Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted by: Maggie

You didn't honestly thing we were done with pumpkin yet, did you? I'm pretty sure I've had this recipe from Smitten Kitchen bookmarked since she posted it almost two years ago, but I'm just getting around to making it now.


Jeff and I are having a very Halloween/fall themed weekend.  We plan to see Paranormal Activity 2, carve jack-o-lanterns, and go to a haunted forest.  The haunted forest doesn't allow children, so I'm hoping that means it's actually scary! I wanted to make a Halloween themed treat to go along with our fun, and when I gave Jeff the vote between these cupcakes and another Halloween recipe I have saved, he chose these.

A couple notes about the frosting...

 - It's very soft, even though I adjusted the ingredients as per suggestions on the original source of the recipe.  I was able to pipe it using a large round tip - I wouldn't suggest using a star tip since it doesn't hold its shape well.  After piping the frosting onto each individual cupcake I stuck them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up.

- While delicious, I can't taste the maple flavor at all.  I think if I upped the amount of syrup that would make the frosting even less stable.  I wonder how maple extract would affect the flavor? If anyone tries it out let me know!

About the decorations...

- I bought an "Autumn Mix" from the grocery store that contained pumpkins and two colors of candy corn.  They need to sell those little pumpkins on their own - they're so cute for decorating if I do say so myself!

- They're not pictured because I unfortunately only had a couple minutes to photograph these before heading out the door, but I decorated some of them with a candied pecan half in place of the candy pumpkin.  When I first started cooking I was always really frustrated when recipes called for something like candied pecans, but didn't actually say how to do it.  It's not always obvious to new cooks! To make them, put 2 1/2 tablespoons of white sugar, and 1/2 cup pecan halves into a small skillet.  Stir constantly until the sugar caramelizes and coats the pecans.  The sugar will seem to melt suddenly - for about 5 minutes you'll just be pushing sugar around in a pan thinking it will never liquefy.

Here's what you'll need:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
Candied pecans and Autumn Mix for decoration

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line cupcake pans with 18 paper liners.

Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium for about 5 minutes, or until fluffy.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.  Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk/vanilla mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full, and lightly rap the pans on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean - about 20-25 minutes. Cool on racks completely before frosting.

Frosting recipe:

12 oz (1.5 packages) cream cheese, softened
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 c maple syrup

Mix ingredients together on medium speed until fluffy. 

adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Leite's Culinaria

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Posted by: Annie

I pretty much love anything that you can top with guacamole. Sometimes when I am in restaurants I actually order dishes based on whether or not they are served with a side of "guac". I made this dish because I really wanted to eat the guacamole that was sitting in my fridge calling my name. In retrospect, I realized I could have just enjoyed the guacamole with a handful of chips, however my obsession with the avocado goodness led me to cook and discover a new favorite - Mexican Chicken Casserole. I served up this Mexican inspired dish with loads of guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. 

What you will need:

1 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles

1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup evaporated fat free milk

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1/4 cup light cream cheese

1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce

12 (6 inch) tortillas

cooking spray

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 oz tortilla chips, crushed (about six chips)

Combine the chicken broth and one can of chiles in a large skillet. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. (flip the chicken once during this process) Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside the cooking liquid. Once the chicken cools, use two forks to shred the meat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Mix in the remaining can of chiles and the chopped onion. Saute until soft. Mix in the reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce, stir well. Add in the shredded chicken and cook for an additional two minutes. Remove the mixture from heat.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer four tortillas on the bottom of the dish and spoon 2 cups of the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Repeat this step two more times- the final layer will be the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake for thirty minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source

Cornbread

Posted by: Maggie

Delicious, moist, perfection.

What you'll need:

1/2 cup salted butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 t baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8 inch square pan.

Melt butter in large skillet.  Remove from heat, and stir in sugar.  Dump into a medium bowl, and quickly add eggs, beating until well blended.  In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk with baking soda, and stir into butter mixture.  Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain.  Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Mine had already started to get dark at the edges by 30 minutes, so keep an eye on it for burning. 

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