Pumpkin...pumpkin...pumpkins!

"Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns."

George Eliot

 I have been having such a good time in the kitchen lately! Infact I have just  been having a good time. I am in love with this weather and want to breathe in every bit of fire red leaves, cool crisp mornings, and delighted little faces as they discover the world of pumpkins. 

I want to share a Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe with you! The pumpkin and the hint of cinnamon and nutmeg are just too much! But then the cinnamon cream cheese spread is the 'it' of the recipe!

For the muffins:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl; set aside

In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, melted butter and eggs in a small bowl; stir until well mixed. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until just combined... 

remember we love texture

Put batter into muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 22-23 minutes (My oven has been cooking hot, I ended up only cooking mine for about 18 minutes... don't let them overbake)

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Melt the butter in a separate bowl. Dip tops of warm muffins in butter and then in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Don't you love the pumpkiny robe in all of my morning pictures!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread

1 3oz pkg cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1 Tbsp (or so) brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Blend all ingredients until creamy and smooth.

Then... if this wasn't pumpkiny fun enough! The very next morning I used the remaining cinnamon cream mixture. I got a delicious loaf of chunky cinnamon bread from Kneaders. Spread the creamy mixture on one slice and topped with another slice of bread. Dipped them in a mixture of eggs and half-n-half, cooked until all gooey and brown. Of course I topped it with my buttermilk syrup! 

Try it... you'll like it!