Compliments

make everyone feel good and today was no exception.

We had cupcakes from a cupcake bakery today at work and one of my coworkers walked by after finishing his and said "These are good, but yours are definitely better."

It put a smile on my face for the rest of the day :)

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I made these with spiced vanilla buttercream frosting. DELICIOUS.ingredients
3C all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4C butter, softened
1.75C pureed pumpkin (pretty much a 15oz can)
1.75C sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1C plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4C skim milk

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In mixer (or bowl) cream butter, pumpkin, and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add baking soda and baking powder, mix until smooth.
4. Add milk, mix until combined.
5. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until combined.
6. Add flour, mix until smooth.
7. Add Greek yogurt, mix until smooth.
8. Bake ~23 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool and frost.
10. Enjoy!

Spiced Vanilla Buttercream

ingredients

1 C butter, softened

3.5 C powdered sugar

1 tsp skim milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice

directions

1. Cream butter and sugar together in large mixing bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy.
3. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Muffin Melts Knockoffs

I had a hankering for Tastefully Simple's Cinnamon Muffin Melts but did not have any at the house, so I went on the hunt for a suitable substitute.

Thankfully, I found one here.

ingredients

1.5C flour

1/2C sugar

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

3/4C milk

1/3C butter

for rolling

1/2C sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2C butter, melted

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix first 5 ingredients together and set aside.
3. Beat egg and milk together in small bowl and set aside.
4. In mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy.
5. Alternately add egg and flour mixtures to mixing bowl.
6. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full.
7. Bake ~18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool muffins until not too hot to touch.
9. Melt remaining butter.
10. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in shallow bowl.
11. Dip (roll) whole muffin in butter and then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
12. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
13. Enjoy!

Browned Butter Cupcakes

I paired these with the Chocolate Buttercream listed below for a BBQ this weekend.

They were a hit!

I would say they are a more flavorful take on your average white cake cupcake, not too different but just enough.

ingredients

1C butter

2.5 C flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2C sugar

4 eggs, room temp

1C milk, warmed in microwave on high for 20 sec

1 tsp vanilla

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter over medium heat in a pan with tall(ish) sides. Stir constantly until the foaming subsides and dark brown flecks start to appear. Continue cooking on medium heat until butter is brown and smells nutty.
3. Remove butter from heat and allow to cool for ~10 minutes.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl and set aside.
5. In mixing bowl beat sugar & eggs until thickened.
6. Add milk, butter, and vanilla to mixing bowl until combined.
7. Add flour mixture a little bit at a time until well mixed.
8. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
9. Bake for ~20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
10. Enjoy!