Sadly every time I went to photograph them, My camera was dead!

But they were yummy!

I have a feeling I will be making lot’s of pumpkin goodies! and goodies in general.

What inspired my latest baking adventure is Starbucks’ Cream cheese Pumpkin Muffins! They were amazingly delicious! It seems they have cause quite a still this fall. I quickly set out to find the best pumpkin muffin recipe I could, and use the cream cheese as filling.  I can’t make it exactly the same!

I have seen recipes call for pumpkin spice, but I had no idea that it was a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, all spice, and ginger.  So I went to the store.  I did not however buy pumpkin spice itself, I bought all that makes up pumpkin spice and mixed it all in myself.

This is the first time I felt like a “true” baker!

Let’s begin!

Cream Cheese Indulged Pumpkin Muffins!

Need: (I’m going to tell you exactly what I used, there are many other things to substitute, and ways to do it)

• 1 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice (or cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, all spice, and ginger)
• 1/3 a cup of veggie oil
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts
• An additional 1 teaspoon of sugar cinnamon and nutmeg.
• 8 oz of cream cheese (for the filling)
• 1/2 cup of sugar (for the filling)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla (for the filling)

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, spices, finely chopped walnuts, and sugar together and mix with a hand held mixer.
4. Put liners in your muffin pan (I used fun festive ones!) and fill them 3/4 of the way full.
5. Combine the extra cinnamon sugar and nutmeg, and mix them together, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter.
6. Put the pan with the batter filled liners on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 mins, or until they are fully cooked nice and golden brown, and the ‘ol toothpick in the middle trick comes up clean! (may need to be kept in a little longer depending on your oven)
7. Take out the muffins and let cool on a rack.

Right out of the oven!

I like to make the cream cheese filling while baking and cooling, to save time.

Cream Cheese Filling!

1. Put the cream cheese in a medium/ large bowl
2. Add the vanilla and sugar and mix until combined and creamy.  Set aside

Filling the muffins:

1. Take an injector (I use Wilton’s sugar electric cookie press with the longer pointed tip) and fill the compartment with the cream cheese.
2. Take a muffin (they need to be cool or they will melt the cream cheese) and stick the tip of the injector into the muffin and press the button that makes the filling come out and feel the muffin expand as the cream cheese fills it.
3. Remove the injector and quickly move onto the next muffin. It can get a little messy especially if the filling keeps coming out of the injector. I wipe the muffins clean on top, and will add another dollop, just for decoration

I ran into a couple problems! I only filled my paper 1/2 of the way instead of 3/4 of the way, so they resemble cupcakes more than muffins >.< And I just got a new muffin pan and oven, so I over cooked some of them. I’m used to my old oven that was not good at regulating temperature. I also forgot to buy walnuts at the store and had to leave those out.  Still tasty none the less!

Ready to eat!

I will definitely make another batch! and perhaps add powdered sugar to the filling instead of granulated sugar to make the viscosity a little higher.

There are many many recipes out there! Don’t get discouraged, just do what I did. Read them all and then pick and choose what you think will taste yummy. It’s more fun if you experiment!

This is the time where there is the highest concentration of occasions and reasons for me to bake.  Not to mention fall is often associated with food, perhaps that is tied to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Don’t forget about Halloween!  The holiday that started out with a cultural cause and is now just used to up candy company sales.

Today I did something I never even thought about doing, cooking a pumpkin!  Pies have recently been added to my list! Not to mention my family eats more pie than they do cake or cupcakes, so I feel I ended up with less wasted food.  So when I bought my Home and Gardens Holiday Baking Edition Magazine, I thought Yum! Oatmeal Pumpkin pie

It dawned on me that I had never thought about how they get the pumpkin into a pie, so I Googled away.

I will now tell you how to cook a pumpkin yourself! (It is rather easy!) We used the stove top instead of microwave, oven, campfire etc. method, because we decided it ended up using less gas and was more economical! Yay for saving the Earth!

Need:

• A Pie pumpkin (Yes there is a difference between carving and cooking pumpkins, especially the taste!)

