There’s no escaping it, summer has officially passed and we’re firmly into fall. That is great news for holiday lovers and cold weather enthusiasts alike, and there’s always something special about the changing of seasons. Fall is great for outdoors activities, with the changing of leaves providing a magnificent background for walks, running or bicycle rides, but we also think fall is great for cozy indoor activities: reading a book under a blanket, having a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace or (our personal favorite) baking seasonal treats. That’s why we wanted to take a look at some of our new fall items that are great for cute, small gift ideas, as well as additions to your home kitchen.

Cookies

For all the cookie monsters out there, we have a lot of great ideas for expressing some creativity this fall. Theme cookies are great whether you’re baking something for a big party, to share as snacks with friends or to bring with you to a family Thanksgiving. For a more general fall theme, we would recommend the Mini Cookie Cutter Set – Autumn Leaf , which features a pumpkin, a maple leaf, a brown acorn, and more. Let your imagination roam free and decorate the cookies either as lifelike or as fantastical as you want. For more party appropriate baking, we also offer the Mini Cookie Cutter Set – Halloween . It’s a spooky set of cookie shapes from witches to bats and cats that’s great for trick-or-treating kids and adults alike.

       

Pies

We’re not afraid to admit it: we love pies. And so does almost everyone else, which is why we think the Mini Pie Packaging Kits are such a great idea. They are a retro way to package your homemade pies when you give them as gifts or take them to a party. With the special ingredient of homemade baking, we’re sure anything packaged this charmingly will beat everything you can buy at the store. For when it’s time to serve your pie, we also have the Mini Clear Glass Pie Plates . Whether you’re cooking for just one or two people or a whole dinner party, these plates make for great portions and look cute, too!

Since we are nothing if not thorough in our love of baking, in addition to tips on some of our great baking products we also wanted to share one of our favorite recipes: the tiny cranberry pie crust leaves. They’re a great way to use any leftover pie crust you may have, or you can also use refrigerated readymade pie crust. You can use them on your apple pies, pot pies or just eat them as the delicious snacks that they are.

Cranberry-Pecan Pie Crust Leaves

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts – or any leftover prepared piecrust you may have lying around

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries

*little obsessed mini autumn cookie cutters

Unfold each piecrust, and press out any fold lines.

Sprinkle 1 piecrust with pecans and cranberries; top with remaining piecrust.

Roll into a 14-inch circle, sealing together piecrusts.

Cut into desired shapes with your mini cookie cutters.

Reroll any scraps and repeat~ the pecans and cranberries will be on the top, not just in the middle, but that’s okay, they’re pretty that way too.

Place pastry shaped leaves on a lightly

greased baking sheet or parchment paper.

Bake at 425° for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.

Casseroles

When the cold weather creeps into your house or even under that warm blanket, nothing warms you up like the thought of a homemade casserole. Or, if you’re required to contribute to the Thanksgiving cooking, a green bean casserole might be a great option. Either way, we think our series of miniature casserole cooking helpers are great for small parties where you don’t want to cook to excess, but also for bigger parties if you want to try out different kinds of casseroles or readymade portions.

For the cooking part itself we have various options like the Round Mini Casserole . It’s the perfect size for cooking a side dish or an individual serving. When you’re done cooking you can use the Just Baking Mini Casserole Set , which are durable, cute dishes that you’ll be proud to serve your homemade casserole from.

     

Accessories

When the baking is done, all you have left is to enjoy the fruits of your labor. In case you baked and cooked for friends, family or an entire party, we also have some ideas for setting an atmospheric fall table. For example, the Leaves Appetizer Plates are a great way to showcase the autumn leaf cookies or the pie crust leaves you made. And as a cherry on top of your fall festivities, we also recommend the Mini Gourd & Pumpkin Candles, which go together with the Leaves Appetizers Plates and provide atmospheric lighting as well as a spark of autumn color to your dinner table.