October 2017 Recipe of the Month

October 2017 Recipe of the Month

Fabulous Pumpkin!
A recipe from Carla, reprinted by popular demand.

Why buy canned when you can have fresh cooked pumpkin now?

Fresh pumpkin is much superior to canned and simple to prepare. Put your pumpkin in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Wait for it to cool, peel off the skin and scoop out the guts. You can then put it in a food processor and puree it, or mash it by hand. Use what you need and freeze the rest. Try it in this muffin recipe, I think fresh pumpkin makes a big difference.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 eggs
16 ounces pumpkin
3/4 oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth; set aside.

In a second bowl, mix together the flour, sugar,salt, baking powder, soda, and spices. In a third bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until smooth.

Fill muffin tins about 1/3 full and then drop a teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center. Top off with a little more batter so muffin cup is 2/3 full.

For a streusel topping; combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, and 4 tablespoons butter. Mix with a fork, sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 24 muffins.

Adapted from 101 Things to do with Cheese by M. Barlow and J. Adams