Over the past few years, pumpkin-y items have become a massive trend in the food world. I've seen a plethora of pumpkin-flavored concoctions in various retail facilities that are available for a pretty high price. $5 for a pumpkin muffin? You have to be kidding me, right?
As delicious as these items may seem, don't throw away your hard-earned money -- unless you're purchasing Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte, my personal favorite guilty pleasure. Anyway, as I was saying, making dishes with pumpkin at home is spectacularly easy and definitely more wallet-friendly than going out and purchasing the pre-made seasonal trends.
I know there are pumpkin purists out there who will only consume fresh pumpkin, and more power to them. For me, however, the canned puree is one of my best friends in the kitchen. It's such a versatile ingredient. You can add it to savory dishes like risotto or macaroni and cheese, and you can make just about any dessert imaginable with it. Once, when one of my mom's dogs was sick, my mom fed her pumpkin puree mixed with milk -- a recipe we'd found online for sick pets -- and our dog made a full recovery. By no means am I insinuating that pumpkin is a cure-all, but it is some pretty good stuff.
I adapted this recipe for pumpkin cupcakes from a few recipes I found online. I find that a lot of autumnal baked goods are too spice-heavy for my taste, so I curbed the spices quite a bit in this recipe so that you can actually taste the pumpkin. While the recipe may seem like it incorporates a lot of ingredients, it's really just a matter of throwing things together and tossing them in the oven, so it's a pretty easy treat to concoct. If you don't want to make individual cupcakes, just throw the batter into a bundt pan.
As for the icing, I've found over the years that cream cheese and white chocolate compliment the flavor of pumpkin very nicely. You may want to chill the icing before working with it, though; it's more "gloopy" and less fluffy than more traditional icings, but it's still absolutely delicious!
All in all, this is a great treat for Halloween parties and other such autumnal gatherings, and it's surprisingly easy to prepare!
Pumpkin Cupcakes
(Makes one dozen, can be doubled)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 can of pumpkin puree
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake can with paper
liners and spray with non-stick spray.
Beat together butter, eggs, and sugars until thoroughly blended. Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with wet mixture. Add
pumpkin, and mix until all ingredients are blended together.
Divide mixture evenly amongst the cupcake liners and bake
for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean. Cool
and reserve.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of butter, softened
6 oz. white chocolate chips, melted
3 cups powdered sugar
(A dozen cupcakes are always much better than a dozen roses!)
(They're a hoot! Get it? GET IT?)
Enjoy!