• 

  i.e I got an organic Sugar Pie Pumpkin

• A large pot (with lid)
• A sharp knife (I used the 5″ Utility Knife from The Pampered Chef)
• Cutting Board
• Large metal spoon
• Food Processor/ Mixer/ Blender
• and water

1. Wash your pumpkin, you don’t want all the yuckyness from the farm in your treats!

Get it nice and clean!

1. Cut your pumpkin in half, (also cut of the stem and bottom part) and then scoop out all of the seeds, goop, and strings.  You can set the seeds aside to make pumpkin seeds, my mom loves pumpkin seeds!
2. Fill the bottom of the pot about 1″ to 2″, and put the pumpkin pieces in the pot. If your pumpkin doesn’t fit, Cut it into smaller pieces.
3. On High heat, steam (put the lid on the pot) the pumpkin for about 30 mins, or until tender. I checked mine often.
4. Remove your pumpkin, (put the water from the bottom of the pot into a cup and save for later) let cool until you can handle it, and then peel the skin off. This is easiest to do with a knife, and then cut into smaller pieces to make it easier on your chopper/ mixer.

Time to Puree!

1. Take your food processor, mixer, blender etc. and chop up and pure the pieces! Once it’s nice and creamy you’re finished! If you are finding that your puree is kinda dry and not creamy enough for you, ad the water from the bottom of the pot into the puree and mix until you get your desired texture!

Turn it on, and make sure all the pieces are mixed!

My mom was telling me how you can simply put the amount you don’t need into a zip lock bag or container and freeze for later!

This is just to make the cooked pumpkin pure. Various recipes may call for different spices and even evaporated milk, so double check your ingredients!

I hope this has helped all your curiosity about how they get the pumpkin into whatever the beaked good is! You can do a lot with this puree; pies, muffins, pumpkin butter, the possibilities are endless!

Happy Fall!

<I will add photos later! Once I have a chance to upload them>

Once again I did not eat one myself, and had other eat them, and I did get good reviews.

I finally put my Hello, Cupcake book to use! I used their Orange spice recipe (with my own little twist). The recipe called for Pumpkin Spice, I did not have any so I added cinnamon and Nutmeg in stead with orange zest!

The cupcakes I gave my Neighbors

I also received a set of silicon cupcake cup liner thingys, however I did not grease them sooo the cakes stuck to the inside. My bad.

I did run into a tiny problem, I filled them a little too much! and they puffed up then cratered when they cooled, so a couple look a little funky and were hard to frost without this huge chunk of frosting in the middle

The regular sized cupcakes w/ sprinkles on top

I made mini ones as well, and frosted them with standard butter creme, but substituted milk for half and half, Delicious! and topped them with yellow sprinkles to give them an orange zest effect. Some I lined the sides with multicolored beady sprinkles.

Yummy!

I gave a few to my neighbor to thank them for helping my car when it was in need.

I went and bought supplies like fondant cutters for leaves and flowers =) I can take fondant to a whole new level!

Sunday is Easter and I hope to make Easter related ones on Friday night. I will surely post them in a heartbeat!

I have many ideas, pudding filled, flowers colors, themes you name it! Want any cupcakes? Let me know so I can save some just for you!

Thank you for reading

This has been how the past couple weeks have been. All I can think of how many cupcakes I could have made!

I don’t recall ever being this sick! It’s horrible.

March hasn’t been a good month. But next week I am off to San Diego with my friend Jessica.

Hopefully I will be much better by Tuesday when We leave.

Then it’s back to cupcaking!

I have been distracted about five times while writing just that. I have been nothing but Busy Busy Busy!

Studying from Anatomy and Physiology has taken up MUCH of my time (which is probably for the best since it is one of my classes and I need it to move on through my degree or admission to Nursing school) I always thought my Love of cupcakes was a weird mix for my desire to be in the medical field.

I am constantly being asked if I want to be a Pastry Chef, or a Photographer, and I answer nope! A Medical Examiner

Since the semester has started My baking has decreased, and my blogging even more! I am still making cupcakes and cakes, but mainly only for occasions.

