Made some awesome pumpkin muffin’s this week. I made the first batch with the recipe below and they were amazing. The cream cheese frosting made it to die for.  However they were so good I could not stop eating them so I had to bring them into work. I decided to make another batch tonight and reduced the fat/calories. I substituted the white flour for wheat flour, used reduced fat butter, and substituted splenda brown sugar for regular. I have to say they taste just as good. I was still tempted to frost them but had to refrain. I highly recommend this recipe for a nice fall treat! Ingredients Muffin Ingredients: 1 cup All-purpose Flour 1/2 cup Sugar 2 teaspoons Baking Powder 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon Salt 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk 1 whole Egg 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!) _____ Topping 2 Tablespoons Sugar 1 teaspoon Cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg _____ FOR FROSTING: 1/4 cup Softened Butter 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Preparation Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting. To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature. High-res

Made some awesome pumpkin muffin’s this week. I made the first batch with the recipe below and they were amazing. The cream cheese frosting made it to die for.  However they were so good I could not stop eating them so I had to bring them into work. I decided to make another batch tonight and reduced the fat/calories. I substituted the white flour for wheat flour, used reduced fat butter, and substituted splenda brown sugar for regular. I have to say they taste just as good. I was still tempted to frost them but had to refrain. I highly recommend this recipe for a nice fall treat!

Ingredients

  • Muffin Ingredients:
  • 1 cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
  • 1 whole Egg
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!)
  • _____
  • Topping
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • _____
  • FOR FROSTING:
  • 1/4 cup Softened Butter
  • 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

My roommate gave me this recipe and I am in love. It is so simple and very tasty. You also can prepare the night before and bring it for lunch the next day. Take a look at Kalyn’s Kitchen blog. It has some great recipes! Garbanzo, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing (with or without avocado) Ingredients: 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed well and drained 4-5 tomatoes or 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, diced in 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 cup green onion, sliced 1 cup (1 large bunch) cilantro, washed, dried, and chopped coarsely with chef’s knife or food processor 1 avocado, diced (optional, but good) Dressing Ingredients: 2 T fresh lime juice (plus 2 tsp. more for avocado, if using) 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder (I used Shirrachi) 1/2 tsp. chile powder (mild) 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. onion powder zest from one lime salt, fresh ground pepper to taste Instructions: Drain beans into colander and rinse until no foam remains. Let drain well. Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, ground Chipotle powder (or hot sauce), chile powder, ground cumin, onion powder, and lime zest to make the dressing, then put beans and dressing into a plastic container with a snap-on lid and shake a few times to combine. (Use a bowl that’s big enough to hold all the salad ingredients.) Let beans marinate in dressing one hour or longer. If using avocado, peel and dice the avocado and toss it with 2 teaspoons of lime juice. Dice tomatoes, place in colander with a small amount of salt and let tomatoes drain 10 minutes while you dice onions and chop cilantro. (You can skip that step if using cherry tomatoes or if your tomatoes aren’t that juicy.) Thinly slice the green onions and wash, dry, and chop the cilantro. Combine marinated beans with dressing, tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro and stir gently until well combined, then gently stir in the avocado (if using.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.

My roommate gave me this recipe and I am in love. It is so simple and very tasty. You also can prepare the night before and bring it for lunch the next day. Take a look at Kalyn’s Kitchen blog. It has some great recipes!

Garbanzo, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing (with or without avocado)

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed well and drained
4-5 tomatoes or 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1 cup (1 large bunch) cilantro, washed, dried, and chopped coarsely with chef’s knife or food processor
1 avocado, diced (optional, but good)

Dressing Ingredients:
2 T fresh lime juice (plus 2 tsp. more for avocado, if using)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder (I used Shirrachi)
1/2 tsp. chile powder (mild)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
zest from one lime
salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
Drain beans into colander and rinse until no foam remains. Let drain well. Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, ground Chipotle powder (or hot sauce), chile powder, ground cumin, onion powder, and lime zest to make the dressing, then put beans and dressing into a plastic container with a snap-on lid and shake a few times to combine. (Use a bowl that’s big enough to hold all the salad ingredients.) Let beans marinate in dressing one hour or longer.

If using avocado, peel and dice the avocado and toss it with 2 teaspoons of lime juice. Dice tomatoes, place in colander with a small amount of salt and let tomatoes drain 10 minutes while you dice onions and chop cilantro. (You can skip that step if using cherry tomatoes or if your tomatoes aren’t that juicy.) Thinly slice the green onions and wash, dry, and chop the cilantro.

Combine marinated beans with dressing, tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro and stir gently until well combined, then gently stir in the avocado (if using.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.


This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.