The first hint of the snap of cool fall air is upon us. We love autumn, and more importantly we love the foods of autumn. The time has begun to shift focus from luscious stone fruit to crisp apples and warm spices.

We’re salivating like Pavlovian dogs over these caramel apple cupcakes, stick and all, as could only be brought to us by the cupcake goddess herself, Chockylit of Cupcake Bakeshop. It’s a great paean to the flavors of fall, without the sticky store-bought caramel coating that pulls your filling out. Also better than bobbing for apples. Who needs all that water up the nose anyway.

Here at ThisNext, while we we strive to uphold the highest standards, we also are subject to the temptations of the flesh just like everyone else. So we sympathize with Amy of Cooking With Amy, who caved in to the temptation of these Trader Joe’s Chocolate Caramel Tartlet Cookies. Mind you, that sounds like just the sort of thing we wouldn’t mind having a nibble of ourselves. Thanks for leading us into temptation, Amy. As if we couldn’t have found our way there ourselves.

Above all else, we at ThisNext are about not blowing ourselves — or others — up. So if you’re of the ilk that makes so-called “cooked can” caramel, where you cook a sealed (!) can of sweetened condensed milk until it turns to caramel, please heed bugYELLOWbowl’s advice and just buy the pre-done stuff in the ethnic foods aisle. While you’re at it, use it to make the heavenly-sounding caramel brownies recipe he links to.