I made a beautiful! 1 tier cake (I’m not sure if there is a specific word for that) white cake, with yellow fondant flowers for Gary’s sister’s (Elley) birthday (icky grammar )With Purple butter cream frosting as dirty icing and filling.

I need more piping practise, perhaps the bottles will help!

There was also a round cake with my brothers Ubergeek logo, bordered by blue iced baby cucpakes! for his Birthday on Feb. 25th This was a nightmare to make! Simply for the lack of time. I planned to dedicate all of Wednesday in backing and decorating, but I managed to squeeze in a few hours =( Sorry! But it turned out well and everyone enjoyed it. I didn’t manage to get any good photos ( I wasn’t sure how well I thought it actually looked) so I will have to fish around,  and pillage them off those that attended the awesome Dinosaur themed birthday bash!

AHHHH! So much blog catching up to do!

I am loving the pampered chef Biz! It’s fun. I have access to AMAZING products! I bought the Decorator Bottle Set, which has made my piping of frosting and ish A LOT easier! Sadly I put it in the wrong side of the sink, annnnd the garbage disposal ate the tip =( on a brighter side, the tips are standard sizes and interchangable!

I have been sitting in Barnes and Noble studying since 11 o’clock, adn it’s now 2, (Ive been slacking since maybe 1:30ish) OH!

I purchased (well my sister purchased, and then later that night Gary purchased the SAME) a Cupcake book! that shows you how to do amazing things: designs, ideas, animals, people, piping! affordable, easily and of course deliciously!

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hello-Cupcake/Karen-Tack/e/9780618829255/?itm=1&USRI=Hello%2c+Cupcakes

xhttp://www.target.com/Hello-Cupcake-Paperback-Alan-Richardson/dp/B002I1M73C/sr=1-1-mmb/qid=1267390803/ref=sr_2_1/180-5477203-1769654?ie=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-index&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3AHello%20cupcakes&page=1

The Book Hello, Cupcake! By Alan Richardson

I also saw this awesome idea on the Food Network: Cupcakes in Jars! (Would I be absolutely horrible If I stole this idea?) haha  I will give credit!!! (I promise)

http://www.yummycupcakes.com/features.html <—- The bakery featured on the Food Network who sells these pack and go cupcakes!

Brilliant!

I just spotted a cupcake mug at the cafe! haha Cupcakes are certainly “in” these days!

Well I have to be home soon! Thanks for reading! I apologize for the lack of photos, bad grammar, any incorrect term usage, and long catch up!

Even need any baked goods made? or interested in Pampered Chef?! Lemme know!

Gary (along with most people) guessed a completely different age than my sister really is!

Colleen and Linda

A photo of Colleen (left) and my Sister (right) at The Melting Pot for my birthday on Dec 29th 2010

How old do you think she will be on Feb. 9th?

                                 View This Poll

Every year, she gets a strawberry cake with strawberry icing. So I offered to take it to the next level. I made the cake itself a strawberry!

In the end it was yummy deliciousness!

Of course I can embark on making a cake without making cupcakes as well!

Frosting: I made standard buttercream icing (substituted vanilla for almond) and chopped up strawberries using my food chopper (from Pampered Chef =]) and mixed those into the frosting. It’s delicious!

I used the frosting under the fondant, and for the cupcakes (and I also made a heart shaped cake for my parents) I cut up fresh strawberries and used them as a topping.

They were asthetically pleasing as well!

I split up the cupcakes and distributed them. They were quite the rave!

I have this habit of not tasting what I make (I don’t eat a lot of sugar, am not a cake fan and I hate chocolate) I will just end up miserable for the rest of the day with a MASSIVE headache! So it’s not worth it to me to keep eating cucpakes and frosting. This habit leaves me then worried “How are they going to taste”

I was especially worried about the strawberry (shaped) cake, When I put the better into the pan, I forgot that well cake expands as it cooks! (not to mention I also kept forgetting to oil/butter the pan!) SO the batter overfilled and made a gooey mess in my oven. Oh No! But being the awesomeness that I am haha, I quickly cleaned it up, cut off the weird hard gooey mess and let it keep baking. Since by now it was cooking at uneven levels, I was worried that it would not come out at ALL! But I let my worry get the best of me and it came out fine =)

My 9 month old neice Amani!

Now back to tasting, I must be doing something right, cause my mom and dad hear or see me making cupcakes and they are like dogs scavenging a dead carcass in the wild, No joke. As I mention in previous posts my sister was not happy that she hadn’t recieved any yet. So I decided to set a couple aside for her, and my parents at ALL of them. Needless to say my sister was not happy and the event even inspired her to spell RUDE while playing Banana Grams (Awesome games BTW unless your down to one tile you you have Z, then your pretty much screwed as the game goes)

Since Tuesday is her actual birthday, we are all going to dinner and I was going to bring the cake. My school schedule is always inconvenient and I have Anatomy and Physiology during her dinner. and I wouldn’t miss that class for the world (since If I miss one class I am almost certain I would drop a letter grade!)So I decided last night after I finished it I would surprise her. and I did =)

She was surprised!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most awesomest sister, from the most awesomest sister! haha

I may be better decorating cakes, than I am at cupcakes >.<

http://twitter.com/Anns_Cupcakes

The Filling Before the Frosting

I mixed up the berries, and added them to my whipped cream mix. put them in my cookie dough dispenser (changed the tip) and filled the cupcakes! I was nervous at first about the filling, and how it would taste, but it’s delicious with the cakes and icing. I feel acomplished.

Purple!

For the icing and decorations. I went simple. I colored the icing to a light purple, and just iced them. I am tired. haha When i do themed cakes that involve fondant and designs I decided I’m going to do a half a dozen (6). Because of the time factor that’s involved. I’m going to save up to get the gum paste tool set.To help me make flowers and such.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=gum+paste+tool+set&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=1026054109370053812&ei=jSxmS6lZm-6wA-HB1OgH&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBkQ8wIwAg#ps-sellers

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

I am going to have my first Pampered Chef show! I am super excited. It’s only going ot be a few close people that I know, for practice. But hopefully the weekend afterward I will have a larger party and can really shine to do my job!

Perhaps I can squeeze more cupcakes in this week, I start my Math class so I will most likely have to stick to weekends.

I was talking to my sister on the phone, and informed me that I need to bring her cupcakes, so I will surely have to do some cupcake delivery in the next few days.

So people! Here I come!

My dad said it was delicious!

My mom would always buy those containers of those delicious bite size brownies. I always wondered how they made them!

Now I know. Now that I do know I feel kinda silly for not knowing before. Mini Muffin (or baby cupcakes as I call them) pans!

Gary loves brownies, and prefers them over cupcakes. So when I go refill my inventory of cake mix (not quite to making it from scratch) I buy a batch of brownie mix for him.

Brownies are pretty standard, you mix everything the box tells you too, and then dump it in a pan and bake. As delicious as they are, they are kinda boring and traditional. Not much variation in the brownie business from what I can tell. SO I thought, imma make baby cupcakes …err brownies!

Once I got them out of the pan I realized, they are the bite size brownies my mother used to buy. But I did not let that put me down! (I put the extra batter in a circular pan)

Perhaps on my cupcaking adventure, I can revolutionize brownies! (Frosting on brownies was always a little too much for me, just like frosting on cookie sheet cakes)

Sunday I do plan to make filled cupcakes! I will make yellow cake with whipped cream and berries inside, like a present! Maybe I will put bows and everything?! Yays.

I found out about Pampered Chef… and am now a consultant!!!! My first show is scheduled for Feb. 6th! I can’t wait! =) This means opportunity to get amazing products like the decorator bottle set! I also may be cooking more often for the fam or anyone who wants to eat my food. (I am a decent chef)

I am ALWAYS available for questions involving anything in the universe.

http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=13835&catId=122&parentCatId=122&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

I hope you all have a happy transition from Jan to Feb!

[[If I owe you cupcakes, come to my house, or make arrangements to meet me haha, with notice I will make a batch just for you!]]