Gingerbread Mini Cakes

Ahem.  Don't mind me.  Just taking almost an entire month to get one more post written.  Looks like the days of being two months ahead on this blog are over.  Does anybody still check it?

Just in case you do, here's an easy fall treat for you.  Fall baking truly rocks, doesn't it?

Of course, we made these in the summer, and served them for a girls' tea party with friends.  We have a lot of those.  Tea parties, not friends.  It's better that way - more gingerbread cakes for us.

These are made with pumpkin, molasses, and all those warm fall spices I love.  When I see a long list of 1/2 and 1/4 tsp of lots of herbs in, say, a dinner recipe, I reject it - too much work!  But when I see a similarly long list of spices, for something like a cake or muffins, I pounce on it eagerly.  Because I know it will be delicious, and oh, so worth it.  As these mini cakes are!

Gingerbread Mini Cakes (print recipe)
Yield depends on mold size - makes 60 mini muffins or 18 canelé or standard muffins

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature plus more for muffin cups
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for muffin cups
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp fine salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin purée
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Butter and flour 18 standard muffin cups or whatever mini cake mold you are using.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  In a medium bowl, beat granulated sugar and butter with a wooden spoon, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in pumpkin purée until smooth, then whisk in molasses, eggs, and buttermilk.  Add to flour mixture in 3 additions, stirring well to combine.

2.  Divide batter among muffin cups.  Bake until puffed and set, 35 minutes (12-14 for mini muffins), rotating pans halfway through.  Let cool completely in pans on wire racks. 

3.  Whisk together confectioners' sugar and 2 T water.  Spoon over muffins and let glaze set, about 15 minutes, before serving.  Or dip tops of mini muffins in glaze and let extra drizzle off before setting upright to set.  (Refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

Nutrition per 3 mini muffins:
165 cal, 3g fat, 25mg chol, 156mg sod, 32.6carb, 0.8g fiber, 18.7g sugar, 2.6g protein

Recipe from Everyday Food, Jan 2012
1 year ago: Devil's Food Cake with Black Pepper Boiled Icing (oh, yes)
2 years ago: Sour Cream Muffins with Poppy Seed Streusel
3 years ago: Strawberry New York Cheesecake-Stuffed Blondies

Pumpkin Biscuits

I know this recipe seems out of season, and it is.  But I post 'em as I make 'em.  And I made these for Dinner Swap a few weeks ago, so I thought I'd post them.

Speaking of Dinner Swap, I think it's partially responsible for my decrease in frequency here.  I just haven't been baking much since November, and maybe even a gradual decline since September.  It's baffled me, but I think part of it is that cooking day is so long, intense, and tiring that on the other days I'm just not drawn to the kitchen like I used to be.  I can't figure out another reason.  I don't think I'm any more busy than before, but it seems like there is less time to bake these days.  Or maybe less reason.  But I will still post when I do, never fear!  I hope it's just a phase.

I made these biscuits to go with a really good sausage & lentil soup - they are a great bread-ish side dish when you need something a little different, or a barely sweet-and-spicy flavor profile (we get a lot of cornbread and white bread and rolls in the Swap.)  My kids loved them, and as a bonus, we ate the rest for breakfast!

Pumpkin Biscuits
Makes 16 to 18
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 T packed brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into thin slices or grated
1 (15 oz.) can unsweetened pumpkin

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment.

2.  In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices.  With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture looks like cornmeal.  Stir in the pumpkin and mix until you form a soft dough.

3.  On a well-floured surface, and with well-floured hands, pat out the dough to 1/2-inch thick.  Using a floured, sharp knife or floured round biscuit cutter, cut into 2-inch squares or rounds.  Place on cookie sheet and cook in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipe from my sister Tona

Steamy Sip #6: Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate

 

Now, remember, I'm picky about pumpkin.  Too much, and I won't consume it.  So I was curious to try this, and I am here to tell you, it's just enough, not too much.  Delicious, really.  Hot, spicy, sweet, very cold-weather-y.  Which is ironic and annoying, it being in the 60's just two days before Christmas.  But that won't stop me from having some Steamy Sips!

I had a friend and her kids over for dinner.  Six hungry kids sat moaning and restless at the table while I quickly took these shots before the whipped cream melted.  Just explaining why I didn't get out the photo light and all that.  Of course, if I had a good camera, it wouldn't be such an issue.  Just saying.  A last-ditch hint to Santa.  But anyway.

Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate (print recipe)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of ground cloves
2 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, pumpkin and spices.  Cook, stirring constantly, until just simmering.  Remove from heat and add chocolate, vanilla and salt.  Pour into two mugs.  Just before serving, top each mug with a generous amount of whipped cream, a few shavings of white chocolate, and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.  Serve immediately.  Makes 2 servings.

Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars

 I have found another great pumpkin recipe, LAAAA!  Ginger cookie crust, pumpkin filling, hello toffee-and-pecan topping, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.  I quote Billy Ocean: "She's simply...awesome." 

 

(That's right, this one's a short post!)

Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars (print recipe)
Ginger Crumb Crust:
2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 35 cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream

Topping:
1/2 cup toffee pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Caramel-flavor ice cream topping

1.  Make the crust: in a medium bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps, sugar and flour.  Add melted butter; stir until combined.

2.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan.  Lightly grease foil.  Press the Ginger Crumb Crust evenly and firmly onto the bottom of prepared pan; set aside.

3.  For filling, in a large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves.  Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined.  Gradually add half-and-half; stir just until combined.  Pour filling over crust.

4.  Using the edges of the foil, life the baked mixture out of the pan.  Cut into bars.  Cover and chill within 2 hours.  If desired, drizzle with caramel topping just before serving.  Makes 32 bars.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, December 2010

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

Okay, it's November. Pumpkin month. I'm so glad Martha decided to throw these sugary treats into her Thanksgiving issue because they were just the thing I needed to make for the school Election Day bake sale. And just as the name says, they really do taste like pumpkin muffins. You and your family will love them.

Funny thing, though. You know how a recipe usually makes less than it claims to? (Like a cookie recipe that claims to make 4 dozen and really makes 2.) Well this one claims to make 12 muffins. I doubled it so I could have some for the bake sale and some for our family, and I came out with 3 dozen. Go figure.

And while we are speaking of pumpkin, and you're in the mood for that spicy harvest flavor, here are some other great pumpkin recipes from the VGP archives:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Topping
Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins
Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Frosting
Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts
Yeasted Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon-Pecan Swirl

Wow, looking back, there are some dang good recipes on here! If I do say so myself. Here's another:Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins
Muffins:
10 T unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
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

Sugar Coating:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

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

2. Make batter: 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 pumpkin mixture and beat to combine.

3. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated 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 melted butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack. (Store in airtight container up to 1 day.) Makes somewhere between 12 and 18 muffins.

Recipe from Everyday Food, November 2010

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Frosting

Mild and sweet with super yummy frosting and a little pecan crunch. I might add a little pumpkin pie spice next time just to jazz them up, but there's something nice about their simplicity, too.

Hazel (4) had a piece one night for dessert. I asked what she thought, and she replied, "Mmm! Whatever would be best of the world if we didn't have these?"

I leave you with that final thought on this last day of Pumpkin Week.Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup dairy sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Browned Butter Frosting (see below)

1. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until combined. Add flours; beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup nuts.

3. Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

4. Prepare Browned Butter Frosting; spread immediately over cooled bars. Cut into bars. If desired, top each bar with a pecan half. Makes 32 bars.

Browned Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 T milk plus a little more if needed
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, without stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until butter becomes brown and fragrant. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2. Transfer butter to medium mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar, 2 T milk and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in additional milk, 1 tsp at a time, to make a spreadable frosting. Use immediately. Makes about 1 cup.
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2009

Yeasted Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Pecan Swirl

This may be a good post to explain my brother Dave's reaction to Pumpkin Week. I think he likes pumpkin slightly more than I do, but not much. He's more of a savory guy anyway. Earlier in the process, I was telling him the titles of some of the recipes I might try.

After listening to a few, he said, "What you have to ask yourself is - Does it sound better without the pumpkin? If so, don't make it." For example, Pumpkin Ginger Nut muffins actually did sound better as just Ginger Nut muffins. Therefore, those were not invited to Pumpkin Week. By that argument, though, I was afraid anything would sound better without the pumpkin. His great contrasting example: Roasted Pumpkin Soup. Roasted Soup doesn't sound better without the pumpkin. Which doesn't help us here of course because soup is not a VGP item.

But I took his point to heart and tried to stick to recipes that really make the pumpkin play an improving role rather than just get included. I understand determining that is totally subjective, but it works for me.

