Pumpkin Muffins

With a nod to my wonderful cousin Lara Thomas, I present another delicious recipe! I've served this up at a couple of "Brainy Breakfast" get togethers at my home, and also have made these for breakfast, or an easy picnic lunch take along. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins and Orange Frosting*
Adapted by Natasha Augusto and Lara Thomas (original recipe from Cooking Light, November 2006)

*Makes 18 muffins

*Ingredients: (adjustments to make this recipe without eggs are in bold)*
2 ¼ cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup brown sugar – it calls for packed, I _didn't_ pack the brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup plain yogurt *(1/2 cup – mixture of water and plain yogurt)*

1/3 cup canola oil *(1/2 cup)*

¼ cup molasses

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs *(1/2 package of cream cheese)*

Preheat oven to 400. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl, stir with a whisk. Combine brown sugar, canned pumpkin, yogurt (or yogurt and water), oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs (or cream cheese) with a whisk or in a mixer on low. Add flour mixture and stir until just moist. Spoon into muffins cups with papers or coated with oil. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes (it took a little longer with the cream cheese variation), until a wooden pick comes out clean. Remove muffins immediately and let cool. Makes 18 muffins.

*Orange Frosting (*/To make the frosting orange I added cooked carrots)/
/Adapted by Lara Thomas from America's Test Kitchen /

Cook one large carrot in boiling water until quite soft. Puree in blender or food processor, adding enough water to blend into a soft puree.

*Place in mixer:*
8 oz of cream cheese
½ cup of sugar (I used ¼ cup of sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
At least 1/3 cup of cooked carrots – depends on how orange you want the
frosting and your taste preference. The carrots make the frosting sweet.

Whip ingredients on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce
speed to low and slowly add 2 cups heavy cream in a slow, steady stream.
When almost fully combined, increase speed to medium high and beat until
mixture holds stiff peaks (about 2 ½ minutes more). Makes ample frosting
for an entire cake.

Note: this frosting *without the carrots* makes a quick easy frosting
for birthday and party cakes