Elias' Birthday Cupcakes

I've made these cupcakes for Elias' birthday the last two years in a row.  As I rarely repeat birthday creations, that's saying something.  They are that good.  The pumpkin cupcake is moist and delicious and so appropriate as we enter fall.  The frosting is creamy and sweet (but not too sweet) and wonderfully spiced.  They are an awesome combination.  Try them out. You won't regret it.

Browned Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes
barely adapted from Baked Perfection

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup packed brown sugar (dark if you have it)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan, until the butter turns golden brown and has a delicious, nutty aroma.  Pour the browned butter into a bowl immediately (to prevent it from over browning) and let cool a bit.  Revel for a minute in the delicious smell. 
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugars, eggs and browned butter.  Add flour mixture to the wet and whisk until just combined.
Fill muffin tins until 3/4-full.  Bake until cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Transfer tin to wire racks and cool completely.
Makes 15 cupcakes.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
not at all adapted from Baked Perfection

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low.  Add sugar, 1 cup at a time and then add cinnamon and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.

Honey Barbeque Meatloaf

I made meatloaf. That may not sound too exciting or revolutionary but with a kid who's allergic to eggs, that's not normally an option. I found this egg-less meatloaf recipe and decided to give it a try.  I was thinking it would taste much like our family favorite of barbeque meatballs.  It definitely has a different flavor.  It reminds me a lot of the honey barbeque chicken that they use to have at KFC when I was a kid.  Do they still have that?

Anyway, the kids (and Tyler) thought it was a little too spicy so I might cut down the spice next time I try it.  I will definitely try it again though.

Honey Barbeque Meatloaf
from Six Sisters Stuff

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup barbeque sauce, divided
2 Tbsp honey, divided
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1. Mix together beef, bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, mustard, 1/2 cup barbeque sauce, 1 Tbsp honey, salt and pepper. (Use your hands; it's good for you!)
2. Form into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.
3. Mix together remaining barbeque sauce, honey and Worcestershire sauce. Spread half of this over the meat mixture.  
4. Bake in a 350F oven for 45 minutes.  Slice and drizzle with remaining sauce mixture.  Enjoy!

Serves 4-5 people.

Apple Cinnamon Donuts

We made donuts a couple of weeks ago.

This guy had never gotten to taste a donut before.  He was pretty excited to help out.

I made some very minor adaptations to Food Allergy Mama's recipe to account for the fact that Asher can now have baked dairy.  Here's the recipe as I made it:
Apple Cinnamon Donuts
adapted from The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book

oil for frying
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce (3/8 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar (3/8 cup)
1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 1/4 all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1. In a large pot, heat 2 to 3 inches of oil until a candy thermometer inserted reaches 375F.
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the applesauce, vanilla, and the 3/8 cup sugar.  Add butter and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with a wire whisk.  Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately to the applesauce-butter mixture. If needed, add more flour until the dough is smooth and not overly sticky.
3. Transfer the dough to lightly floured surface. Knead for about a minute and roll out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Dip a doughnut cutter into flour and cut dough. Remove trimmings, reroll and repeat the process as needed.
4. Drop a couple donuts into the hot oil.  Fry donuts until they rise to the surface, about 2 minutes, and turn over to fry other side. Once donuts are golden on both sides, lift out with metal tongs and drain on paper towels.
5. Mix the rest of the sugar and cinnamon and put in a bag. Place warm donuts, one at a time, in bag and shake to coat. Enjoy!

Makes 6 donuts and 6 donut holes.

These are seriously delicious and they make your house smell awesome!  I think this will be a fall tradition in our house.