Pumpkin Palooza, Part 1

This year, I decided to celebrate my birthday with my favorite gourd: the pumpkin.

In preparation for Halloween I had picked up the special issue of Martha Stewart. And when I saw this recipe for pumpkin cupcakes, I knew I would be making them for my birthday.

They didn't disappoint, either.

They filled the house with a wonderful aroma as they were baking. And they tasted as good as they smelled. These cupcakes are a great way to celebrate an autumn birthday, Halloween, or just life in general.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
  
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for tins
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush 16 cups of standard muffin tins with butter; dust with four, and tap out excess. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
   
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture to combine. Add flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.
   
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire rack to cook completely before removing cupcakes. (Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in air containers.)
   
4. Us a small offset spatula to spread frosting over cupcakes. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring up to room temperature before serving.

Note: Dust with powdered sugar or frost with vanilla, cream cheese, or brown-sugar cream cheese frosting.