Maple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Pumpkin Icing

 I wanted to make these as my last hoorah to Halloween because come November 1st it is going to be all things Christmas!  I am so excited for Christmas, and plan on trying out a lot of new recipes for my favourite holiday.  I hope you like these festive Fall cupcakes.  You can never have too much pumpkin, am I right?



Ingredients:

Cake:

1 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Margarine
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Maple Extract (or substitute an additional tsp of Vanilla)
1 1/2 cups White Flour
1 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Water (You could also use milk)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (optional)


Icing:

1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree (Pure)
1 TB Margarine
1 tsp Maple Extract
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Or cinnamon)
3 1/2 cups Icing Sugar


Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place your liners in your muffin tins.  Cool looking Halloween themed liners preferred.

2.  Combine the sugar and margarine in your mixer.  Add eggs one at a time with the vanilla and maple extract.  Mix until smooth.

3.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and spices.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Add the water until fully combined.

4.  Spoon into the muffin tins, filling the liners about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center of a cupcake.

5.  While the cupcakes are cooling begin to make the icing.  Start by mixing the pumpkin puree, margarine and maple extract in your mixer.  Slowly add the icing sugar until the icing is your preferred consistency.  I like mine pretty thick, but you could stop adding icing sugar at 3 cups and go for a slightly lighter icing.

6.  When the cupcakes are completely cool, ice and enjoy!

 

Evil Scientist Beaker Sprinkles from Save-on-Foods

Baked Fries

Cooked.

 These fries are so quick and easy you can even throw them together for lunch like I did today!

 Ingredients:

 

1 Russet Potato
3 Cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:


1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and  grease a baking pan.  I like to put tin foil in the pan because it means less mess later.


2.   The potato in this recipe does not get pre-cooked, so you just cut it into whatever size fries you like.  I just made enough to have for lunch, but you can add more potatoes depending on how many servings you want.


3.   Place the potato on the baking pan and add the chopped garlic.  I like things to be REALLY garlicy so you may want to add the garlic to your taste.

Pre-cooked.

Pre-cooked.

4.   Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper and put in oven.  Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until the fries are golden brown and a fork can go through them smoothly.
 

Cooked!