Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I'm honestly not sure where this recipe came from, but it's been in my recipe box for years. I know I've added a few new things here and there, but I can tell you- this is one of my all time favorite recipes. Nothing says fall like pumpkin, and let's be honest, anything with cream cheese frosting is worth making.We had a neighborhood block party last night, and these were gobbled in about ten minutes. I'm not sure if the tequila shots paired well with these, but that's how our crazy neighborhood rolls. So here's to fall, tequila, and pumpkin whoopie pies. Happy Baking!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cup flour

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in the microwave and whisk in the brown sugar. Next, whisk in eggs, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the flour. Use a cookie scoop to form balls and scoop on to cookie sheet. (I dip my finger in a little water and flatten out the scoops a bit to make them uniform. Don't press too hard, you just want the scoops to all be generally the same size). Bake for 13-15 minutes. Cool.

Using a mixer, cream the cream cheese. Gradually add in the confectioners sugar. Add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, beat well.

To assemble, spread frosting on the bottom of a cookie then top with another cookie. Easy as pie. I assemble all the whoopie pies, and then place them in the refrigerator for about an hour so to set. You could also put your frosting in the refrigerator for half an hour to let it stiffen up a bit. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Back to School Blueberry Muffins

Tomorrow my little man Logan is starting Mother's Day Out, and he's really into blueberry muffins these days. So, I thought I'd blog his favorite muffin recipe. I know it's been awhile since my last blog, but things got crazy over the summer and Mama hardly had any time! Between baking some crazy cakes and vacationing, I was wiped out. I'm hoping now that I'll have two days a week of some free time, I can post more frequently. Fall is definitely my favorite season, and I've got some awesome recipes!

These muffins should really be called, "my mom loves me so much she slept overnight in a church pew muffins". Let me give you a little background, six months ago, I slept overnight.... in a church learning classroom, to secure my little man a spot at this Mother's Day Out. Clearly motherhood has made me slightly psychotic. At the end of the day it's preschool, not rocket science. Colors, shapes, numbers, maybe some letters? I can't imagine things getting too intense.  And let's be honest, I drove straight to Chick-fi-la after the sleepover and snarfed down a chicken biscuit, then took a sweet 5 hour nap (thanks Husband). All in all, not so bad! I just want to make sure I give my little guy every opportunity I can. And if that means sleeping in a church pew, by golly, I'll do it. I'm realizing more and more these days that time sure does fly, and my little boy is growing up way too fast.

So in Mr. Logan's honor, here's our favorite family recipe. What puts these muffins over the top is the ginger and nutmeg- they add a little spice, and take these from the ordinary to extraordinary.

Back to School Blueberry Muffins

Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
4 tsps. baking powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
3 cups fresh blueberries

Topping:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners (this recipe makes around 24 muffins).

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, ginger, and baking powder. Next, in another bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, eggs, and milk. Slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin tins to the top (I use an ice cream scooper, one scoop does the trick).

Next, mix all the ingredients together for the topping with a fork. Sprinkle over muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.  

These muffins also freeze really well- perfect back to school breakfast. Enjoy!