Disney Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

As much as I love to cook and bake, I'm really weird sometimes about new recipes.  I enjoy collecting them but sometimes it takes a few years before I get around or get in the mood to try them.  I know I've had this recipe for at least 3-4 years because that's the last time I was an annual passholder at Disneyland which was included with a Fall email newsletter.  This is a treat that is offered in the park only during the Fall, although I have to admit I've never tried them (even though I looooove pumpkin).  We've been experiencing semi-Fall weather here in Las Vegas and I was staring at some cans of pumpkin in my pantry when this recipe popped into my head!  And everyone who has tried them raved about them.  So on to the recipe!

Disney Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

  

Ingredients:

·       15 oz. pumpkin purée (not pie filling), canned

·       1 1/2 cups sugar

·       3 large eggs                                

·       3/4 cup canola oil                      

·       1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

·       1 cup flour

·       3/4 tsp. salt                                 

·       1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

·       3/4 tsp. baking soda                   

·       3/4 tsp. cinnamon                      

·       3/4 tsp. ground cloves

·       1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg             

·       1/2 cup raisins, optional

·       Cream Cheese Icing:               

·       1/2 cup unsalted butter              

·       6 oz. cream cheese

·       1/2 tsp. vanilla                           

·       1 cup powdered sugar               

·       1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 325º. 

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended.  Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and add to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until just blended. Over mixing may result in less tender muffins.  Fold in the raisins (if adding) until consistently distributed.

    Using a large scoop, portion mixture into muffin pans and bake, checking after 25 minutes. Insert a toothpick into center of muffin and remove. If toothpick is clean, the muffins are ready. If not, allow muffins to cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until toothpick is clean. 

Remove pans from oven and allow muffins to cool in pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Remove muffins from pan and allow to cool on rack for another 30–60 minutes until completely cooled. 

    Allow cream cheese and butter to soften at room temperature for about an hour.  Mix cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar and cinnamon, and mix until well blended.  Remove from mixer, and cover and refrigerate until needed.

    Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip with icing.  Poke a hole into the center of each cooled muffin and squeeze icing directly into the middle of the muffin, finishing with a rosette on the top.

Servings:  24 muffins

For those who watch cooking shows, I know they are always saying the quality of the ingredient affects the taste so use the best you can find.  You might be taking that advice with a grain of salt wondering what products are they promoting or is a sponsor telling them to say that.  Well, I have no sponsors and I'm not paid to promote any certain brand.  So here's my advice-use the best product you can find!  It really does give more depth to dishes, especially baked goods.  I love King Arthur Flour (KAF)and the products they sell.  I also frequent Williams-Sonoma (WS), but more so their outlet store.  I have really noticed a difference in my baked goods since I started using KAF products especially their flours. Also, I highly recommend their Vietnamese cinnamon.  When you smell it, it smells like Red Hot candies!  It's that strong.  I always grate fresh nutmeg using a microplane grater.  Again, it will add more depth to the flavor.  Another ingredient I love to use is vanilla bean paste which I usually find at the WS outlet.  It's a thickened version of vanilla extract and includes the vanilla bean seeds.  If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of vanilla extract, you use a teaspoon of the paste.  Please NEVER use imitation vanilla, it has a weird after taste.  I almost always use Nielsen-Massey (NM) vanillas.  Even if you're a die-hard Mexican vanilla user, I would still only use NM (they have every flavor).  They have found arsenic in many brands made in Mexico and have found that brands touted as genuine vanilla were in fact imitation.  NM uses vanilla beans from Mexico, but process it themselves.  I sometimes use a product by Sonoma Syrup Co. called Vanilla Bean Crush.  It's a combination of Madagascar Bourbon (Bourbon refers to the island, not the alcohol) and Tahitian vanilla beans.  And it also has the seeds!  When you make the cream cheese icing, the tiny little seeds in the vanilla bean paste will give it a cute look (although you may have to explain to some people that they are vanilla bean seeds).  Ok enough of me espousing the benefits of great ingredients:

Disney Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

·       15 oz. pumpkin purée (canned)

·       1 1/2 cups sugar

·       3 large eggs                                

·       3/4 cup canola oil                      

·       1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

·       1 cup flour

·       3/4 tsp. salt                                 

·       1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

·       3/4 tsp. baking soda                   

·       3/4 tsp. cinnamon                      

·       3/4 tsp. ground cloves

·       1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg             

·       1/2 cup raisins, optional

·       Cream Cheese Icing:               

·       1/2 cup unsalted butter              

·       6 oz. cream cheese

·       1/2 tsp. vanilla                           

·       1 cup powdered sugar               

·       1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 325º. 

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended.  Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and add to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until just blended. Over mixing may result in less tender muffins.  Fold in the raisins (if adding) until consistently distributed.

    Using a large scoop, portion mixture into muffin pans lined with cupcake liners and bake, checking after 25 minutes. Insert a toothpick into center of muffin and remove. If toothpick is clean, the muffins are ready. If not, allow muffins to cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until toothpick is clean. 

Remove pans from oven and allow muffins to cool in pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Remove muffins from pan and allow to cool on rack for another 30–60 minutes until completely cooled. 

