Since it’s getting near Halloween, I have to throw in a little American-style spice. Try these amazing pumpkin muffins from The Pioneer Woman. Cream cheese icing may seem strange, but it’s great for those who aren’t really fans of the normal sickly sweet variety (like me). I’ve pasted her recipe below, with a few of my own notes.
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 cup All-purpose Flour (i.e. plain 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 – I left these out)
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
Frosting
- 1/4 cup Softened Butter
- 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese (that’s around 113 grams for you metric-types)
- 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar (i.e. icing sugar, just over 225 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla (ones called “essence” are best)
*Tinned pumpkin puree is pretty much a standard in the US, especially around the holiday season, but is much harder to get hold of in the UK. I did manage to find some in the American section of Tesco, but if you can’t find it, it’s not too difficult to make from fresh pumpkin (and is actually much nicer). The Pioneer Woman gives step-by-step instructions here.
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (just over 200 degrees celsius). 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.
The Pepper Pot 
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