With Halloween less than a week away, I thought this would be a good time to share three of my favorite recipes for making sweet treats with pumpkin! I think you will find it hard to pick a favorite!
From by the bay wishing you sweet pumpkin food memories!
Maryann
Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Filling
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree ( canned)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8” square baking pan. ( I find an 8″ square glass baking dish works best). Make the topping for cake by combining all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in melted butter and make large chunky crumbs, between 1/4″ to 1/2″ inch depending on preference. Place crumbs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and put into the refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes. To make filling combine the dark brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.To make cake batter sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Mix in the flour alternately with the sour cream and pumpkin puree and mix well. Once combined pour half the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle the filling evenly atop the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top of the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Place in the oven to bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, when inserted into the center of the cake. This is approximately 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the cake from oven and let cool on cake stand about 20 minutes before removing from pan to serve.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
For Filling
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoons vanilla
For Muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
roasted and salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to garnish top of muffins
Directions
In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla together. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log. Place in the freezer for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use a 12 cup muffin tray and line each cup with a paper baking cup, preferably unbleached. In a medium size bowl add the ingredients for the batter except the pumpkin seeds. Mix well. Fill each cup about 3/4 full. Remove the cream cheese from the freezer and cut into 12 rounds or pieces about 2 teaspoons each. Place the cream cheese into the batter, it should be level with the batter and showing the cream cheese in the center. Top each muffin with 5 ot 6 pumpkin seeds. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a tester
comes our clean from the batter part of the muffin, don’t use the tester in the cream cheese. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tray. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.
Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Muffin batter
1 ¾ cup flour
¾ cup fine granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup sour cream
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 eggs
½ cup pumpkin puree
Topping
1 tablespoon fine granulated sugar
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
In a small bowl mix topping by combining sugar and cinnamon and set aside. In another bowl mix together dry ingredient s of sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Using another bowl combine sour cream, oil, honey, eggs and pumpkin puree. Whisk together. Add ingredients to the dry ingredients in the other bowl. Mix until incorporated, batter will be lumpy don’t over mix. Take a lined 12 muffin tin and fill each muffin tin to 2/3 with batter. Top the batter with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 20-22 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on rack.
