Combining the Old and the New….for a great fall (gluten free) cupcake

Just after Thanksgiving, a friend sent a recipe for Cream Cheese Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and said they were out of this world.  I immediately went to the link for the recipe. Who can resist something described like that?

I knew I would need to modify the recipe to be gluten free. However, as I contemplated the task, I realized I would also need to be sure it was something Andy, my son with disabilities, could manage. His bottom front four teeth have never come in. At 21 years old, I don’t expect them to any time soon. Biting things, like sandwiches, apples, and pieces of pizza are difficult for him. He often bites things off with his molars instead.

As I was pondering all this, I was reminded of a cupcake my Mother made with cream cheese filling (and chocolate chips).

And thus, today’s gluten-free recipe is born:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Makes 12 regular sized cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcake

Food I need:

1. 2 ¼ cup Tom Sawyer Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour

2. 1 Tblsp. baking powder

3. ½ tsp. baking soda

4. ¾ tsp. cinnamon

5. ½ tsp. nutmeg

6. ½ tsp. ginger

7. ½ cup butter (softened at room temp)

8. 1 1/3 cup sugar

9. 2 eggs

10. 1 cup canned pumpkin

11. ¾ cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in eggs.

5. Add pumpkin to egg mixture.

6. Add flour and milk alternately and mix until batter is smooth (That is, half the flour; mix; add milk, mix, add remaining flour, mix).

7. Set aside.

8. Make Cream Cheese Filling

Cream Cheese Filling

Food I need:

1. 8 ounces cream cheese (I used the 1/3 fat version)

2. 1/3 cup sugar

3. 1 egg

Directions:

1. Cream together the cheese and sugar.

2. Add egg.

3. Mix until white and fluffy.

4. Spray muffin tins with vegetable oil.

5. For each cupcake:

6. Fill ea ¼ with pumpkin batter.

7. Add a spoonful of cream cheese filling mixture.

8. Cover with pumpkin batter.

9. Cupcake cup should be ¾ full.

10. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes

11. Check at 20 minutes with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are done.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Foods I need:

1. 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)

2. 2 Tbsp soft butter.

3. 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

4. 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

2. Beat well until smooth and fluffy.

3. Frost cupcakes when cool.

4. Makes enough to frost a one-layer cake or 12 muffins.

Eat and Enjoy!

#cooking #glutenfree #glutenfreecooking