Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

 

Ingredients:

1 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
1 whole Egg
1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!) 

Topping

2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

 
FOR FROSTING:

1/4 cup Softened Butter
4 ounces Cream Cheese
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. 

Pour into a greased muffin pan-batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature. 

New York Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back by popular demand.

Prepare yourself, for what you are about to see is, hand's down, is the greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe of all time. I give you the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie:

Ingredients

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content

*Sea salt

Directions

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. For regular sized cookies, use a heaping tablespoon and bake for approximately 12 minutes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tahini sauce

 

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes skin on (or two large)
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes. First, cut and dice to make cubes
3. Place cut sweet potatoes in the center on a large baking sheet. Do not spread yet (It’s easier to get all the pieces coated with spices and oil when they are grouped together). Sprinkle with sweet paprika, oregano, garlic and salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss until every piece is well coated (using your hands is the easiest way).
4. Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer, making sure they’re not overlapping. The more room they have the better - it will make them crispier.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on your oven and the size of the cubes) or until they are soft inside and a bit crispy outside (taste one). Finish with a few minutes (4-5 minutes) under the broiler to caramelize them further (keep an eye on them so they don’t burn and make sure they are not already too soft inside - you don’t want mushy sweet potatoes!). Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Remember that cutting the potatoes into evenly sized pieces ensures they all take the same time to cook.
• Do not skip the oil! A generous drizzle of olive oil helps give the sweet potatoes those gorgeous caramelized, crispy edges.
• Very important: do not crowd the pan.  If more space is needed, make two batches. Each piece not touching is key to crispy caramelized roasted sweet potatoes - otherwise, they will just steam and be soft on the outside.

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup tahini paste
• 1 small garlic pressed or minced very thinly
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup ice water + more as needed
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• pinch of cumin

Instructions

1. Place tahini paste, garlic, and lemon juice in a bowl.

2. Gradually stir in ice water, starting with ¼ cup, until you reach a smooth sauce consistency that you can drizzle (I used about ½ cup but exact quantity will depend on the brand and texture of the tahini paste).
3. The tahini paste will harden in contact with water - it’s normal. Keep stirring and adding water as needed and it’ll be perfectly smooth (see step by step pictures in the post).
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

• To make a large batch or for extra smooth tahini sauce, use a blender instead of mixing by hand!
•  If you find your sesame paste too bitter, you can "fix it" by adding some maple syrup or honey. If it's too sharp, add some olive oil.
• To make variations of this sauce, whisk in any chopped herbs, such as fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, or basil, or stir in some pesto.

Roasted Potato Recipe from;

NotEnoughCinnamon.com

Tahini Sauce:

Not EnoughCinnamon.com