Frosted Pumpkin Muffins

Muffin Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 TBS butter, cut into pieces

1 cup (heaping) pumpkin puree

1/2 cups evaporated milk

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cups golden raisins (I'm going to try chocolate chips, too!)

Topping:

2 TBS sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 nutmeg

Frosting:

1/4 cup softened butter

4 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 pound powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400. Generously grease 12 muffin tins (or use cupcake liners). Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into muffin pans. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely.

Mix all frosting ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins.

***This frosting recipe is enough for generously frosting a double batch of muffins!

Serves 12

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

10 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the pan

3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) plus more for pan

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15 oz can)

3/4 cup light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine.

Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean - 30 minutes.

Sugar Coating

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack.