pumpkin mania

does anyone else go absolutely gaga for pumpkin flavored stuff? i'm basically obsessed.

trader joe's has these pumpkin-y spicy whoopee pies which are probably the best thing i have ever tasted. one time i ate five of them in a row and called it dinner. it was the best night of my life.

anyway! my friend caroline made some truly kick ass pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for our annual Urban Family Thanksgiving last weekend.

{jillian and i were there while she was baking them and caroline was nice enough to give us each a spoon dripping in batter and then covered in frosting. that is what i call a true friend.}

the cupcakes turned out so yum-o that i decided to try making them for Thanksgiving day.

deciding to cook or bake anything at my house is always a big adventure because we have ummm...ZERO....ingredients in the house.

when i decided to make these pumpkin bad boys, i had to go to the store for flour, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, butter, salt, pumpkin, spices, etc. basically everything.

i feel like grown up people are supposed to have at least some of this stuff on hand?

whatevs, the ingredients were purchased. the cupcakes were made. mouths were happy.

the recipe is from martha stewart. a woman who probably always has flour on hand in her pantry.

STUFF I HAD TO RUN OUT AND BUY

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon baking powder

•1 teaspoon coarse salt

•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•1 teaspoon ground ginger

•1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

•1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

•1 cup packed light-brown sugar

•1 cup granulated sugar

•1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

•4 large eggs, lightly beaten

•1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

2.In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

3.Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.




Read more at Marthastewart.com: Pumpkin Cupcakes - Martha Stewart Recipes