Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

 Ahh, so the cobbler I made (twice) for Bryan's birthday wasn't a hit with him. He isn't a big fruit-in-desserts fan. But he did say he likes pumpkin, so I went about finding a recipe for some muffins to bake for work. I like muffins/cupcakes as they are easy to transport, they are the perfect serving size and they look cute.




Pumpkin just screams Fall. Well, maybe it just speaks it loudly.  It is a beautiful color, the smell is amazing and you can make a savory or a sweet dish with them. You carve them for Halloween, use small and big ones for decorations and throw them in the compost pile when you are done.

I searched the Internet and found a recipe on the Libby Pumpkin website. The original recipe was a diabetic friendly recipe as it had sugar substitute, but since we don't have to deal with that issue here, I made some changes to the recipe.  They were a big hit at work. The only 'complaint' I had was that there wasn't cream cheese frosting. Duly noted; however, I didn't have any in the fridge or I would have made some frosting.

Pumpkin Muffins (adapted from the Libby's website)

1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 can pumpkin (not pie filling)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP buttermilk
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP sour cream
2 TBSP oil
Turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 18 muffin tin cups with non stick spray.  In large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in the large bowl, stirring just to combine. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins; sprinkle each one with a pinch of Turbinado sugar.

Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, checking after minimum time. Cool in pans for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Everyone commented that they liked them as they were not overly sweet.  Sometimes you want a 'sweet' but don't want to be overcome by sweetness.

These fit the bill perfectly.

We're on a roll now

One day at work I had brought in a cooking magazine and Bob (I've spoken of him many times- I spoil him almost as much as my own husband) saw a pumpkin roll and asked if I could make one of those. I said I would but couldn't find the magazine again. Hmmm, might be time to go through and recycle some. To my delight, Monica at Lick the Bowl Good had posted a pumpkin recipe and had a link to other pumpkin recipes and I found her pumpkin roll. This is my first attempt at a cake roll. I thought aesthetically it didn't look too pretty, but I had 4 people ask if I would make it again. Monica-how do I get it to be not so.....damp? It was a moist cake, but really damp on top too. Your picture looks like a nice DRY top cake. I know the powdered sugar was part of the culprit, but dang it was wet! Probably me just be a newbie at this.

Pumpkin Roll by Monica H. at Lick the Bowl Good

1/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves (I used nutmeg-no cloves in house)
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin, not pie mix)

FILLING:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
6 TBSP butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
extra powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 15x10 jelly roll pan. Line with wax paper and grease and flour wax paper. Generously sprinkle cotton dish towel with powdered sugar. Use like a flour sack type towel so no grooves or fibers get into the cake. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Beat in pumpkin the stir in dry ingredients. Spread evenly in pan and bake 13 to 15 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Loosen cake and immediately turn out onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off wax paper and roll up in towel, starting on short end. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. When cake is cooled, make filling. Beat the cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake, taking care to not crack it. Spread with filling, wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge at least one hour. When serving, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired.

As I am typing the instructions it occurred to me that I think I forgot to flour the greased wax paper. Could that have caused the top to get so sticky?

I think for my first attempt it turned out pretty good. It can only get better the more often I try.

Thanks Monica for a great recipe and for my baking gift that arrived on Saturday-I can't wait to put it to good use!

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

Insomnia sucks. Plain and simple. I have been dealing with it for years and the doc prescribed a drug that I am suppose to use 'when you can't turn your brain off, Tami'. That is what she actually said. I sleep pretty good on the days I work-I'm just so exhausted I just fall into bed when we get home. It is those days that I am off that cause the most problem. I had 3 hours of sleep the last two nights (well, days actually). I'm not a woman who can function on that little sleep anymore. How did I do it when the kids were small? I must be getting soft in my old age. When it is 4 AM and you can't fall asleep, strange things run through your mind.
1. Will my eyelashes turn grey also?
2. Why does the cat stare at me when I use the bathroom? What is going through her mind?
3. How can I fashion a makeshift hottub out of cow trough and an air hose?
4. Is that blinking light in the sky really a satellite or a spaceship like my Mom suspects?

Yeah, good times.

What does this have to do with pumpkins you ask? Nothing really, other than I have been trolling blogs and food sites looking for some uses for my pureed pumpkin I just made.

Quick story. Took my Mom out a week ago for lunch and some browsing. Went to a really fun kitchen store in the quaint town of Stillwater. I was drooling over the Le Creuset cookware, the Emile Henry bakeware and the freakin' sweet Viking range in the cooking class area. As we checked out my Mom commented to the woman helping us that she could never get me in the kitchen as a child, but now thinks I need to come there and take some classes to help feed my desire to learn more. I looked at her and smiled while thinking to myself "you wouldn't let me in the kitchen, that was Bren's territory". I did learn a couple things when my parents got divorced and I had to make myself food when my Dad was working or away. I have come a long way from baking chocolate chip cookies and Hamburger Helper. Not far, but quite a ways (is that a word?). Long story short: never thought I would actually try and make pumpkin puree from scratch. It isn't hard, but I'm a little disappointed in this year's batch. The pumpkins didn't give up a lot of flesh and one was just dry as a bone when I finally pried it open.



Slice pumpkins in half. If really large, cut in chunks. Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F. until done. There isn't an exact science on timing. I started checking at half an hour, but left in for an hour until they gave easily when lightly pressed.

Peel skin off of the flesh and break into small chunks, about 2 or 3 inch pieces

Puree in food processor until smooth. I added about 2 tsp. of water to each batch to give it a start. The first batch had a hard time smoothing out, so adding the water helped.

I spoon 2 cups of puree into a quart size freezer bag, squeeze out extra air and smooth the bag flat. Freeze flat and then they store upright in a small box easily. I keep a couple small plastic bins in the freezer for my frozen veggies and fruits. It takes up less room and it is easier to find what I am looking for.

Off to stalk some more and find some pumpkin recipes. The natives are work will be restless again soon.