Pumpkin Cupcakes

Oh my goodness....Aren't these just beautiful??

I love it when my creations turn out to be amazing. That is what keeps drawing me back to the kitchen time and time again.

This is a very simple recipe with lots of room for change, and believe me, I will be changing it up many times over.



After letting my cupcakes cool for about ten minutes in the pan, I was working on taking them out when this little cupcake slipped out of my hand. Instead of letting it hit the floor, I did what any normal person would do, I tried to save it.

While I was trying to save it, I smashed it between the cupboard and my body. Poor little thing. I am so glad my daughter was there to snatch it from me and smear frosting on the (still warm) cupcake. You can tell that her frosting is kind of melted.

Have you often wondered why we carve pumpkins at Halloween?

Well, according to the Irish, they have a legend of a drunken farmer who did not fare well with the devil.
The farmer was turned away at both of the gates, heaven and hell, upon his death.
The farmer (Jack) was forced to wander the darkness of purgatory. Jack made an o'lantern from a turnip and a lump of burning coal to guide his bewildered soul.

Every Halloween, communities in Ireland would create their own turnip lamps to fend off the spirit of Jack and any others that would try and come their way.

The tradition became pumpkin-ified and orange when immigrants found the pumpkin vegetable growing in abundance in North America.

Halloween today, pumpkins mean big business during the scariest of holidays.

Did you know that U.S. farmers grow over a billion pounds of pumpkins every year? Yup, about $106 million dollars worth.

Now that's a lot of pumpkins....



Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c. soft butter
1 1/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c. mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
3/4 c. 2% low-fat milk
3/4 c. chopped pecans

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 c. butter, soft
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
3 c. confectioners sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Insert paper liners into 24 muffin cups.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Blend in mashed pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture alternately with milk, blending after each addition. Stir in nuts.

Spoon batter into paper lined muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost with cream cheese frosting when cool.

To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy

This recipe is linked to:

Foodie Friends Friday