Halloween Treats at Vignette: A Retrospective

October 30, 2014by Alison CliffordInside Vignette

gingerdeadmen.jpg

Here at Vignette, we love to celebrate major and minor holidays, accomplishments, anniversaries, and any occasion, with appropriate food. And as the baker of the office, I’ve made quite a few seasonal contributions.

When the holiday’s tagline is “Trick or Treat” — we  pull out all the stops.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane at some of our trickiest treats of Octobers past.

Pumpkin Pie

pumpkinpie

This is a classic that’s always welcome. I recommend adding bourbon to the whipped cream for a more sophisticated treat.

GingerDEADmen

gingerdeadmen2

Last year, I tried a new take on gingerbread cookies and added icing skeletons. Not only did my kid have the coolest lunchbox treats that day, I waspretty popularat the office.

Pumpkin Scones

pumpkin scones

What else are you going to eat with your pumpkin spice latte? These guys, of course. Pumpkin scones date back to my days as a coffee-house baker in college. Studded with walnuts and currants, they are easily my favorite version of allthe scones I ever baked (10 dozen per day, thankyouverymuch).

Pumpkin Macarons & Caramel Apples

macarons and caramel apples

Why not make these favorites a little more seasonally rustic with actual twigs for sticks? Just be sure you’ve got the clear from your orthodontist.

Anyone familiar with my baking will have tried my macarons by now. So, pumpkin macarons for Halloween should be no surprise. However, the combination of rich buttercream with flavorful pumpkin butter, sandwiched by chewy, crunchy almond merengue cookies was pretty surprisingly good.

The Great Pumpkin

the great pumpkin cake

And finally, my piece-de-resistance, “The Great Pumpkin”. While it looks like the effort should match the level of centerpiece attraction, it’s actually one of the more easily made of my confections – two pumpkin Bundt cakes held together with a layer of cream cheese frosting. Decorate with vines and leaves if you like!

What does this year hold, treatwise? There’s been rumors of pumpkin whoopee-pies or maybe spidercakes, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

What are some of your favorite Halloween tricks or treats?
We’d love to hear all about them.

Happy Halloween from Vignette!

Alison Clifford

As a Producer, Alison manages clients and projects from planning to staffing, conception to deliverable design, and development through implementation. After graduating from Cal State with a degree in Film Production, and then the University College Dublin Ireland with a degree in Film Studies, Alison was hired as a creative services manager by Planar Systems, a digital signage company, to manage their design department which conceptualized and created custom motion graphics for clients such as Macy’s and Coca-Cola. Since its inception, Alison’s has played the role of Producer for Vignette and has expertise that spans across budgeting, scheduling, resource management, risk management, video production and post, print design, digital design and instructional design—ensuring on time, on budget, and quality deliveries. And the diverse set of brands Alison’s worked with over the years, such as Ann Taylor/LOFT, Nike, Les Schwab, and Deckers Brands, ensures that any challenge in production is met with a steady hand. When Alison has a few spare minutes, shen enjoys running in races, baking french macarons, and tackling new recipes. Alison lives in Portland, OR with her husband and two boys.

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