Yesterday I was in the mood for baking. So I searched for a recipe. Nothing in our recipe books really caught my eye, so I searched google. I found a recipe on this website http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Cream-Cheese-Muffins/Detail.aspx  that sounded really good. I changed the recipe a little, as usual. The muffins turned out super yummy. The many textures and tastes blend together in a symphony of flavor.

If you make these don’t make the same mistake I did. I made them into 12 muffins that overflowed the pan! They still turned out really well but the pan was a mess after. It would probably be better to use 24 medium sized muffin tins. Or if you want huge muffins maybe try making 6 in a 6 muffin tin.

Here is the recipe.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Use 24 medium sized muffin tins

Filling

4-5 oz cream cheese

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp brown sugar

Topping

3 tbsp all purpose flour

2 tbsp white sugar

¾ tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp margarine

Muffin Batter

1 ½ – 2 cups pumpkin pieces

2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar (not packed)

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

A couple shakes salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1/3 cup olive oil

½ – 2/3 cup skim milk

1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp rum extract (or real rum)

¼- ½ cup pecan pieces

To Make the Filling

Combine all the ingredients listed under filling in a medium sized bowl. Beat with an electric mixture until a smooth mixture is formed. Set aside.

To Make the Topping

Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. (It may be easier to cut in the margarine or use a pastry blender). Set aside.

To Make the Batter

In a large bowl combine the flours, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, mix well. Then add the pecan pieces and mix well. Set aside. In a blender add: the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, olive oil, milk, vanilla extract, and rum extract. Blend until smooth. Now combine the blender mixture with the flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Fill muffin tins ¼-½ full of muffin batter. Then spoon some filling into each muffin tin. Now add another layer of muffin batter. Add the topping. Bake until slightly browned and a tooth pick comes out clean. Enjoy.

The original recipe I used (and greatly morphed) came from this website: http://recipegal.com/pumpkincheesecake/Bon-Appetit-Pumpkin-Cheesecake.htm

The cheesecake turned out divine. The flavor is exquisite. Not too sweet, but sweet enough, and nice and smooth. The crust is also very flavorful. The only recommendation I would make would be to add more margarine to the crust (maybe double) because the crust was a bit crumbly. Other then that, this is a must try cheese cake recipe.

Here is my morphed version.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust

1 ½ cups graham crumbs

1 ½ cups ground pecan

¼ cup of brown sugar (not packed)

¼ cup olive oil margarine (melted)

Filling

13 oz light cream cheese

1 ¼ cup no fat cottage cheese

1 cup brown sugar

1 ½ cups pumpkin pieces

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp nutmeg

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the graham crumbs, ground pecan, and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Add the melted margarine. Press into baking pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Set aside. (makes one crust). Two crust recommended for this recipe.

For the filling:

In a blender place the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. In a large bowl add the cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. Beat with an electric mixture until combined. Now add the pumpkin mixture to the cheese mixture and blend until smooth. Pour over crust. Bake in your preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on your pan(s) and oven). Cool. Refrigerate overnight. Serve.

I was in the mood for baking tonight so, I decided to make some muffins. Here is my Mom’s original pumpkin muffin recipe with my own twists. They turned out super yummy.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 ½ cup all purpose white flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tbsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼-½ cup sliced blanched almonds

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

½ cup (or more if needed) sour milk (skim milk plus 1 tsp white vinegar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 cups frozen or canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare muffin tins (if needed). Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine all moist ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Add moist mixture to dry mix and mix until completely combined. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when poked.

Enjoy.

Below are a couple images of the muffins.

I did carve a pumpkin though! It’s very basic, since I am very uncoordinated with carving knifes. Here it is.

With the seeds I roasted them in the oven. First I washed them with cold water. Then I placed them on two cookie sheets spread as evenly as possible. Finally I sprinkled lots of salt on them. I then baked them in my preheated oven at 300 degrees C for 7 minutes. Then I flipped them with a spatula and baked them for another 6 minutes. They are slightly crispy and crunchy, and oh so yummy. Here are a couple photos.

For the trick or treaters, we will be giving out these. First we will be removing some of the coffee crisps though since it is a house hold favourite.

Have a happy and safe Halloween.J