Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Muffins

Yes, I know what you are thinking....yet another pumpkin recipe!! But hey it is fall....you really can't go wrong with pumpkin. I have to say...this muffin recipe took me on by surprise as i was making them for thanksgiving. I had my dad and uncle louie standing beside me as i took a recipe and countinued to tweek it.  i think the best part about this dessert is truley the decadent pumpkin spice honey frosting.  To Die for!!!! Well, i hope you all enjoy it as much as my family did! Happy Turkey day!

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Muffins
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil ( I would like to try it using apple sauce next time)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 scant cup brown sugar
3 tbsp honey
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
Filling
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
Frosting
4 Oz cream cheese (room temp)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp butter (room temp)
2 tbsp honey/maple/agave (any one)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tbsp water or almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line muffin pans with paper liners for 24 muffins.

First start off by preparing the filling. Take your cream cheese, marscapone, and powdered sugar and mix well,  i started off making my uncle mix this by hand and we found very quickly that a hand mixer works ten times faster, especially if the cheeses are a little on the cold side. Once you have the mixture smooth and fluffy, pour into a gallon zip-lock bag and push all ingredient to the bottom until in coats the bottom of the bag. Then fold the bag forcing the mixture into a log shape. Once you have your log shape pop this is the freezer for at least an hour 2 if possible.

While you are waiting for you filling to harden up you can work on the muffin itself. Combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the eggs, the oil, the sugar and the pumpkin. Beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just the flour is moistened.

Once you have your muffin mixture and you cheese filling is hardened you can start filling you muffin liners.  You can start off by cutting your log into 24 equal pieces, then begin by filling your muffin liners 1/3 full. This is allow you room to put the cheesecake slice in and cover it until the muffin tin is 2/3 full. make sure to push the cheese cake filling as far down as possible or you could have cheese cake filling popping out the top in the baking stage (which happened to many of mine, but i was able to utilize frosting to cover up that oppsie). Place in the oven and bake for about 22 minutes until your toothpick comes out clean.

While, you are a waiting the completion of your muffin masterpieces. Throw in the leftover 4 ounces of cream cheese and butter and cream until both ingredient are fully incorporated. It is really important here to have the ingredients at room temperature because it will allows them to mix together better. Once you have a nice consistency begin adding the powdered sugar and then water. A fluffy mixture is the tale tell sign that the frosting is ready for its finishing touches of honey, vanilla, and spices. Beware!!! This frosting could truly be the most addicting frosting i have ever made!

For this muffin, i decided to go light on the frosting since thanksgiving is filled with so many flavorful dishes. The kids might want a little more and dad's like mine who are kids at heart.  Hee Hee!! This recipe goes out to my amazing Sue Chiefs Dad and Uncle Louie.  You guys my have been bug bug bugging me but we sure came out with something irresistible!!!  Until another day...

Pumpkin Choco-chip Cake Batter Cookies

I really need to start coming up with shorter names.  So i have heard you can make cookies out of cake batter and i just had to try it. These cookies were so easy and sooooo good. I encourage you to try them especially if you are one of those people who only likes the cupcake tops. This recipe is perfect for you. It is sweet, gooey and ooo so chocolateeee.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Cookies

1 Box Butter Cake mix

¾ can pumpkin

¼ cup pumpkin butter

1 egg

½ cup water

¼ cup apple sause

1 tbsp vegtable oil

¾ bag chocolate chips

Mix first 6 ingredients. Once blended then add chocolate chips folding them in with a spatula. 2 ½ insize scoops and backe at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Vegan Apple Cider Pumpkin Cupcakes

Vegan Pumpkin Butter Spice Cupcakes.....What a mouth full...and a tasty one if i might add.  This recipe was inspired by the random pumpkin butter that Trader Joe's amazing marketing convinced me to buy. You all know the ones... the cute chalk boards with the perfectly printed and drawn advertisement. i always wondered who did the chalks boards and if that is a requirement when you apply to work at Trader Joe's. anyways, as usual, i found myself walking about of Trader Joe's excited about my new purchase but having absolutely no idea what to do with it.  Before letting buyers remorse kick in i decided cupcakes..... everyone loves cupcakes! And so the recipe began...

Vegan Apple Cider Pumpkin Cupcakes

Cake:

2 Cups Apple Cider (2 cups water, 1 packet of cider, 1 apple cinamon tea bag)

1 tsp corn starch

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 pinch nutmeg

1 pinch pumpkin spice

½ cup pumpkin butter

¼ cup Maple Syrup

¾ cups sugar

1/3 cup vegtable oil (and a little more)

2 tsp Apple cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Cinnamon, Maple Vegan Buttercream Frosting:

½ cup vegan butter (1 stick of earth balance)

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 tsp maple syrup

¼ tsp cinamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp  almond Milk

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

·         Place the two cups of water, 1 packet of cider, apple tea bag, cinnamon, cloves, corn starch, and pumpkin spice in a small sauce pan.  Get the mixture up to a roaring boil then bring it down to a light boil and leave until it reduces to about 1 ¼ cup.  Once the mixture has reduced down, set aside and let it come to room temperature.

·         Mix together the four, bakign powder, bakign soda, and baking powder

·         In a Seperate bowl mix the pumpking butter, maple syrup, sugar, vegtable oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.

·         Take the sugar mixture and mix the apple cider mixture in well

·         Then mix in the flour mixture

·         Lastly, fill each cupcake ¾ full  and bake for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Time....Pumpkin Time!!

Pumpkin...Pumpkin and more pumpkin!! Pumpkin is my boyfriends favorite ingredient i bake with. In honor of his birthday this month i would like to show case a dish i made inspired by him.  Its sweet, large in quantity, has a hard outside but is nothing but butter in the middle with a little bit of an after kick in every bit.  Happy Birthday love! This one is for you!!


Pumpkin Butter Love
(the recipes if off of Paula Deen's Butter Cake with a few personal changes)

Cake:

1 box of Pillsbury Classic Yellow Cake

1 egg

8 Tbsp Butter

Filling:

1 package of cream cheese (8 oz) (room temp)

1 little can of pumpkin (15 oz)

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

8 Tbsp butter

¾ box of powdered sugar ( 3 ½ cups)

¼ tsp crushed clover

¼ tsp dried ginger

2 ½ tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tbsp pumpkin spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combined all cake ingredients and pat into the bottom of a lightly grease 13 by 9 pan.

To make the filling you must take the room temperature cream cheese and beat it with the pumpkin until it forms a smooth mixture. If a smooth mixture is not forming then the cream cheese was now warm enough. Just leave the mixture out and continue to mix later. Once smooth add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. Finally add the powdered sugar and all the spices. Once fully mixed pour the filling on top of the crust and back for 40-50 minutes. Don’t over bake the center should be gooey.  Best served cold!