Wednesday, November 11, 2009

PUMPing It Up!

This is the 5th cupcake I've made along with Ingrid from 3 B's out of Martha's Cupcakes. First we made Cookies and Cream Mini Cheesecakes, then Black Forest Cupcakes, Orange Glazed Strawberry Jam Tea Cakes, Tres Leches Cupcakes and now Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes!

These were my choice because I wanted something simple that didn't require making a frosting and I wanted something quick and seasonal. These filled the bill and I think Ingrid liked them too. At the last minute I decided not to make the brown butter glaze for these because I needed them to travel well and I didn't want the glaze melting in the heat of the car. It was 80 degrees here on Saturday.

So I made a couple changes, I omitted the sage, added pumpkin pie spice because I didn't have cloves, and added cinnamon chips and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar to the top. These were so good. The recipe made 15 cupcakes and I gave a dozen of them away to a couple friends of mine that I met up with this past weekend. So Aaron, Mr. H and I each got one. They were rich and sweet, spicy and so moist. The pumpkin and the brown butter flavors were definitely apparent and the cinnamon chips added a nice sweetness and texture to the cupcakes.

I definitely plan on making these again using the original recipe with the brown butter glaze. I have posted both recipes below so you can make whichever version you prefer! You should definitely give these a try. Head on over to Ingrid's to check out her brown butter glazed version.

Pumpkin Brown Butter & Cinnamon Chip Cupcakes
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup homemade pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup cinnamon chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place muffin liners in tin and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned bits behind; let cool.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown butter mixture. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined. Fold in cinnamon chips until evenly distributed. Top each cupcake with a few more cinnamon chips and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (about 1/8 teaspoon per cupcake).

Divide the batter evenly among lined cups, filling each one 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

To finish, dip top of each cupcake in icing (recipe follows), then turn over quickly and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Makes 15 cupcakes

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes from Martha's Cupcakes
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, cut into a chiffonade (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place muffin liners in tin or butter and flour and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.Add the sage if desired, and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned bits behind; let cool.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown butter mixture. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among lined cups, filling each one 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

To finish, dip top of each cupcake in icing (recipe follows), then turn over quickly and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Makes 15 cupcakes

NOTE: Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen (unglazed) for up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Brown Butter Icing

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour butter into bow, leaving any burned sediment behind.

Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to brown butter, stir til smooth. If necessary, add more milk (up to 2 more tablespoons) a little at a time, just until icing is spreadable. Use immediately.

Congratulations to #26- Christy from Christy's Kitchen Creations and #53- Tamilyn from Butter My Kitchen. They are the lucky winners of my giveaway! You'll both be receiving the McCormick Holiday Baking Pack and a bag of Hershey's Cinnamon Chips. Send me your address and I'll get them out to you as soon as I can.

What will you bake up with these goodies? Maybe these cupcakes? Inquiring minds want to know! Congrats ladies!

28 comments:

Coleens Recipes said...

That last photo is a real winner, how delicious does that look!?! Eighty degrees? WOW, it is almost zero here tonight!!

Anonymous said...

Seriously these cupcakes look ah-mazing! I want one now!

It was 39 degrees celsius here today - which I think is almost 100 F - very, very hot. Especially for spring.

Donna-FFW said...

OMG!! I love how you packaged them.. So beautifully. What a lucky recipient. How do you package your cookies?

They sound so delicious. Great choice.

Selba said...

Those cupcakes look so good! The packing is very nice too...

Christy said...

These cupcakes look absolutely scrumptious! My family would LOVE these!!

I'm soooo excited that I won your giveaway! Yay! :) I can't find your e-mail address, so can you please e-mail me @ ChristyOoley@yahoo.com and I will give you our mailing address. Thanks for such an awesome giveaway!

cookies and cups said...

these look really good, btween yours and Ingrid's I am now crazy excited to make these. I have been looking everywhere, though, for those cinnamon chips and can't find them :(
I think when I make them I will use the chips, if I ever find them, AND the glaze...yummy!!

Julie said...

They look just beautiful and delicious (I think I would have left the sage out too..blah!)

Miranda said...

Congrats to the winners.

The tops of those cupcakes look soooooooo good.

Smitten Sugar said...

Yum Monica even with all your changes these look delicious! Your pictures always make me want to rush home and bake whatever you did!

Heather S-G said...

These do look amazing...love the simple look, too. Darnit all...now I must go back to hunting down those cinnamon chips ;) YUM!

Jackie said...

Hi Monica

Where did you purchase that box and label from.

Amanda from Faith, Food and Family said...

These look so yummy! I bet they taste fabulous!
God bless,
Amanda

oneordinaryday said...

These look yummy but in a different way than Ingrid's. I think they both look absolutely delicious.
BTW - I love your handwriting!!! You should be scrapbooking!

vanillasugarblog said...

where did you get those fabulous boxes? love it.
I'm not surprised these muffins are stellar you are an incredible baker.

Keeley said...

I LOVE your bakery boxes! Do you purchase them at a restaurant supply store? How do you package cakes for gifting?

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Monica, I started laughing when I saw those boxes! How funny and we were just talking about paper plates and matching ribbons! LOL! You're so cute! I bet you have a stash of those for just in case now.

Needless to say your version looks wonderful and has me wanting to try it as well.

Hey, did you notice we ended on bsaically the same photo? Great mind, Monica! Great minds! Or is that your influence? :)

Anyway, I enjoy baking along with you and appreciate your patience with my crazy schedule! Great choice and I'm looking forward to our next cupcake!
~ingrid

Monica H said...

Donna, Jackie, Dawn and DelKee- I got the bakery boxes at Michael's about a year ago. They are Martha Stewart and they were half off. They came in a set of 6 boxes, with cupcake liners and the inserts for $6!

They no longer have them but I saw a smaller cookie version not too long ago.

For cookies, I buy cookie boxes (last year I got red and white ones from MS at Walmart and package them up similarly, only I divide each type of cookies into cupcake liners.

For cakes, I serve them on cake boards and place them in a white cake boxand seal it with a sticker- nothing fancy, but mainly because I've never seen anything but white cake boxes. Believe me if there were colored ones, I'd buy a stash of them!

xoxo,
Monica

Debbie said...

Monica, those cupcakes looks terrific. I would love to try the recipe since it sounds delicious. I love the sugar topping you on them along with the cinnamon chips!

Lissaloo said...

These look amazing! I wish I were close enough to sneak over and grab one... or two!!! YUM!

tamilyn said...

Those look so good! I'll have to use my last batch of pumpkin on these I think! The glaze sounds terrific and I bet it would be good on other treats too.

I sent you an email with my addy-thanks so much! I can't wait to bake up a storm for the holiday.

Bunny said...

I absolutely adore you and your blog, you bake and I drool!!! These are awesome and would be a wonderful addition to my Thanksgiving table!

Maria said...

I am obsessed with cinnamon chips! Love these!

Foodiewife said...

SIGH. I swear, I never win a thing. Seriously, between you and Ingrid, these look amazing. I can't wait to bake these. I've been addicted to baking bread, lately, but I'm ready for something sweet.

Lori said...

Beautiful job- they are totally gorgeous.

Mary Bergfeld said...

These really do look amazing! This is my first visit here and I'm so glad I stopped by. I came here via Feast for the Eyes. I'll be back often.

Two fit and fun gals said...

they look GORGEOUS! PERFECT!

Two fit and fun gals said...

these look fabulously moist & carroty

personally i would add some pecans/walnuts into th emix as well :)

Unknown said...

I love the addition of the cinnamon chips and the cinnamon sugar topping. Well done dearie!!

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