Pumpkin Spice and everything Nice

Fall for Pumpkin Spice

As the leaves begin to change our wardrobes change from tank tops to sweaters, we find ourselves in a love affair with pumpkin spice. It’s the season when even the most hardened coffee snob can’t resist that warm hug of cinnamon and nutmeg. The air gets crisper, the jackets come out, and just like that, we’re all in a relationship with our coffee cups.

Why We Love Pumpkin Spice

What makes pumpkin spice so irresistible? Perhaps it’s the nostalgia of sweet autumn memories, or maybe it’s the fact that it feels like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket while watching the orange and red leaves dance outside. The scent wafts through the cafes, and suddenly we all need a pumpkin spice latte like it’s oxygen. There’s just something magic in that mix, turning chilly mornings into delightful, aromatic experiences.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

If you can’t get enough of this seasonal staple, let’s take it a step further. Here’s how to whip up some scrumptious pumpkin spiced muffins with a cream cheese twist!

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of unsalted butter melted & cooled, 1 egg (lightly beaten), 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1 tsp pumpkin spice, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a sprinkle of love.

Cream Cheese Filling:
4oz of softened cream cheese, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp milk

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. Stir to combine, set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, melted butter, vanilla, and egg.

Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and pour the wet mixture into the bowl. Stir and combine the ingredients.

Fill 12 prepared muffin tins evenly with the muffin mixture. Next, lets make the cream cheese filling. Place all of the cream cheese filling ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix on medium speed until smooth.

Place mix into a piping bag and dip the piping bag into the muffins one at a time and fill insides with the cream cheese mixture. Evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture along with all the muffins, leaving a little dollop on top of each.

For an extra pumpkin touch, take pumpkin seeds and evenly distribute them around the outsides of the batter if desired.

Bake for 17-19 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the bread part of the muffins comes out mostly clean. Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes, take them out and place on a wire rack to completely cool. Enjoy with a side of cuddly vibes!