A Few Favorite Things About October: Pumpkin Cupcakes Are One

How did you ring in the Halloween season?

Sheepishly, I cheated.....

..by busting out the Halloween decorations the last few days of September. I just can't help myself.

I concluded the day with baking off some traditional pumpkin cupcakes drowning in semi-sweet chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting.

The leaves here in Philadelphia are just beginning to make their transition from summer green to red, brown, and yellow- is it beautiful wherever you are? Are your feet crunching leaves whereever you walk? Are you spending your Saturday mornings raking up fallen foliage? Are the mornings chilly and brisk? Are you already decided on a Halloween costume? How many bags of candy corn have you eaten? Isn't it all just wonderful?


I have a really hard time being sad when summer ends- I love the extended daylight, the bbq pork and fresh watermelon, I love beach days, I love celebrating the 4rth...

But let's be honest.

By the end of August, I am tired of sweating, I am tired of cranking the AC up in my car, and I'm plum done with wearing my worn out shorts and t-shirts.

My husband is busy in his 2nd year of Business school with recruiting and job-searching. Location for a post-graduate job arises frequently in our conversations, believe you me. And I just continue to press my vote for a location where Autumn thrives and leaves change and temperatures turn crisp. That's all I ask for.

Call me picky.

And speaking of picky, this is one of the very best recipes for pumpkin muffins/cupcakes I've yet had. And I'm not ever going back.

Must be the butter!


Pumpkin Cupcakes
Martha Stewart.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
*1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.


* I added 1 cup of chocolate chips to just half the batter, wanting some WITH the chocolate and wanting some without. Either way, you can't go wrong!