Glazed Pumpkin Donut Muffins

I have been on a huge donut kick lately. Earlier this month I visited two of the most popular donut shops in the Boston area- Union Square Donuts and Kane's Donuts. Between those two visits, I sampled twelve different donuts. But I guess that is not enough. I even have to turn my muffins into donuts. Out of all the donuts that I sampled, my favorites were the fall flavors- apple cider, maple and of course pumpkin. I love pumpkin donuts- these Pumpkin Spice Donuts are one of my favorite recipes from the blog. Whether they are dipped in glaze or covered in cinnamon sugar, it is all good in my book. 

Last month I made a very similar recipe- Glazed Blueberry Donuts Muffins. Dipped in a simple glaze, the muffins were light, fluffy and tasted just like donuts. I can tell you that these Glazed Pumpkin Donuts are equally as delicious and completely satisfied my craving for all things pumpkin right now. I decided to dip the tops of my muffins in glaze, just as I did with the blueberry version last month. However, you could also dip the muffins in butter and then roll them in a cinnamon sugar mixture. You really can't go wrong either way. 

Glazed Pumpkin Donut Muffins
Recipe from Cooking Classy (originally adapted from Martha Stewart)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
3/4 light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground ginger. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the butter, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla. Alternate between adding the flour mixture in three additions and the pumpkin mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Dip the tops of the muffins into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off. Return the muffins to the wire rack and allow the glaze to set.

Coconut Oil Banana Bread

Recently my boyfriend came home with a box of 15 bananas that were leftover from the Coaches vs. Cancer 5K race. What do you do when life hands you 15 ripe bananas? Well, you could make 5 loaves of this Coconut Oil Banana Bread! Actually I just made one loaf at the time and froze the rest of the bananas for future use. But I can guarantee that most of the frozen bananas will be used to make more banana bread. My boyfriend practically begs me to make it for him every weekend.

I have been using this particular banana bread recipe for a few months now and absolutely love it. It is the most incredibly moist and delicious banana bread that I have ever made. The coconut oil provides sweet, yet very subtle coconut flavor that complements the bananas well. I seriously love coconut oil- these Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies and these Coconut Oil Brownies are two of my favorite recipes from the blog. But even if you are a coconut hater like my boyfriend, the coconut flavor in this banana bread is not overpowering by any means. I am not even sure whether my boyfriend knows that this recipe uses coconut oil- although I guess that the secret is out after reading this post. Oh well, I already have it on record that he loves this bread!

Coconut Oil Banana Bread
Recipe adapted from Chez Us

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
1 cup (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3 medium-sized bananas, mashed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the coconut oil with a hand mixer on medium speed until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined and smooth. Add the brown sugar and mix until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and bananas. Mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown in color and baked all the way through. An inserted knife should come out clean. Allow the bread to cool completely before serving.

Apple Cider Muffins with Brown Butter Glaze

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend and enjoyed the first day of Fall. It was truly a perfect fall weekend here in Boston- the temperature was just right and the sun was out the whole weekend. If only the weather would stay like this all winter. My boyfriend and I went apple picking on Saturday and we could not have had a better day. We came home with two bags of apples, a pumpkin,  a box of apple cider donuts and some other goodies. I will be sharing more from our day at Cider Hill Farm later in the week. 

Sunday was a much more relaxing day, which is exactly what Sundays are meant for. A Patriots win and spending the afternoon with my parents were definitely the highlights of my day. In addition to eating one too many apple cider donuts, I also spent some time in the kitchen and finally did some apple  baking. It does not get much better than the smell of apples and cinnamon baking in the kitchen. First up were these Apple Cider Muffins with Brown Butter Glaze. The muffins themselves have great apple  flavor from three apple sources- diced fresh apples, applesauce and apple cider. They are also relatively healthy, using a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and old fashioned oats. The best part is that they are topped with a sweet brown butter glaze. Given my love of brown butter, the glaze was completely non-optional and the perfect complement to the apple cider muffins. 

