© CHICAGO PASTRY

Despite the impending winter, this is one of my favorite times of year because of pumpkins. I love all sorts of pumpkin foods.

Chicago Pastry has the best cannoli I have ever had. The key to a great cannoli is the filling, and Chicago Pastry has it down to perfection. I usually don’t stray from the traditional cannoli, but I make the exception for its pumpkin cannoli, which bursts with pumpkin while retaining the regular delicious qualities. I live about 25 miles from Chicago Pastry, but the drive is well worth it.

I had delightful pumpkin soup from Libertad, a favorite spot of mine right down the street from my condo. Light and full of flavor, it is the perfect comfort food.

Just down the block from me is Sweety Pies Bakery, featured on the Cooking Channel’s Cake Hunters earlier this year. I picked up equally delicious paleo pumpkin cookies and pumpkin slices. The cookies had a nice crisp outside with a soft inside. The slice had a perfectly thin and light cream cheese frosting. They also have a few different pumpkin cupcakes, and I am enjoying working my way through all of them. I have yet to try the pie, but it looks fantastic.

On the homemade front, my cousin made some wonderful pumpkin scones, while my sisters treated me to pumpkin bread and muffins. I failed in my attempt to make pumpkin Rice Krispies treats, nailing the flavor but missing on the consistency.

As far as pre-packaged foods go, I stocked up on enough Pumpkin Cheerios to last well into 2019. My pantry is also filled with pumpkin greatness in granola bars, bagels, yogurt, tea, bread, salsa, beer and more. I’m still searching for the elusive Rice Krispies treats.

In my perfect world, pumpkins would be around all year. For now, I am just enjoying my favorite squash.

— John Wroblewski, online writer