Lovin' From the Oven

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins with Pecan Streusel

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I’d like to welcome fall with these pumpkin muffins. It all starts with a can of this:

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which eventually turns into this..
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and CHOMP!:
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Pet names— What’s your take on them? Before I dated my DB, I was the kind of girl that cringed every time I heard “honey,” “sugar,” “sweetie,” “muffin”… I just didn’t understand why people had the need to call each other food names when they had a perfectly functioning birth name.

I never used pet names with previous boys that I dated, and they never used it with me. But all of a sudden, nearly three years ago, a boy answered my phone call with “Hi, honey,” and turned me into the world’s biggest hypocrite. Somehow, I actually enjoyed those words leaving his mouth and three years later, we rarely refer to each other by our actual names anymore. How does that even happen?
Same thing goes for these muffins.. when I was little, I always told myself that I hated pumpkin. One day, I was given a slice of pumpkin pie at my friend’s house and I was sold. How did I hate this for 13 years of my life? Pumpkin was and still is amazing! I guess you just never know until you try.

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All I can say about these muffins is HOLY GUACAMOLE! These are just about the most delicious pumpkin creation that I’ve tried yet. Given, I haven’t made very many pumpkin recipes (see here, here, and here), but when you know, you know. Slightly adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, which was originally adapted from Country Living.

Filling:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
Streusel:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped finely
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pumpkin Batter:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 15 oz can of pumpkin
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, and blend to combine. Place the mixture in a bowl and put in the freezer until batter is ready.

For the Pecan Streusel: Combine flour, sugar, pecans, butter, and cinnamon. Set aside.

For the Pumpkin Batter:
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin/cupcake cups. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, lightly beat the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
  3. Mix in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices) into the wet mixture until just combined.
  4. Remove the cream cheese from the freezer.
  5. Evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin cups. Place about a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each cupcake. Fill with the remaining batter, completely covering the cream cheese.
  6. Sprinkle some of the pecan streusel on top of each muffin.
  7. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
p.s. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway if you haven’t already. It ends tomorrow at midnight!

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting & a Giveaway

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Festive plate, don’t you think? I was actually busily snapping away when my mom came up to me, very excitedly may I add, going on about plates. Huh? I had no idea what she was talking about. She went to cupboard and pulled out these rooster plates. Apparently, she bought them just for me for the sole reason of taking blog pictures. Hahaha– My mom’s the best! And apparently a rooster lover? Who knew?

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Thank you so much for your kind comments and support about my previous post! It’s overwhelming— in a “I can’t believe it, I love you guys!” kind of way. Not only that, but we’ve also just hit 1,000 fans on the Lovin’ From the Oven Facebook page! wahooo!

One of my wonderful followers, Ashley, suggested on the FB page that we celebrate by giving everyone free baked goods by yours truly. As much as I would LOVE to do that if I could, there’s just no way I could do that physically or financially.
Then I got to thinking… well, although I can’t bake for everyone, why not three lucky winners, instead? Perfect!
So here it is, another giveaway to celebrate all the goodness that’s been going on. Just leave a comment on this post with your favorite baby name (boy or girl) and an email for me to reach you by 11:59 PM Pacific Time, Friday, October 15th, 2010. This giveaway is only for US residents since mailing cookies overseas isn’t the greatest idea. The winners will be picked via random.org.
You might be wondering why a baby name? Well, my DB’s sister just had her first boy earlier this week (after having two girls), so I’m in a baby mood! They’re just the sweetest little things.
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These bars are unbelievably moist and a hit at work. To me, they were a bit on the sweet side so I’d adjust the sugar next time I make them. The bars would have tasted fine without the frosting, but cream cheese frosting is my weakness. These bars are adapted from Betty Crocker.

  • 4 mashed very ripe bananas
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan.
  2. Mash the bananas and then mix in the sugar, oil, and eggs.
  3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Pour into the pan and bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. While the bars are cooling, make the frosting.
  • 5 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla
  • 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  1. Cream the cream cheese and butter together.
  2. Mix in the vanilla and powdered sugar (slowly).
  3. Spread on cooled bars.

Nutella Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

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Brace yourself for these lovelies..

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The one on the left is from the center of the pan and the one on the right is from the edge. Now let’s get to the batter:
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Dropping the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie mixture..
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…and giving it a little swirl.
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Freshly cut right from the oven!
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My parents are out of town this weekend and I feel like I’m playing “mom.” Picking up dinner (since I can’t cook), doing dishes 24:7, worrying about my siblings when they’re driving far distances or not home by ten, and making them constantly tell me where they are. It’s a tiresome job! A job that I didn’t even necessarily need to pick up, but I did anyway for the weekend.

I know what you’re thinking.. open house?! Party! Yeah, no. My party consisted of baking 24 pumpkin muffins with a pecan streusel and a swirl of cream cheese (which are pure bliss & coming to you soon!) and watching Prisonbreak. Sometimes I wonder if I’m living my 80 year old life now, since I’m definitely a boring 23 year old. Too bad I wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe I’ll be partying it up when I’m 80 instead.. it only makes sense.
I’m still working on using that giant jar of nutella that I have from Costco. I’ve made cookies and cupcakes— it’s only logical to make brownies next!
When my mom ate these, the first thing she said was, “Why don’t you make things from scratch more often?”
Me: “Huh? Ummm… I always bake things from scratch, mom.”
Mom: “Oh.. that explains why these are so good then!”
Yup, that didn’t make any sense whatsoever, but that’s why I love conversations with my mom.
This recipe comes with little adaptation from Flour on My Face. It’s a wonderful base for a brownie recipe if you choose to omit the cheesecake/nutella part, too! I like my brownies fudgy, so the middle of the pan was my favorite. 🙂
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Cream Cheese Topping

  • 5 oz Philly Cream Cheese
  • 2 tbs softened butter
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs flour
  • 1/4 cup Nutella

Brownie Batter

  • 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup Herseys Special Dark Cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 stick of softened butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350′
  2. Grease and line a 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray.
Cream cheese frosting
  1. Cream together butter, sugar and flour. Add cream cheese and mix/blend until smooth. Scrape bowl and add the egg and beat until the topping is nice and creamy. Scrap bowl and add Nutella, beat about one minute or until the nutella is mixed into the cream cheese mixture completely.
  2. Set topping aside and mix brownie batter.

Brownie batter

  1. Sift flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a medium sized bowl.
  2. In a small bowl cream sugar and 1/2 stick of butter, add eggs one at a time, beat well then add vanilla.
  3. Fold egg, sugar, butter and vanilla mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients.
  4. Spread 3/4 of the brownie batter into the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.
  5. Randomly dollop the cream cheese topping over the brownie batter.
  6. Randomly dollop the rest of the brownie batter on top of the cream cheese batter. Swirl with the tip of a knife.
  7. Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes.

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