top of the cookie is sealed!).
5. 5
   Place cookies on the prepared sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until golden. Let cool on the pans. If desired, garnish with confectioners' sugar.