Pumpkin and Pictures

I hope everyone is enjoying this amazing and very windy fall weather. I took a few pictures of my yard in its fall beauty! I hope you enjoy these pictures and these amazing and flavorful muffins. I have been so busy getting ready for Halloween. I am making my own costume this year and since I am not allowed near a sewing machine or anything sharp (hence the name Calamity Kate), I am gluing, stapling and cutting to create my custom Candy Land Halloween costume. I am thrilled to be covered with candy and I can't wait to share my pictures!  Enjoy your week!

I took these muffins to a friend who was healing from a very bad accident and had requested pumpkin muffins. I hope he liked them, but my coworkers loved them and only a few lasted to the next day.  

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  Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Center
  Recipe adapted from Bake Space and Annie's Eats
  Makes 24 muffins
  
  
  
  
  
  Muffin Batter:
  3 cups all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon cinnamon
  1 teaspoon nutmeg
  1 teaspoon ground cloves
  4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  2 cups sugar
  4 eggs
  2 cups pumpkin puree
  1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
  
  Cream Cheese Filling:
  8 oz cream cheese, softened
  1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
  1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Crumble Topping:
  1/2 cup sugar
  5 tablespoons almond meal/flour (fine ground almonds) from Trader Joe's
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
  
  
  Prepare the cream cheese filling by beating together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and pumpkin pie spice with a hand mixer or food processor. Roll the cream cheese mixture into 24 small balls. Place the ball on a greased cookie sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours and no longer than 24 hours.
  
  
  Prepare the crumble topping  by combining the sugar, almond meal, cinnamon in a small bowl, Whisk together. Slice the butter into small pieces and using a pastry blender, 2 forks or a potato masher mix the butter into the dry ingredients. You want the crumble topping to be like a wet sand, crumbly and slightly lumpy with butter. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use. 
  
  
  Preheat the oven to 350˚F
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Line the muffin pans with 24 paper liners. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, spices, and baking soda. Whisk to blend and set aside
  
  
  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil together at low speed until combined.  Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin batter on low speed, mixing until incorporated.
  
  
  
  Using a ice cream scoop, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, less than a tablespoon and just enough  to cover the bottom. Place a ball of frozen cream cheese filling into the middle of each muffin liner. Divide the remaining pumpkin batter into each muffin liner making sure to cover the cream cheese completely. Sprinkle  small amounts of the crumble topping over each muffin.
  
  
  Bake for 20 to 25 minute or until a toothpick inserted into several muffins comes out clean (except for the melted cream cheese).  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before sampling. Remember the cream cheese filling will be really hot!  

I have a great reason NOT to take down your drop-down ceiling tiles. Little did I know...that Raider found a warm and very dirty friendly place to sleep on top of the kitchen cabinets. Ugh, every try to give a long hair Norwegian Forest Cat a bath... I do not recommend it!  

Happy 4 days until Halloween!