    Allow cream cheese and butter to soften at room temperature for about an hour.  Mix cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar and cinnamon, and mix until well blended.  Remove from mixer, and cover and refrigerate until needed.

    Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip with icing.  Poke a hole into the center of each cooled muffin and squeeze icing directly into the middle of the muffin, finishing with a rosette on the top.

Servings:  24 muffins

The first batch I made, I used golden raisins.  I tried them at room temperature and didn't care for the texture of the raisins in the muffin.  After refrigerating, not only was the texture of the raisin better, but the overall taste was better.  With muffins and cupcakes, sometimes waiting really is better (I didn't say it would be easy!).  I do find with certain flavors, they do intensify when at room temperature or cooled, especially with pumpkin and banana.  Also, these are very moist muffins and refrigerating them gave them more structure.  

When filling the wells, I use my the large size scoop from Pampered Chef.  I use this same scoop for cupcakes.  With the raisins fill the scoop and maybe slightly rounded, but without the raisins, you want a level scoop.  Another tip I learned from KAF is to spray the inside of the cupcake liners with nonstick spray.  Ever take the liner off the muffin or cupcake and half of it went with the liner?  This will prevent that from happening.  

Even though you are keeping the cream cheese icing in the refrigerator until you're ready for it, you'll want to let it sit out to soften before using.  I would say 15-30 minutes depending on the temperature in your house.  Enjoy!

Lucinda Scala Quinn's (Mad Hungry) Italian Meatloaf (Polpette) and Chunky Italian Mashed Potatoes

For those who know me, they have heard my disgust for meatloaf.  Just the name gives me the willies.  Meat....Loaf, and loaf of meat.  It just seems wrong.  I have only had one other meatloaf that I liked, my old neighbor Marlene Martin's.  But it was more like an Italian Shepherd's pie in loaf form and I love Shepherd's pie.  Now I can say there are two meatloaf's that I really like.  This recipe comes from Lucinda Scala Quinn's who hosts the cooking show Mad Hungry on the Hallmark channel.  I have never found so many "keeper" recipes from one source.  She is amazing, her recipes are tasty and are easy to prepare.  I would recommend everyone to watch her show.  She will make your cooking better and funner! Here we go:

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Italian Meatloaf (Polpette)

  

Ingredients: 

·       1/3 cup milk

·       1 slice bread, crust removed (1 1/2")

·       1 lb. ground pork

·       1 lb. ground veal or beef

·       1/3 lb. mortadella, minced

·       1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

·       1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·       1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·       1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       2 large eggs, lightly beaten

·       2 tbsp. white or red wine

·       1/2 tsp. coarse salt

·       1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

     Preheat the oven to 400º.

    Heat the milk in a small pan until warm but not scalded. Turn off the heat. Place the bread in the milk and let sit to absorb the milk, turning once, about 1 minute per side.

    Remove the bread, gently squeeze out some of the milk and place on a board to finely chop it. Place the bread in a large bowl.

    Add the pork, veal, mortadella, onion, parsley, cheese, nuts, garlic, eggs, wine, salt, and pepper to the bread. Using your hand, mix to combine completely. Form into an oval-shaped loaf and place in a large baking dish. Cook for 55 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

    Note:  Mortadella (finely ground pork sausage with pieces of pistachio and spices) and a couple tablespoons of wine add tremendous depth of flavor to this traditional comfort food. Serve it with several vegetable side dishes, sparkling water, and a bottle of wine. 

Servings:  6

The recipe doesn't specify what kind of bread to use.  I would say use what you have on hand (I used sourdough), especially pieces that have become drier than others since you're going to soak it in milk.  It does specify to cut off the crust, but I forgot to do that and I didn't see a difference.  The ground pork and mortadella give it a great flavor. Every time I buy mortadella I think of my neighbor, Marlene, telling the story of asking the lady at the deli counter for male mortadella. She looked at Marlene like she was crazy.  Marlene explained, does it have nuts?  If it does, then it's male mortadella!  Of course you have to say that in your head with a NY accent.  Makes it much funnier.  You'll also want to chop the garlic real fine, so you don't have big chunks in the meatloaf (unless you like that). Also, I did not used pistachios in my version.  I am curious what difference it will make, so I will try it next time.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Chunky Italian Mashed Potatoes

 Ingredients: 

·       5 4-5" russet or Yukon gold potatoes, washed well but not peeled

·       4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

·       1/3 cup milk

·       1 cup (8 oz.) ricotta cheese or small-curd cottage cheese

·       coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

     Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Insert a knife into the center of the potatoes to ensure accurate soft tenderness; the potatoes should be soft but not falling apart. Drain. When cool enough to handle, hold each potato in a clean kitchen towel and peel off the skin. Cut into chunks. (If in a hurry, peel the potatoes first and cut into small chunks for boiling.)

    Add the butter and milk to the same pot and place over the lowest heat to melt the butter and warm the milk. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash until almost smooth. Add the ricotta cheese and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Stir briskly before serving.

Servings:  5-8

This is a real simple dish and don't be put off by the ricotta.  The ricotta adds a richness to the potatoes.  After my 12 year old daughter had these, she proclaimed them the best mashed potatoes she ever had.  Enjoy!