Pumpkin Anyone?

I know I've said it before, but Fall is my favorite time of year! Today, while getting my Twitter fix, I stumbled upon a few recipes I thought I'd share ... of course, they give a shout out to fall with their pumpkin flavor. Enjoy and let me know if you make any of these!

Here's the link to the original post on The Plunge Project.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

{Recipe & photo via The Pioneer Woman}

Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients:
Muffins:

• 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

Frosting:

• 1/4 cup Softened Butter
• 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla.
5. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture.
6. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.
7. Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full.
8. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.
9. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
10. 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.

Pumpkin Spice Spread

{Recipe & photo via The Neuff}

Ingredients:

• 1 Pkg Cream Cheese
• ½ C Canned Pumpkin
• ½ C Sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp maple flavoring
• ½ tsp Pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 carton frozen whipped topping – thawed

Directions:

1. Whip the cream cheese, pumpkin and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Beat in cinnamon, vanilla, maple flavoring, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg.
3. Fold in whipped topping and refrigerate until serving.