So it's fall and what a perfect time to start incorporating PUMPKINS into your fall cooking.  So, I have decided to start posting yummy pumpkin recipes for you to try out at home.  Can't promise they are the most healthy or low in fat... but definitely tasty. 

Chocolate Muffins with Pumpkin Frosting  (found at www.tastykitchen .com)

Muffin Ingredients:

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Cocoa (I Recommend A Dark Cocoa, I Used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 sticks (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 3 cups Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Buttermilk

Pumpkin Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 stick Butter, Softened
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 3-½ cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Ginger
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• ½ cups Pumpkin Puree

Preparation Instructions

Directions for muffins/cake:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper liners.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter, then add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

On medium speed, add one egg at a time to the butter sugar mixture. Don’t over-beat, just mix enough to blend well.

Add vanilla and mix.

Alternate adding flour/cocoa mixture and buttermilk until combined. Mix well on medium speed for about 30 seconds until smooth.

Fill muffin tins halfway.

Bake at 325° F for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be careful not to over-bake these.

Let muffins cool in the muffin pan for about 2 minutes and carefully remove to cool on a rack. (Go ahead and eat one while they’re hot. You need to test it anyway.)

(Note: This cake recipe also works well for 2 loaf pans. Split batter between 2 greased loaf pans and cook for approximately 65 minutes at 325° F or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.)

Pumpkin frosting directions:

In a bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

Add all other frosting ingredients and mix together on medium speed. Add more powdered sugar or cream cheese for a thicker consistency if desired.

(I refrigerated the frosting for about 10 to 15 minutes before icing the muffins, which I think helped the frosting to thicken up a tad.)

These muffins warmed slightly in the microwave are yum yum!

I hope you enjoy! Yea fall!

photo courtesy www.tastykitchen.com