It's that time of year when candy is flowing like the mighty Mississippi.  (Of course, with my two girls, I honestly have to revise that to Amazon.)  I don't know about y'all, but for me, there's only one candy: Peanut M&M's.  There's just something magical about the way the candy shell, milk chocolate, and peanut come together in the mouth that's...well...just perfect.  Whew, for a minute there, I lost myself.

Q:  I just love the Apple-Ginger Spice Cake from the "Sensational Sheet Cakes" story (October 2008).  Can it be made as a 2-layer cake?  I have an antique cake plate I'd like to use at Thanksgiving.

- Nancy P.

A: Great question, Nancy.  We went back and retested the recipe using 2 (8-inch) round cake pans.  We had to increase the bake to 23 minutes (up 3 minutes from the original 20-minute bake time) -- at that point a wooden pick inserted into center came out clean. 

While we liked it's moist texture and rich flavor, the layers were way too tender to turn out onto a plate (even after the layers cooled completely).  Our take:  While this is certainly a yummy recipe, it's probably not the best choice for a layer cake.

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Q: I have a wonderful recipe for Pumpkin Muffins that I make every fall.  Unfortunately, my last batch stuck -- especially the recipe's chocolate chips -- and just looked awful.  I used dark, brand name mini-muffin pans.  What could I have done to keep the muffins from sticking?
—Karen B.

A:  This is a common problem, Karen, but the fix is pretty straightforward.  Here's a little expert advice from Assistant Food Editor Natalie Brown, who just so happens to have a degree in Baking and Pastry.

Natalie Brown: When you use dark tins you need to reduce your oven's temperature by 25 degrees.  For example, if the recipes says 375 degrees, reduce to 350 degrees.  You might also try keeping about 1/4 cup of flour from the recipe and tossing your chips in the flour before gently folding them info the muffin batter.  Another thing to consider is that when using mini-muffin pans, you may need to reduce the amount of chocolate chips versus what the recipe calls for when using a standard muffin pan -- there's less surface area in the mini-muffin pans to keep the chips suspended.  Hope this helps.  Happy baking!

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I sure hope y'all have flipped through the November issue -- it's just stunning.  I'm really proud of the story "Break Bread Together."  Senior Food Writer Donna Florio perfectly captured the true spirit of Thanksgiving as a group of New Orleans friends gathered to give heartfelt thanks.

Sometimes things just fall into your lap.  That was defnitely the case for me while attending a wine tasting yesterday when a glass of 75 Wine Co.'s super-tasty Sauvignon Blanc graced the table like an angel sent straight from Heaven. (And its sister wine, Amber Knolls Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, is pretty darn special too.)