These simple sweets will go quickly so make plenty. Plus, the homemade vanilla sugar makes a perfect holiday gift by itself!

Drop Sugar Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsps. buttermilk
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
Vanilla sugar for decorating (See recipe below. If you don’t want to make vanilla sugar, substitute Sugar in the Raw.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add in enough buttermilk to moisten and soften the dough without making it wet. Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using your fingers, moisten the top of each cooking with buttermilk and press gently to flatten. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar or Sugar in the Raw. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before moving.

Vanilla Sugar

1 vanilla bean
2 cups granulated sugar

Slice one side of the bean lengthwise with the back of a knife and scrape podes into an airtight container. Add sugar and stir to combine. Bury bean in sugar and seal tightly. Let sit for 1-2 weeks. Use as you would regular sugar.

Why spend hours slaving over your stove when Ukrop’s Bakery has a host of freshly made desserts? You can give our creations your own individual flair with homemade flavored whipped cream. If you’ve never made your own whipped cream, this really is the time to try it. It’s simple to make and way more indulgent than prepackaged variety. Check out our coupon on Facebook to save $1 off any whole pie. What a great time to try this recipe!

Pumpkin Pie Topped with Spice-Filled Whipped Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 tsps. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 pumpkin pie

Mix heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whip by hand or with an electric mixer until mixture is thick and peaks formed hold their shape. Spoon on top of pumpkin pie and serve.

Chocolate Fudge Pie Topped with Raspberry Whipped Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
A scant ¼ cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsps. seedless raspberry jam
1 Chocolate Fudge Pie

Mix heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar and jam. Whip by hand or with an electric mixer until mixture is thick and peaks formed hold their shape. Spoon on top of Chocolate Fudge Pie and serve.

Brownie Bites Topped with Peppermint Whipped Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. peppermint extract
1 Tbsp. very finely chopped mint
1 package Ukrop’s Brownie Bites

Mix heavy whipping cream, vanilla and peppermint extract in a large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar and mint. Whip by hand or with an electric mixer until mixture is thick and peaks formed hold their shape. Spoon on top of Brownie Bites and serve.

It’s peak pear season in Ukrop’s produce department. These juicy, fresh fruits are delicious when eaten alone as a snack, but they can also be used in all sorts of recipes. Mix them with sugar, butter and cloves, then serve them over ice cream for a unique dessert.

Caramelized Pears Over Ice Cream
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes

4 Tbsps. unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
4 pears, cored and cut into large dice (about 4 cups)
¼ tsp. ground cloves
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once butter foams, sprinkle sugar on top and cook until bubbling and dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add pears and cook, stirring rarely, until mixture is caramelized and pears just start to release juice. Gently fold in cloves. Place 1 scoop of ice cream in each of 4 bowls. Spoon pears over ice cream.

This indulgent dessert is easy to put together and incredibly delicious. It’s perfect for serving as an alternative for pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or throwing together to tote to a last-minute party or work function. Once you taste the spicy, creamy flavor with a hint of citrus, we guarantee this will become a go-to fall/winter dessert.

Ukrop’s Gingerbread Topped with Cream Cheese Frosting and Lemon Sauce
Serves: 8-9 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 3 minutes

1 package Ukrop’s Gingerbread

Cream Cheese Topping:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp. milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract


Lemon Sauce:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsps. flour

1 1/4 cup boiling water

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
Dash of nutmeg

1 1/2 tsps. lemon juice

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese with milk, sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

In a saucepan, stir together the butter, sugar, and flour. Gradually add the boiling water, stirring as you go. Add lemon peel and nutmeg. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Spread cream cheese topping on top of gingerbread. Drizzle with lemon sauce.

Instead of spending tons of time cooking, let Ukrop’s cater your Halloween party. Dress up a few dishes to make them your own. One of our favorite ghoulish treats are these “Ghostly Figure Tarts.” They’re so simple and cute!

All you have to do is pick up your favorite flavors of tarts from Ukrop's Bakery (we like Pumpkin and Pecan for a fall celebration), a tub of Cool Whip and some mini chocolate chips. Just before serving, remove mini tarts from their aluminum liners. Spoon Cool Whip into a plastic bag, shut and cut corner off bag so you’ve got a homemade pastry bag. Pipe Cool Whip onto tart, piling until you’ve got a blob-like figure. Finish by placing two chocolate chip eyes at the top. Serve and enjoy!