Apple Cider Muffins with Brown Butter Glaze 

Recipe from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from How Sweet It is)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold

2 crisp apples, peeled and diced

1/3 cup + 3 tbsp apple cider, divided

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

Glaze:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp apple cider

Heat the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Let the butter melt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is brown in color. Be careful not to burn the butter. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. 

Add the diced apples to a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the apple cider, 1/4 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and the ground nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly softened, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, allspice and salt. In another small bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, applesauce, remaining 1/3 cup apple cider and the cooled brown butter. Whisk to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the apples. 

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are golden and set. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the glaze, heat the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Let the butter melt and continue to cool, stirring occasionally, until the butter is brown in color. Remove the heat and allow to cool completely. Transfer the butter to a bowl and whisk in the powdered sugar. Whisk in the apple cider until the mixture is smooth. Spoon the glaze over the muffins and let set before serving. 

Kane's Donuts {Saugus, MA}

This post represents part two of my quest to find the best donuts in the Boston area. Last week I shared my visit to Union Square Donuts, a spot that was recently named "Best Donut in Boston" and received two thumbs up from me as well. This week I am even more excited to share my visit to Kane's Donuts. Kane's Donuts is located in Saugus, a few miles north of Boston. Their donuts are world famous. In 2010, Bon Appetit included Kane's Donut in their top ten list- just to name one of the many acknowledgments they have received. 

Donuts cost $1.50 each, which is incredibly reasonable given the size of their old-fashioned style donuts. But I was most impressed by the selection of flavors available in store. Before we drove to Kane's Donuts, I checked out their website and found a number of flavors worthy ordering. When we got to the store, there were even more flavors than those listed on the website. I had such a hard time picking out which ones to sample! 

First up was this M&M donut- a plain vanilla donut topped with vanilla glaze and mini M&M's. You can't go wrong with this one. 

Right now I am all about fall flavors so i had to try the maple frosted donut. I loved the creamy maple frosting on this one. 

Creme brûlée donut. Enough said. This was one of the most unique flavors on the menu and I really enjoyed this one.

The apple cider donut was my favorite donut of the day. Perfectly sweet and delicious, the apple cider donut is one of their seasonal fall flavors and is only available for a limited time. A must-try for sure. 

Oh my goodness, this peanut butter cup donut is one of the craziest donuts I have ever seen. But crazy in a good way. Peanut butter and chocolate is always a good combination. 

The donuts at Kane's Donuts are some of the best I have ever tried. You can't go wrong with any of the flavors, but I highly recommend the apple cider donut and the pumpkin donut if you visit during the fall. 

Kane's Donuts opens at 3:30 am. Who knew that there was a market for donuts at that time of night? If you want to check them out, you can find more information here:

Kane's Donuts

120 Lincoln Ave

Saugus, MA 01906

www.kanesdonuts.com

Pumpkin Pie Poptart Cupcakes

One year ago I hit submit and published my first post on Spoonful of Flour. Naturally I shared a pumpkin recipe- those Pumpkin Spice Donuts continue to be one of my favorite recipes, as well as one of  the most popular posts on my blog.  At the time, I knew very little about blogging, social media and food photography. Sometimes I still don't think I know very much. But I love to bake and created this blog as a creative outlet for my hobby. 102 posts later, thank you for reading and following along with my kitchen adventures!

For today's post, I thought I would go back and recreate one of the first recipes I made for my blog. I was so excited to share these Pumpkin Pie Poptart Cupcakes last fall- aren't they cute? I  took one of my favorite vanilla cupcake recipes and added some warm fall spices to the batter. I then dipped the cupcakes in glaze, waited for the glaze to set, and then topped them with a simple pumpkin buttercream. Finally I added a piece of pumpkin pie poptart to the top of each cupcake- the best part! Seriously, the pumpkin pie poptarts are amazing- try looking for them at your local Target or Walmart. Hope you enjoy this recipe from deep down in my blog archives!

