Apple Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Slather

Apple Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Slather combine apple, pumpkin and sweetened cinnamon cream cheese in the ultimate fall muffin. Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Makes: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped Granny Smith apple

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Slather:
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla
Dash of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees then line a 12-cup muffin tine with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture then set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, milk and vegetable oil. Pour into the dry ingredients, whisk everything together then fold in apples. 

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full with abtter, smoothing the tops, then bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let sit in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting. Whisk together butter, cream cheese, vanilla and cinnamon. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until mixture is thick and creamy. Serve with warm muffins.

Thai Pumpkin and Tofu Curry

For me, there is nothing closer to heaven than Thai food.   I love just about any Thai dish, but if Pumpkin Curry is on the menu I will order it every time.  This isn't the first time I have tried to recreate this curry at home, but this recipe comes pretty close to the real thing.  You can used Thai red curry paste that you find in Asian grocery stores, but I have also included a recipe here if you have the time to make. 

Prep time:  1 hour, 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

6 tbsp Thai red curry paste (see recipe below)
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
½ teaspoon lime zest
1 small pumpkin or kabocha squash; peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes

½ yellow bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

½ green bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

½ onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
¼ cup basil leaves
1 teaspoon lime juice
Cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)

¼ cup Soybean oil

Curry Paste:

3 dried red New Mexico or Anaheim chili peppers

10 small dried red chilies, such as chiles de arbol or chiles japones

½ cup coarsely chopped shallots or onions

¼ cup coarsely chopped garlic

1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh ginger or fresh galangal

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

½ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

For the Paste: Stem and seed the large and small dried red chilies, break them in large pieces and place them in a small bowl.  Add warm water to cover and set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

In the work bowl of a small food processor or blender, combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, pepper and salt.  Add the softened chilies along with ¼ cup of the soaking water.  Process everything to a fairly smooth puree, stopping now and then to scrape down the sides, and add more soaking water a tablespoon or two at a time, if you need it to help grinding. Transfer the paste to a small jar and cover tightly.  The paste can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks, or in the freezer for about 3 months.

For the Curry: In a wok or large saucepan, heat the soybean oil until hot and bubbly. Add the drained tofu and pan fry on each side until slightly browned and crispy.  Remove tofu and dry off on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

In a large saucepan, cook the cubed pumpkin in boiling water until it is just cooked through, about 6 minutes (or microwave with about 1 cup water for 6 minutes) Drain and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pot over medium-high heat. Add the red curry and stir for a few seconds, then add the coconut milk and lime zest. Cook for five minutes, then add the bell-pepper, onion, sugar, fish sauce, basil leaves, and lime juice until onions are translucent and cooked through. Add the cooked squash and tofu. Bring to a boil again and cook until the squash is soft, about 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves if desired. Serve with Jasmine or brown rice.

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Orange Glaze

You can either make this gingerbread as a loaf or muffins. Either way, the orange glaze adds the perfect finishing touch. I made this for a work meeting and it was almost entirely devoured before we started! This is another winning recipe from King Arthur Flour. 

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Makes: 2 loaves or 24 muffins

3/4 cup (6 ounces) butter or vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cup (9 ounces) brown sugar
2 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup (2 ounces) crystallized ginger, minced
1/2 cup diced pecans or chocolate chips (optional)
3 large eggs
2 tbsp(1 1/2 ounces) molasses
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin 

Orange Glaze:

1 1/4 cup (5 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon tangerine oil or orange oil OR 1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) water or milk

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare your pans -- grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans for loaves; if you're making muffins, grease 24 muffin cups or line them with muffin papers.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and brown sugar until well blended. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, ginger, and nuts (if you're using them) then mix well; the batter will look crumbly. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in both the molasses and the pumpkin until they are evenly distributed. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips (if you're using them). Scoop the batter into the greased loaf pans or the muffin cups - filling the cups about 2/3 full.

Bake the muffins in the preheated 350°F oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on the edges and the middle springs back when touched. Bake the loaves at the same temperature for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan(s). Let it cool a bit then glaze, if you like (see below).

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together all the glaze ingredients until smooth, adding additional liquid, a bit at a time, until the glaze has the consistency of molasses or will drizzle from a spoon in a long strand.

For a shiny finish, brush the glaze over the bread or muffins while they're still warm; for a thick white finish, cool the bread completely before glazing.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Makes: 16

INGREDIENTS:

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter lining.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.

With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Pumpkin Muffins

I have been desperate for Fall to appear here in the bay area, and despite my best efforts it still hasn't shown up. I reasoned that if I dress like it's fall and bake like it's fall, then fall will finally show up. Right? Well, apparently not because the temperatures are still in the high 70s, but this has not deterred me from turning on the oven and transforming our house to a sauna like state. 

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I have an unnatural obsession with pumpkin. Which is why it surprised me when I was looking over my blog archive and it dawned on me that I have not published many of my pumpkin recipes.  Well this must be fixed at once!  This recipe is a keeper and all credits go to Smitten Kitchen.  These small muffins are light and fluffy, yet they pack a wonderful punch of fall flavor and pumpkin spice.  A perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee.  Dare I say Pumpkin Spice Latte?

 

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 25 mins

Makes: 1 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-oz can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment: 12 foil or paper muffin liners; a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

DIRECTIONS:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F. Put liners in muffin cups. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.