Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Okay, one more Halloween dessert, I promise! I couldn't resist this one! And just because I made these Halloween-themed definitely does not mean you have to wait until next year to make them! These pumpkin spiced cupcakes would also be perfect for Thanksgiving as well!



The cake is so moist and the spices compliment the pumpkin so incredibly well. I can't get enough of these! Good thing I made them for my mom to take to work so they weren't around the house for long. Lord knows I would have consumed way more than I should have then. I found the recipe from the fabulous Annie at Annie's Eats (my usual go-to for amazing recipes) and Annie made these with a cream cheese frosting. However, I was out of time and ingredients (no cream cheese, curses on me for forgetting to write down my grocery lists!) so I decided to make these with my usual vanilla buttercream instead. Still delicious but I can't wait to try these with the cream cheese frosting next time!


And I just had to throw in a quick pic of the pumpkins my boyfriend and I carved this year. I did a breast cancer ribbon and he did the Joker. Hope everyone had a happy halloween!

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.

Source: Recipe from Annie's Eats, originally from Williams Sonoma

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

I know, I know, this is not the right season for pumpkin pancakes. I usually tend to think of pumpkin as an autumn ingredient. So I try to only use it when fall starts but then all of a sudden, I get this uncontrollable craving and I have to have something pumpkin right now! I love pumpkin in breakfast foods. Like muffins, scones, and these amazing pumpkin pancakes. I just can't get enough of them! I love to make the whole batch and then pop them in the freezer as well so when that urge strikes me again, I can just pull one out and have it ready in a few minutes. I think these would be really great with a light maple syrup topping, like a normal pancake, but honestly I love mine with just a dusting of cinnamon and sugar. Mmm, bliss!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a fork to combine. Mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil or butter in a liquid measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine. (The batter may still have a few lumps – that is okay.)

Preheat the oven to 200° F. Have an oven safe plate or serving dish ready. Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan. Let cool until bubbles begin to form on the top surface. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, a couple minutes more. Transfer the cooked pancake to the oven safe dish, and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed. Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.

Source: Recipe from Annie's Eats , originally from Martha Stewart

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

I am a huge fan of pumpkin but not necessarily scones. My mother, however, is obsessed with both. Especially the pumpkin scones from Starbucks. She goes every Friday morning with the girls from work to treat herself to a chai tea latte and a pumpkin scone. So I decided as a special treat to her one day, I would attempt to make these scones for her that she loves so much!



This was the closest recipe I could find that replicated the scones from Starbucks. They weren't exactly the same but they were pretty darn close! My mom was really impressed with these and I think after I make them a few more times and maybe tweak a few ingredients, they'll be even better!

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients:
For The Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

For Powdered Sugar Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

For Spiced Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.

Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

To make the plain glaze, mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone.

As the plain glaze firms up, make the spiced icing. Combine the ingredients for the spiced icing together. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk. Makes 6 scones.

Source: Recipe from Food.com