Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Betty Crocker's maple bacon frosting -- a seasonal item, on sale today -- inspired my fall baking today. Sorry to say (though not exactly surprising), the store-bought canned frosting with its tiny, totally fake, stale-chewy imitation bacon sprinkles was VERY unimpressive. Makes me want to rebake these pumpkin cupcakes and make my own frosting and real crushed bacon bits.*

Ingredients
1 C butter, softened
1½ C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 C pumpkin purée
1 tsp vanilla
2¼ C flour 
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375˚. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.

Stir or sift together flour, soda, salt and spices; set aside.
Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Stir in pumpkin purée and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Scoop batter into cupcake liners. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Round or square cake pans (line with parchment paper and/or lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray) would probably require 25-30 minutes. Test them with a toothpick.



* Nov 29, 2015 addition: So...I did bake the pumpkin spice cupcakes again, mini-cupcakes this time. No bacon; brown sugar buttercream frosting with a sprinkle of coarse vanilla sugar and a dusting of cinnamon.  ...much better!

Bacon-Chocolate Cupcakes

Homemade Chocolate Cake cupcakes (made with DARK chocolate cocoa powder), frosted with Italian Meringue Vanilla Frosting (made with 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp maple extract), garnished with crumbled bacon and a 1/2 slice of bacon dipped in chocolate. Served with maple ice cream. Mmmmmmmmmm...

Maple Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 C grade B maple syrup
1 Tbls cornstarch
6 egg yolks
2 C heavy cream
½ C milk
1 tsp maple (or vanilla) extract
½ tsp salt
optional: ½ tsp liquid smoke

Directions:
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer.

In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, cornstarch, and egg yolks.

Pour about one third of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, then stir the egg yolk mixture into the remaining cream in the saucepan. Stir to blend well. Lower the heat to medium-low and heat, stirring constantly, until hot and slightly thickened. Do not boil.

Pour through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in the milk, vanilla, salt, and liquid smoke (if desired). Cover and chill thoroughly.

Freeze according to ice cream machine manufacturer's directions. Place in freezer if firmer consistency is desired. Makes 1 quart of maple ice cream.

Serve with: chopped nuts/peanuts, buttery maple-bourbon syrup, whipped cream, or...if you're into the whole bacon craze, with real bacon bits.