Pumpkin Spice Mini Muffins

Soooo thankful that a friend of mine mentioned to me beforehand that for our boys' little Halloween party last week, parents were to bring a snack to share.  Yeah, I totally glossed over that part of the invitation; oopsy!

So thank you Nicole!  And thank you God for my well-stocked pantry that enabled me to make these little last-minute gems for our toddlers:

Pumpkin Spice Mini Muffins
Recipe adapted from Ree Drummond
Prep time: 10 minutes   Cook time: 15-17 minutes

Muffins:
1 cup all-purpose flour [OR use 1/2 cup AP flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for some added nutrition]
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
4 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (heaping) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping:
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease 24 cup muffin tins OR line with paper liners.

I love the little spice bombs.

2.  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.

Looks like wet sand.

3.  In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

A little more folding and I'll be ready to eat this as is.  But I shall resist the temptation!

4.  Using a cookie scoop, fill the cups of your muffin pan. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle a little over the top of each unbaked muffin.  Bake for 15-17 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

Aren't these just the CUTEST little things?!

These were totally perfect for little toddler hands!  And though, yes, there is sugar, I felt good about giving my son a treat that's also has vegetables in it.  I love these for an afternoon snack, or alongside an omelet in the morning to sweeten up breakfast.

p.s. Don't throw out the leftover pumpkin!  Scoop it into an ice cube tray, freeze it, and use the cubes to add to other batters, sauces, or mac & cheese.   Nothing like hiding a little extra nutrition in something, right? ;)

Save it!

Pumpkin Pie

The holidays are such fun, but MAN are they crazy busy!!  This weekend especially is pretty hectic but I continue to try and squeeze in as much cooking and baking as possible.  All because I love you guys so much!

So, I know pumpkin pie is usually a Thanksgiving thing, but I didn't have my camera on me with I baked it.  I absolutely LOVE this recipe though and am convinced you will too.  So, I made another one.  Oh, the sacrifices... ;)

I primarily hold my mom responsible for my love of cooking and baking.  However, it was her sister who gave me my first cookbook.  It was Christmas.  I was 6.

Not all great recipes come from celebrity chefs.

There are a few delightful recipes that came out of that book that I still use today.  Yes, I'm about to share my pumpkin pie recipe with you, one that I've been making since I was about 7 years old.


Pumpkin Pie
Recipe adapted from Kids in the Kitchen

Pie Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tbsp milk


Filling:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can pumpkin
3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 can evaporated milk

1.  For the crust: sift flour, salt, and sugar together into a 9-inch pie pan.  Add milk and oil; mix using a fork or your fingers.  Pat the dough out to cover the pan.

I've never gotten a fork to work as well as just using my hands

2.  For the filling: combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour into the prepared pie shell.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm....

3.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 45 minutes.

*drool*

Since I've been making this pie for so long, I'll go ahead and let you in on a few things I've learned about this pie.  First, and MOST important, do NOT confuse the salt and sugar in the crust.  It's very easy to do, but the result is a nasty, yucky pie.  Yes, been there. Also, when you are paying such close attention to getting the measurements right for the crust, make sure you don't do something really silly, like forgetting to add the sugar in the filling.  Uh-huh, done that.

I will say that when it comes to the spices, be generous.  If you want to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on the crust and/or on top of the filling, do it!  This pie is best consumed with LOTS of whipped cream on top.