Pumkin Muffins

I don't know about you, but I just can't get enough pumpkin this time of year. I spotted this recipe on an old friend's blog and had to try it. (She got it from someone who got it from a restaurant in Disneyland--so it must be good). They were fantastic. I was fresh out of cream cheese (or rather, out of fresh cream cheese), so I made them plain. They are totally addictive. I don't know if anyone could resist them with the icing. I also skipped the raisins. It just seemed weird to me. Let me know how it turns out if you try the raisins. The leftovers (yeah right) freeze great too.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

Pumpkin Muffins:
2 cups pumpkin purée (canned)
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
¾ cup canola oil
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup raisins


Preheat oven to 325ºF.
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 over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until just blended. Over mixing may result in less tender muffins.
Fold in the raisins until consistently distributed.
Portion mixture into muffin pans and bake at 325ºF for 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.
Allow muffins to cool for 30–60 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing:
1 cup unsalted butter
1½ cups cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon

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.