I was excited to find a yeasted pumpkin recipe - definitely different from the others this week. It was easy and fun to make, not taking itself too seriously, and the result was surprising and fun! We took it to my sister's house for dinner and all the kids liked it, which is always a top endorsement to me. And it makes three golden loaves so you really feel you're getting your time's worth - eat one, share two (or vice versa) - enjoy!Yeasted Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon-Pecan Swirl
1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
2 T rapid-rise yeast
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp salt
5 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour

Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup currants, optional

Finishing Touches:
1 large egg, beaten
Sugar
Ground cinnamon

1. In a mixer bowl, whisk water and yeast and a pinch of sugar; let stand 2 to 3 minutes. Briskly whisk in pumpkin puree, butter, sugar, egg, and salt and blend. Add 4 cups bread flour and mix. Attach dough hook and knead on lowest speed of mixer 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to make a soft but elastic dough.

2. Place dough in greased bowl; spray dough with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise about 30 minutes or until almost doubled.

3. Meanwhile, for filling, in a small bowl, blend together butter, brown sugar, and spices. Have pecans and currants nearby ready to go.

4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate. Divide into three portions. Press each into a 10-inch oval or circle. Scatter brown sugar mixture over surface of each piece and then scatter pecans and currants over each.
5. Spray three 8x4 loafpans with nonstick cooking spray. Roll up each oval or circle of dough into a snug jellyroll. Place each in a prepared loafpan. Place loafpans on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and cover entire sheet loosely with plastic wrap.

6. Let dough rise 45 to 60 minutes or until almost doubled. Brush each loaf with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

7. Preheat oven to 350. Bake on lower oven rack 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Topping

October 21 was National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day so I'm sorry to be late for the honors, but I had to save this one for Pumpkin Week.

I know a lot of people like pumpkin pie but why, oh why would you have that mushy mess when you could have these and be so much happier? There's a crust. There's a creamy middle. But it's got chocolate on top. And the crust is like an oatmeal cookie. And the middle is still pumpkin...pumpkin and two blocks of cream cheese - WOW and YUM! Yummy yummy yum. I've got my new Thanksgiving dessert.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Topping
1/2 cup butter
1 17.5-oz pkg oatmeal cookie mix
2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 15-oz can pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 cup butter
48 pecan halves, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 15x10x1-inch pan with foil, extending the foil over pan edges. Lightly grease foil. Set pan aside. In a large bowl, use a pastry blender to cut 1/2 cup butter into dry cookie mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until set.

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Pour pumpkin mixture onto the hot crust.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes more or until mixture is slightly puffed around edges and just set in center. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

4. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate pieces and the 1/4 cup butter. Microwave on 100% power for 30 to 60 seconds or until softened; stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate mixture over the cooled bars and carefully spread evenly. Gently press pecan halves evenly across top of uncut bars. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Using the edges of the foil, lift the uncut bars out of the pan. Cut into bars, cutting straight down with a large knife. Makes 48 bars.

To Store: Place bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, December 2009

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

The great trinity of sweet breads - zucchini, banana, and pumpkin - are all made better with chocolate chips. And I've got an army of kids, neices, nephews, a sister and a brother-in-law that will back me up on this loaf. Not that any of you should actually require convincing.
I made these loaves - I love that it makes two - on a Sunday morning and left them to cool while we were at church. Ed had to give someone a ride home after church, so the girls and I beat him home by about 10 minutes. By the time he walked in, we had devoured an entire half a loaf. Keeping hungry kids at bay for two minutes while I took quick pictures was no small feat, either.

I went and left the second loaf in my sister's kitchen, whose family was returning late that night from an 8-day vacation. Yummy breakfast. We had it for breakfast the next day, too, and I actually wrote down a quote from Hazel's morning prayer: "...and we thank Thee that Mommy made delicious delicious delicious pumpkin chocolate chip bread..." When it makes it into the prayer like that, you know it's good.

For a pumpkin bread that's actually made from pumpkin, not Trader Joe's mix, I think this one would be very hard to beat.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups cooked pumpkin or 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Pour batter into two greased 8x4 loaf pans. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.

Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts

Yay, doughnuts! This was one of the recipes that re-motivated Pumpkin Week. I figured fresh doughnuts with some pumpkin and fall spices could be enough to convert anyone, so I gave it a shot. Super exciting since it was my first time making doughnuts.

Not bad at all for my first time. The dough was perfect and delicious and so were the fried results. I had a heck of a time keeping the oil the right temperature, though. It's that darn electric heat - so hard to control, plus the fluctuations with new dough going in. I tried, I did, but my electric stove sucks. I understand deep electric skillets are good for a job like this, with their heat dials that hold steady. Naturally I used to have one, but didn't use it much so I got rid of it in one of the moves. Maddening!
So considering the fact that my oil was too hot or too cold two-thirds of the time, the doughnuts really turned out great. I think the dough must be quite forgiving because all the ones I tasted were neither too doughy nor too greasy. Really, really good.

