Trick or Treat…

Posted on October 29, 2009 | 4 Comments

Smell my feet. Really? That’s not nice. If you are like me and still wearing those flats without socks I really don’t want to smell your feet. But to be perfectly honest, I’d rather not smell your feet ever – no matter what shoes you are or aren’t wearing. And yes – it’s cold here, but I am still wearing shoes without socks every day it might hit 50. Like today, for instance.

Give me something good to eat.Well, ok. That’s easy enough. Although technically, I’m not – but I am giving you something good to make. Does that count? Let’s not get too bogged down with the details, alright?

These here cupcakes are hella tasty. I finally ate one over lunch today and I must say – you really should make them. I guess you don’t really have to make them for Halloween, but it’d be so awesome if you did. Know why? Because you could make cool colored icing and make them all festive and scary-like (if you really want black icing, you’ll probably have to go to a craft store or something to find the dye. I found mine at Sur la Table). And you can put spider webs on your cupcakes. Although I guess you could do that anyway, if you wanted. You could also buy some Halloween candy and decorate with that (candy corn, perhaps? M&M’s?), although I think that messes with the fantasticness of the frosting. I suppose you can pick them off first though – that might be fun…

You should also make these precious treats because you’ll have a little leftover cream cheese frosting. Said frosting is great for dipping your fingers into every time you walk by the kitchen. I don’t really have to walk through the kitchen from the living room, but I made some “special” trips around the counter last night, just to check on the frosting. Luckily, Chris was in class – so it was all mine.

One last reason to make these cupcakes: can you ever ever ever get enough pumpkin? That’s a rhetorical question, actually. I thought I could this past weekend, but now I’ve changed my mind. I want more pumpkin!!!! Give me more pumpkin!!!!

If you don’t, I don’t care. What? What’s that supposed to mean? Sure you care. That’s just a big fat lie. And we all know I don’t like it when people lie. Be nice, now. For realz.

I’ll pull down your underwear. Really? I mean, really? Why’d you have to go there? Are you 7?

Stop horsing around and go make these cupcakes. I mean it. And then come back and tell me all about it. I promise they are easy, and I promise you’ll love them. I’m even close to promising that you have most of these ingredients at home, except maybe the cream cheese and if you’re into it, the black icing color. Pumpkin? If you don’t have a couple of cans of pumpkin lying around in October, you are just silly. Aren’t you making pumpkin pie soon anyway? Pumpkin soup? C’mon, now – go stock up. I hear there might be a pumpkin shortage this year anyway.

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart Living, 2009; makes 2 dozen

printable recipe

ingredients
cupcakes
2 c AP flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t coarse salt
1 t g cinnamon
1 t g ginger
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t g allspice
1 c packed light brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

frosting
1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
2 c powdered sugar
food coloring

instructions

1. preheat oven to 350 F. line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt and spices. whisk together and set aside.
2. in a large bowl, whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. whisk in pumpkin puree.
3. divide evenly among liners, filling each 2/3 of the way. bake until tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes (mine went 23), rotate pans once if needed (I did). transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
4. meanwhile, make frosting by whisking butter and cream cheese together. add in powdered sugar and whisk until smooth and delicious-looking. divide into 3 bowls and color icing accordingly. decorate away!