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Pin It These Pumpkin Cupcakes are a great way to enjoy pumpkin. They are moist and taste of pumpkin and its complementary spices (ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves). Once the cupcakes have cooled, they are covered with a tangy cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) or English Toffee Bits. I like to serve these cupcakes after a casual Fall or Winter meal but I think they would also make a nice addition to your Thanksgiving baking. This Pumpkin Cupcake recipe is adapted from Baking from the Heart, a collaborative cookbook with Michael J Rosen, Share Our Strength (an anti hunger organization) and culinary chefs from all over the country. The recipe I adapted comes from Joanne Chang, owner of 'Flour', a bakery and cafe in Boston. Now, I have changed her recipe a bit. Her recipe calls for a 9 inch (23 cm) loaf pan instead of what I decided to use, a 12-cup muffin pan. After the cupcakes are baked and left to cool, I like to cover them with a cream cheese frosting, which is a light and fluffy mixture of cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar. Other options would be to use a regular buttercream frosting or even a chocolate frosting. The frosting can either be piped or simply spread on top of each cupcake. To make our lives easier instead of making our own pumpkin puree we can buy canned pure pumpkin.Just make sure you do not buy the pumpkin which already has the spices added to it.However, if you want to make your own puree start by using the smaller pumpkin varieties like Sugar Pie, Baby Bear or Cheese Pumpkin (approximately 5-7 lbs., 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 kg.).Then first cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise, remove all the seeds and stringy fibers, and then place cut-side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours (depending on size) or until easily pierced with a knife.Scoop out the pulp and puree in a food processor until smooth.You do need to extract all the liquid, so strain the pumpkin through a cheesecloth lined strainer and then cool the puree before using. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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