I doubled the recipe. I figured, if I'm making doughnuts, let's GO THERE. I rolled half in cinnamon sugar hot from the oil, and glazed the other half with a made-up cinnamon glaze. Then I realized we could NEVER eat them all so we loaded up paper plates and went out to make deliveries. I think they were enjoyed by all.

In fact, here are direct quotes from my girls:

Ginger (age 2 1/2): "Too much yummy!"

Hazel (age 4 1/2): "Mom, these are g-g-g-g-g-g-g-good!" (a supreme compliment indeed.) "There's only one problem - " (very seriously) - "I want another."
On a side note, this post supports my case of needing a Lowel EGO light. These days it is almost always dark or darkening when I finish baking (especially when there's a 3-hour chill like in this recipe), so I can't use the natural light by my window for pictures. So we're stuck with the crappy-to-tolerable pictures we can get from my kitchen lights. So much for close-ups and macro details. So if anyone is feeling generous, the Lowel would really make my winter. Now, back to doughnuts!

Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts
2 T butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Spiced sugar (1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg)

1. In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined. Cover and chill 3 hours.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter, dipping cutter into flour between cuts. Reroll as necessary.

3. Fry doughnuts, two or three at a time, in deep hot oil (365 degrees) about 2 1/2 minutes or until golden (mine were quicker), turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove doughnuts; drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and holes. Coat warm doughnuts in Spiced Sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 15 doughnuts and holes.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2009

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins

These muffins really surprised me. Especially since I don't really like pumpkin and I don't really like corn muffins. I mean, I didn't used to. I had some good ones at a restaurant in New York once, and I like the corn bread topping on my crockpot enchilada casserole, but I don't really turn to corn muffins as a bread of choice. Until now.These are good on their own of course, but really best as a side dish to some kind of hearty soup or stew. We had them with vegetable soup, and our little family of four made a large dent in the batch. Daddy finished them off for a late night Sports Center snack.

These muffins come from Real Simple magazine. I used to subscribe, but after awhile got overwhelmed by all the good ideas I couldn't implement, so I let it run out. But once in awhile my search on MyRecipes.com brings up a Real Simple recipe, and every single time those recipes are indeed simple and reliably awesome. Seriously, if you have doubts but are open minded, give these a try. So surprising - so good!
Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 15-ounce can solid pumpkin
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat muffin tins with cooking spray (12 regular cups or 24 minis.)

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to slow, add the remaining ingredients, and beat for 3 minutes or just until smooth.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes (15 to 20 for minis - watch them) or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes 12 muffins or 24 mini muffins.

Recipe from Real Simple, October 2001

Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake with Chocolate Glaze

This was one of the first new pumpkin recipes I tried and it gave me a very promising start! Pumpkin makes things moist; so does buttermilk, so you know this baby's not going to be dry. And if there's one flavor I do love with pumpkin, it's chocolate. They really do go great together, as you'll see in at least half the recipes this week.

It also doesn't hurt that this cake is gorgeous - golden orange from the pumpkin swirled with dark earthy chocolate makes it delectable to both eyes and tongue. If you're not a fan of pumpkin pie, this cake is a great alternative for your holiday table.Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake:
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2/3 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan.

2. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla. Scrape half the mixture into another bowl.

3. To make pumpkin batter: Beat pumpkin into half the butter mixture until well blended. In another bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed or fold in with a flexible spatula just until blended.

4. To make chocolate batter: In another bowl, mix remaining 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and the cocoa. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the other half of the butter mixture (starting and ending with flour mixture), beating after each addition just until blended.

5. Spoon half the pumpkin batter into prepared Bundt pan. Drop half the chocolate batter by spoonfuls over, but not entirely covering, pumpkin batter. Repeat to spoon remaining pumpkin and chocolate batters into pan. Gently run the blade of table knife around the center several times to swirl batters.

6. Bake about 55 to 75 minutes, until a wood skewer inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cake cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto rack, lift off pan, and allow cake to cool completely.

7. Prepare glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:
4 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 T butter
1 tsp corn syrup

1. In a heatproof bowl or top of double boiler, combine all ingredients. Bring an inch or two of water to boil in a pan (or bottom of double boiler), then remove from heat. Place chocolate mixture over water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 10 minutes.

2. Pour warm chocolate glaze over top of the cake, letting it drop down sides. Sprinkle glaze with chopped roasted peanuts or pumpkin seeds, if desired. Let stand until glaze is set, about 2 hours, or chill about 30 minutes. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Recipe from Sunset magazine, November 2003