A baking frenzy…

A lovely birthday present from a student (thanks Teresa!) prompted me to revisit The Pioneer Woman’s blog and I found this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting! I changed the recipe a little bit due to the fact that I was missing some of the ingredients but they turned out fabulously! Plus, when I start fall baking/cooking with canned pumpkin, there’s always a spoonful or two for my cooking companions!

It’s REALLY hard to pose for a photo when there’s pumpkin nearby!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
-adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
Muffin Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (heaping) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
1/2 cup evaporated milk (didn’t have any so I used 2% milk)
1 large egg
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup golden raisins (didn’t have them)

Muffin Topping:
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Muffin Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 whole pecans, lightly toasted

Fresh from the oven

Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a greased muffin pan until each cup is 2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting and top each muffin with a pecan.

To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins. Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.