Pumpkin Pie Poptart Cupcakes
Cupcake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart, Frosting recipe adapted from this recipe and this recipe from Your Cup of Cake
Yield: 24 Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the Glaze:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp hot water

For the Frosting:
2 sticks butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp pumpkin

Pumpkin Pie Poptarts for decoration

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground ginger. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combine and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Glaze:
Combined the powdered sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until glaze reaches your desired consistency. Dip cooled cupcakes into the glaze mixture.

For the Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the spices and vanilla, continuing to mix until incorporated.

Slowly add the powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Finally add the pumpkin and continue to mix until combined. If frosting becomes too thin at this point, add more powdered sugar.

Frost cooled cupcakes and add Poptarts for decoration.

Peanut Butter Oreo Blondies

 Has anyone gone apple picking yet? Dan and I are planning to go next weekend and I am really excited about it. I still haven't done any apple baking yet this year and it is about time for that to change. Last year we waited until October to go apple picking and there were hardly any apples left on the trees. This year we are going a lot earlier so hopefully that means better apple picking conditions. What are your favorite apple recipes? I am always looking for new fall baking inspiration!

This weekend I did a lot of pumpkin baking, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise given my love for all things pumpkin. But I also snuck in some time to make these peanut butter oreo Blondies. Ever since I made Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes a few weeks ago, I have been obsessed with this flavor combination. I immediately started thinking about other things to make using these two flavors and ultimately settled on blondies. I started with a peanut butter blondie recipe and then added peanut butter chips and crushed Oreos to the batter. I planned to use regular Oreos, but then remembered a package of peanut butter Oreos I bought not too long ago. If you can't find peanut butter Oreos, then you can just use the originals. With the combination of peanut butter and Oreos, you can't go wrong either way!

Peanut Butter Oreo Blondies
Recipe adapted from Handle the Heat



1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup peanut butter Oreos, crushed



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.



In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.



In a small saucepan set oven medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly, until completely smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the peanut butter and stir until combined. Allow to cool completely.



Add the egg and vanilla extract to the peanut butter mixture. Stir until combined. Pour the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Gently fold until combined. Add the peanut butter chips and chopped Oreos, reserving a few to sprinkle on top.



Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle any remaining peanut butter chips and Oreos on top of the batter. Lightly press them into the batter.



Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown in color. Do not overcook. Allow to cool completely in the pan before serving.

Union Square Donuts {Somerville, MA}

Donuts are definitely becoming the new cupcakes. It seems like donut shops are literally popping up everywhere, just as cupcake shops did a few years back. This trend makes me really happy because I am a serious donut lover. Last weekend I finally tried the donuts from Union Square Donuts, a spot that was recently named "Best Donut in Boston". This Somerville donut shop did not disappoint. 

One warning- the donuts at Union Square Donuts often sell out early. Dan and I showed up at noon one day and left empty-handed.  Make sure to get there early if you want the best selection of donuts. We went back early the next morning and sampled a number of their most popular flavors.

First we tried the special cake donut covered with chocolate glaze and rainbow sprinkles. This was Dan's favorite donut from Union Square- he still talks about how much he loves it to this day. 

The brown butter hazelnut crunch donut is one of the most popular donuts on the menu and was also my favorite donut from our visit. We had to wait a few minutes for a new batch to come out of the oven but it was definitely worth the wait. Add this one to your list of must-try donuts in Boston.

Union Square Donuts offers savory donuts on Saturdays and Sundays only. I tried the cheddar bacon sage donut and loved it as much as, if not more than, most of the sweet donuts. 

And finally we tried the popular maple bacon donut. In my opinion, maple and bacon is an unbeatable flavor combination. If I had to recommend two donuts, it would be the maple bacon donut and the brown butter hazelnut crunch donut.

Donuts are $3 each, which is slightly more than you would pay at the Dunkin Donuts around the corner. But they are definitely worth the price. You can't beat gourmet donuts. Luckily Union Square Donuts is just a short drive from my apartment!

