MINI PUMPKIN MUFFINS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

My little granddaughter, Hope, loves her pumpkin bread!  She turned one year old last October and she had a "Our Little Pumpkin Is Turning One" themed birthday party.  I made these little mini pumpkin muffins because, I mean how perfect....she loves pumpkin muffins and she is a little "mini" herself.  She lovvvved them!  I actually substituted sweet potato this past week for the pumpkin and she loved them just as much.

My daughter Holly and her sweet baby, Hope.

I found this recipe for pumpkin muffins while going through some old recipes of my Mom's. I think what caught my eye was first...that it won 2nd place in a contest and the second thing that caught my eye was all of the different spices!  Yummm!  It almost seemed like too many spices but after tasting it, it is apparent that they all work together perfectly and make each bite super duper flavorful.  Definitely deserving of an award in my books.  The original recipe called for 1 cup of vegetable oil and 3 cups of sugar.  I felt like 3 cups of sugar was just too much so I backed it down to 2 cups.  I cannot imagine having another cup in this recipe because 2 is just right....sweet but not too sweet.  Then I read that you could use coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil in recipes.  I knew that would be much healthier so I replaced half of the oil with the coconut oil.  I may use only coconut oil next time.  It was so moist.

Fast forward to this past week, I was keeping both Hope and her brother Alex for a few days.  I baked a few sweet potatoes for dinner one night and the only person who ate any was me....so I had like 3 potatoes left.  I hated to just stick them in the fridge because in my house, that is where good food goes to die.  Wahhh!!! I hate to say that but you have to be able to admit you have a problem before you can fix it...right?  Okay getting back on the subject.  I had three sweet potatoes left.  I thought of my pumpkin muffin recipe and the two worlds collided....sweet potato muffins! I didn't even put any frosting on them and Hope and Alex both loved them.  So much so that I had to cut them off.  They wanted them for snacks, breakfast, dessert...pretty much all day.  They are low in sugar but not sugar free guys...gotta pace yourselves. LoL!

Hope you like them like Hope and Alex do!

MINI PUMPKIN MUFFINS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 cups Pumpkin Puree 
 4 eggs
1/2 cup Coconut Oil, (melted and cooled)
1/2 cup Canola Oil
2/3 cup Milk
2 cups of Sugar
3-1/2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Allspice

Preheat 350 Degrees

In a large bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients until well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.

Add 1 cup of the dry ingredients at a time, to the wet, continuing until everything is blended together.

Fill mini muffin cups to just above half full.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until center springs back when touched.

Makes approximately 8 dozen miniature muffins.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

4 ounces Cream Cheese
4 ounces Butter
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Beat the cream cheese and the butter together in a large mixing bowl.
Add the powdered sugar slowly to the cream cheese/butter mixture on low speed of mixer.
Add the Vanilla and mix until well blended.

Place the frosting in a gallon size ziploc bag.  

Snip a very small piece off of one corner of the bag.

Squeeze the icing onto the cooled muffins in a circular design.

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE!

PUMPKIN BREAD

I think I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Judy.  I found it in a bag of torn-out and copied recipes that I keep and add to from time to time.    I am so glad I found it because my little grandson loves Pumpkin Bread and I wanted to make him some.

 

This little munchkin came over today and he scarfed down a slice of that bread!



I think the ingredients in this recipe set it apart from other pumpkin bread recipes.  First of all, it has half the oil of most recipes because it incorporates ricotta cheese in its place.  Also, it calls for either milk or orange juice and I thought orange juice would pump up the flavor a bit.  Equal parts of brown sugar and white sugar are what sweetens this recipe and I used the dark brown sugar because I wanted more of that deep molasses flavor. 

 

 

Something I like to do is to grease my loaf pan by spraying it with Baker's Joy.  I then cut a piece of parchment paper that fits at the widest part of the pans and hangs out of both sides.  This step will keep the bread from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Also, when the bread is done you just simply grab both ends of the paper that is hanging out and lift it out of the pan to cook on a rack.

 

 

This recipe makes two large loaf pans so it is perfect to keep one loaf of bread for you and freeze one or share it with a friend.  So simple to put together, and it will make your kitchen smell like a spiced fall candle!  Now that is reason enough to try this recipe : )  

 

He loves his pumpkin bread!

 

 

PUMPKIN BREAD

Preheat oven to 325 Degrees

 

 

3 cups All Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1-1/2 teaspoon Salt

1-1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1-1/2 cup Light or Dark Brown Sugar (I used dark)

1 can (15 ounce) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

4 Large Eggs

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup Orange Juice or Milk (I used Orange Juice but I might try Milk next time)

1 teaspoon Vanilla

NOTE:  You can add 1 cup of Walnuts or Dried Cranberries, if you like

 

Place all of the dry ingredients in bowl and mix until well blended.

 

Place all liquid ingredients in blender until well blended.

 

Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until well blended.  Do NOT over mix as it will develop the gluten in the flour.

 

Divide batter between two large loaf pans.

 

Bake in a 325 degree oven for approximately 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.

 

 

 

 

 

ENJOY!!

 

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE