Pioneer Woman's Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I'm on a quest to find a good pumpkin muffin recipe (please send me one if you have a good one!). I made these this weekend while my family was in town, and everyone loved them! It's a Pioneer Woman recipe (no wonder I loved it). I wasn't looking for so much spice in my search for pumpkin muffin perfection, but it does say spice in the title so I should have known! She puts cream cheese icing on hers, and I didn't do that, but they were still good (I know they would've been good with it, too). Unfortunately, I didn't take a pic :( Sorry guys!

Enjoy!

Love,

L and J

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (with Cream Cheese Icing)

Recipe from Pioneer Woman's website: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/moist-pumpkin-spice-muffins-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

Ingredients

• Muffin Ingredients:
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 whole Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!)
• _____
• Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/4 cup Softened Butter
• 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.