If you want to check out Union Square Donuts, you can find more information here:

Union Square Donuts

16 Bow Street

Somerville, MA 02143

www.unionsquaredonuts.com 

Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 8am-3pm 

Chipotle Sweet Corn Fettucine

Remember how I said that you would be seeing a lot of pumpkin and apple recipes around here going forward? Well, that is still true.  But I forgot that I had one more summer-inspired recipe to share before that happens. It is still technically summer for a few more weeks and there has been an abundance of sweet corn at our local farmer's market lately. I wanted to try this Chipotle Sweet Corn Fettuccine ever since I first saw the recipe on Lindsay's blog a few weeks ago. With summer quickly coming to an end, I finally got around to making it last week. 

The best part about this recipe is that it is relatively healthy- there is no heavy cream or cheese, two of the main ingredients in most fettuccine recipes. Instead, the sauce is made with milk (I used low-fat milk), a little bit of butter, flour and plain greek yogurt. Healthy and delicious! The chipotle pepper also provides a little heat, which is always a good thing in my book.

Ok, now that I have cleared my archives of all summer recipes, I am really ready for fall. I have only been planning what pumpkin recipes to make for weeks now. And after picking a tentative date for apple picking, I can see a number of apple recipes in my future too. 

Chipotle Sweet Corn Fettuccine

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

4 ears of fresh sweet corn

1 lb. uncooked fettuccine noodles

3 tbsp salted butter

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup water (the water that you boiled the corn in is best)

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

Fresh cilantro or basil for serving

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the ears of corn into the boiling water, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let the ears of corn cook for a few minutes before taking them out of the pot and letting them cool. 

Cut the corn off the ears. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the corn kernels over medium heat. Let the kernels sit for a few minutes without stirring. Stir once, and let them sit again so that kernels turn slightly brown in color. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and reserve some of the excess water. 

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Add the milk, salt and corn water. Whisk until smooth and combine. Add the greek yogurt and chipotle pepper. Whisk until combined.

Combine the sauce, pasta and corn in one large pot. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro or basil to taste. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies

Even though temperatures hovered around 70 degrees, this weekend really felt more like a fall weekend than a summer weekend. Yesterday I spent the whole day watching football and baking with pumpkin. If summer really does have to end, then it doesn't get any better than football and pumpkin. Of course it never hurts when the Patriots win, even if they just barely squeak out the win like they did yesterday. This is also my first year participating in a weekly football pool, which makes the games even more interesting to watch. Between all of the games, I found time to make these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies. Last week I said I hadn't really done any serious pumpkin baking yet. Well that all changed this weekend and you will probably start seeing a lot more pumpkin recipes on the blog going forward. 

These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies are incredibly rich. I only needed half of a brownie to satisfy my craving. The pumpkin cream cheese flavor is present, but not overpowering by any means. I originally wasn't sure how I felt about the chocolate and pumpkin combination, but the two flavors just work together. If you love rich brownies, then I just know that you will love these.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies
Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
2 large egg whites (save 1 yolk for the cream cheese swirl)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Cream Cheese Swirl:
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all of the brownie ingredients. Mix with a large wooden spoon until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. The batter will be very thin. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

To make the cream cheese swirl mixture, combine the pumpkin puree and cream cheese in a medium bowl. With a hand mixer, beat until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar, egg yolk, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground cloves. Beat until combined and creamy. Spoon the mixture on top of the brownie batter. Gently swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull apart from the sides of the pan. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before serving. I put the pan in the refrigerator for about an hour to make cutting the brownies a little easier.

Ben and Jerry's Factory {Waterbury, VT}

I spent Labor Day weekend in Vermont with three of my very best friends from high school. Since we all live in different states now, it is always so much fun when we get together (even if it is just for a weekend). One of the highlights of this past weekend was our visit to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory.  Ben and Jerry's has some of the best ice cream flavors ever. 

  

Here guests can take a 30-minute guided tour of the ice cream factory. It is a great opportunity to learn about the ice cream manufacturing process and the incredible success of Ben and Jerry's as a company. After the tour, be sure to get in line for some ice cream. I went with my all-time favorite flavor, chocolate chip cookie dough. 

