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02 November 2008

Pumpkin cupcakes

'Tis the season to be pumpkinny.

I suppose this could be a Savour the Season post...and if I'd given more thought to it, I'd probably have trekked out to the pumpkin patch, snapped some photos and done up a proper StS badge...but alas, I did not.

The fact is, I was stuck for Hallowe'eny treats. Last year I didn't do anything for this spooky day--didn't dress up, didn't do the treats. I wanted to rectify the situation.

This year, I wanted to be a bumble bee. We have a great theatrical costumer in town and I recall seeing the striped top, wings and other bee-like acutriments a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I was in an all-morning meeting and couldn't buzz around like I wanted...well, I could have, but it wouldn't have been advisable. Sigh...the problems of being a somewhat responsible grown up...

So I recycled a previous "costume" --dressed normally and wore my tiara (yes, I do own one)...whenever people commented on the headpiece I'd just say in my breathy bunny voice, "What tiara? I don't know what you're talking about," or "Princess? Why do you think that I'm only a princess one day a year?"



The treats weren't as easy to sort out. A few years ago I came up with ghoulish witch fingers...people are still talking about them. I'd seen some other seasonal goodies and thought about doing something really gross, but I've been run off my size sixes.


The fallback plan is always cupcakes. After some pondering, I decided on pumpkin cupcakes with orangy cream cheese frosting.


The frosting was thrown together without measuring...roughly 125g cream cheese (half a packet) a big knob of butter, a couple or four spoons of icing sugar, a dribble of orange essence and a teaspoon or two of orange juice.


The cupcakes are great--moist, spiced like a Thanksgiving pie but with a fluffy crumb...and very, very easy.


I'd thought I'd only bake a couple dozen...and I was well on my way to do that...but accidentally added the entire 796ml tin of pumpkin into the bowl, instead of half. OOPS. Well...I quickly doubled the rest of the ingredients and was soon up to my ears in pumpkin cupcakes. Oh well...there are worse fates...like not having any pumpkin cupcakes.


Pumpkin Cupcakes
yields four dozen cupcakes (depending upon size of bowls and how much you fill them).

500g cake flour
2 dspns baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
seeds from one cardamom pod, ground
1 tsp salt
225g butter
250g brown sugar
250g sugar
4 eggs
1/2 c whipping cream mixed with 1/2c water
1 796ml tin pumpkin


Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and paper the bowls of your cupcake tin(s).

Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in sugars. Beat in eggs, two at a time. Add flour mixture alternately with milk (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour)--scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Fold in the pumpkin.

Dollop into muffin tray bowls and bake for 25ish minutes or until an inserted tester comes out cleanly. Let cool completely before icing (optional).

cheers!
jasmine



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12 comments:

  1. wow you own a tiara that is so cool!

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  2. I love pumpkin, and these look wonderful. I also just had a chance to take a look at your Daring Bakers post, and your pizza looks like it turned out great, too!

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  3. Dear Jasmine,

    Love this! I write a blog about eating local foods in Colorado, and supporting our local farmers and Farmer's market. This year, I have asked my readers to buy a 6 months supply of squash and pumpkins to continue eating locally during the winter months. May use your recipe and offer a link to your site? I am a chef, and not a blogger, so I have much to learn. I also have millions of ideas for savory squash, but I am not the best at the sweet side. I may alter the recipe a bit to use fresh pumpkin, and I make my own fresh Cream cheese, and Cream Fraiche...but the recipe and credit will be all yours.
    Thank you,
    Chef Deb T
    p.s. Love the blog too!

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  4. I am definitely a fan of anything pumpkin - especially cupcakes!

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  5. I'd gladly take a few of those yummies off your hands! Do you think that was freudian slip? LOL!
    ~ingrid

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  6. With four dozen cupcakes, you will always be popular! The recipe looks delicious.

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  7. Although I think it's daring to wear your tiara before 6 pm, it's hardly a costume. Next year, wear your costume proudly and, if you can, make it a spooky one!

    The pumpkin mistake sounds rather serindipitous!

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  8. These look so scrummy - can't get canned pumpkin in NZ, but pumpkins are none the less much loved and cooked "from scratch". Confess my fav is roasted pumpkin, especially at Christmas.

    Jasmine, you've inspired me again, and your recipe includes cardamom! You're a champion, m'dear.
    Huggles, Michelle and Zebby-cat

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  9. I'll have to make these this fall. We love anything pumpkin around here!

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  10. how wonderful! if we weren't up to our elbows in pumpkin cookies i would make these tonight! can't wait to try soon.

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  11. Your blog is super. So are your photographies. They make me hungry. I have spent a nice moment when seeing them. Thanks a lot.

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  12. A double is definitely better than a zero batch. I'm with you on that one :)

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