Pumpkin Muffins

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Every year my parents host Thanksgiving, it’s always a huge crowd of friends (since our family is on the east coast) with an abundance of food & drinks. Our one family friend always brings these delicious pumpkin muffins and I’m always dying for the recipe. This year, they were so gracious to share the recipe since we decided to travel to North Carolina where my parents recently got a house and do Thanksgiving on the beach. It was my duty to make the muffins and I hope I did them justice (with just a few little tweaks to make them gluten free). Let’s just say I had to hide them because I’m worried there won’t be any left for Thanksgiving tomorrow! Enjoy!

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Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cans of pumpkin puree
  • ¾ cup butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare muffin tins with liners.
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves & nutmeg.  Set aside.
  3. In the mixer, beat together sugar with butter on medium speed until just blended.
  4. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is very light and fluffy.
  5. Beat in pumpkin puree.
  6. On low speed, beat in flour mixture until combined.
  7. Stir in nuts.
  8. Pour batter into muffins tins.
  9. Bake muffins for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Deconstructed Pumpkin Pie

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Last year in Martha Stewart Living magazine I saw a recipe for pumpkin mousse and always wanted to try it out but never got around to it. Recently, I got a request from a YouTube viewer to do a pumpkin recipe for fall and thought it would be the perfect time to test out the pumpkin mousse. I didn’t end up using Martha’s recipe because it called for gelatin and I didnt want to use that, but I found a recipe just as good and made some minor changes. You can definitely make this recipe in a bowl but thought it would be fun to put in small mason jars. They can act as favors and/or place cards at your next dinner party. You all know I’m a huge fan of double duty items when it comes to entertaining.

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Materials:

  • Mason Jars
  • Twine
  • Tags

Ingredients:

  • 1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
  • ½ can condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 2 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove
  • Cool Whip
  • Cinnamon Candied Pecans
  • Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crumbs

Directions:

  1. Place the pumpkin puree, condensed milk, ½ cup of heavy cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove into a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat.
  2. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and allow the mixture to cool completely and cover with plastic wrap.
  4. Place in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. You could make this part of the mixture the night before and let it chill.
  5. Smash cinnamon candied pecans in plastic bag with rolling pin. Set aside.
  6. Place the chilled pumpkin mixture and remaining 2 cups of cream into a stand mixer and whip until it thickens..
  7. Fill pastry bag with mousse and squeeze into mason jar. You can also just spoon it in, but you will get cleaner sides with the pastry bag.
  8. Add layer of graham cracker crumbs.
  9. Add layer of Cool Whip.
  10. Top off with layer of the crushed cinnamon candied pecans.

Pumpkin Mousse Recipe adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon. 

Farmer’s Market Essentials

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I’m so excited to finally make it to the farmer’s market this morning! I put air in my bike tires, a stop at Starbucks (hence the new mug holder added to the bike) and I’m on my way! On the shopping list is items to make pickled vegetables. I received the Food in Jars book for my birthday and I’ve been dying to test out some of the recipes.
Farmer's Market Essentials

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

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This no bake dessert packs so much goodness in one little bite. I prefer to make these mini because they are so rich, especially if you are using dark chocolate. I have a lot of pregnant friends right now and this dessert seems to be satisfying those sweet tooth cravings.

Makes 24 mini cups

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup of butter
  • 3/4 cup of chunky peanut (or almond) butter
  • 3/4 cup of gluten free graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup dark (or semisweet) chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup of milk (I use almond milk)
  • Sea Salt

Steps:

  1. Line muffin tin with papers.
  2. In microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter together for 45 seconds. Stir until smooth. Add graham crackers crumbs and sugar, mix to combine.
  3. Distribute mixture evenly between prepared muffin cups (using an ice cream scoop helps this process). Tap muffin pan on counter to help settle the mixture in the tins. Freeze for 5 minutes to set peanut butter layer.
  4. Combine chocolate chips and milk in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 25 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth.
  5. Distribute evenly over top of peanut butter layer. Tap muffin pan on counter to help settle the chocolate in the tins.
  6. Wait 2 minutes for chocolate to cool a little, then sprinkle with sea salt. Chill until firm. Store covered in fridge or freezer.

Recipe adapted from Blue Eyed Bakers