Behind the factory there is a graveyard where the tombstones of retired ice cream flavors are displayed. After looking around,  I really wish Ben and Jerry's would bring some of these flavors back to life. Or at least back into my life. 

First up was this chocolate peanut Butter cookie dough ice cream. Chocolate, peanut butter and cookie dough- three of my favorite flavors. Can someone please tell me why this flavor was not more popular?

Holy cannoli! Cannoli ice cream? I know I would love this flavor. This flavor was only around for one year and has been retired since 1998.  I really feel like Ben and Jerry's needs to give it another chance. Anyone else with me?

Creme Brûlée ice cream anyone? This sounds like a really fun ice cream flavor. I am kicking myself for not trying it a few years back. 

As a mentioned before, cookie dough is my all-time favorite ice cream flavor. I am pretty sure it would become my all-time favorite frozen yogurt flavor too.

The sweet potato pie ice cream is definitely one of the most unique flavors in the graveyard. Its tombstone says that no one appreciated it, how sad! I really want to try this one. Now that I think about it, Ben and Jerry's should let guests sample all of these retired flavors at their factory. 

If you want to check out the Ben and Jerry's Factory, you can find more information here:

Ben and Jerry's Factory

1281 Waterbury-Stowe Rd

Waterbury, VT 05676

http://www.benjerry.com/about-us/factory-tours

Pumpkin Spice Granola

I am still not ready for summer to end. But as much as I dislike the shorter days and colder weather, I am  definitely looking forward to some fall baking. Last fall I talked a lot about my love for baking with pumpkin, probably to the point that it got annoying. I haven't done any serious pumpkin baking yet this year because I am trying to hold on to summer for as long as I can. However, I have started seeing pumpkin recipes pop up all over the blog world. In order to get my pumpkin fix, I made a large batch of  pumpkin spice granola last week. 

This granola is incredibly easy to make and packed with warm fall flavor. I added chopped pecans and dried cranberries, but feel free to use any dried fruit or nuts of your choice. I have been enjoying this pumpkin spice granola mixed with vanilla greek yogurt for the past week- it really makes a tasty breakfast. I guess if summer has to end, I can get on board with enjoying this granola everyday for the next few months. And now that I have opened one can of pumpkin puree, let the the pumpkin baking begin!

Pumpkin Spice Granola
Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from Baking Bites)

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats and puffed rice cereal. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir until evenly coated. Spread the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes. Using a large spatula, turn over the granola. Sprinkle the pecans on top of the oat mixture and bake for another 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Allow the granola to cool completely on the pan or a wire rack. Break up the granola as desired and add the dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container. 

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all enjoyed a nice Labor Day weekend. Aren't long weekends the best? At least until they come to an end. I spent with the weekend in Vermont with three of my very best friends from high school. I don't see them very often so we always make the most of our time together and have tons of fun. And I always leave them wishing that they would move back to Boston. Maybe someday. Anyways, we did a lot of touristy things, like visiting the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory and the Cabot Cheese store. I will share some of the highlights of the trip in an upcoming blog post. 

For now I will just tell you about these Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes. A few weeks ago I was in Chicago and sampled a good number of cupcakes throughout the trip. Out of all of the cupcakes that I sampled, my favorite flavors were peanut butter and Oreo. This should really come as no surprise- I have never tried a peanut butter or Oreo dessert that I haven't liked. On my way home from Chicago, I decided to combine these two flavors and make one amazing cupcake. These Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes turned out even better than I imagined. The cupcakes themselves are light and full of peanut butter flavor. They are then topped with a creamy Oreo buttercream and garnished with mini Oreos. I am already thinking about other desserts I can make with this combination of flavors!

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes
Cupcake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, Frosting recipe from Your Cup of Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup oreos, finely crushed

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the sour cream. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the buttermilk and then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until combined after each addition.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until the frosting reaches your desired consistency, about 3-4 more minutes. Gently stir in the crushed Oreos. Pipe frosting onto fully cooled cupcakes and garnish with additional Oreos.