Before the baking, a minor knitting update.  I’ve tweaked the Lady of the Lake pattern so that the sleeves are knit in the round from the shoulder down, because that’s how they should be knit, dammit.  I am also making an absolutely lovely pair of Hedgerow socks* out of Spirit Trail sock yarn in a simply sublime green mostly solid.**  I am a very happy knitter.  And since I’m heading to the Fall Fiber Festival of Virginia with my Mom next weekend, I have a sneaking suspicion that I may be able to secure the yarn needed to finish the blanket.  Who wants to bet that, having spent no money making the blanket so far, I can blow a bajillion dollars just on the edging?  Anyone?

* Thanks Jane.  This is a great pattern!
** Thanks Jen.  You are  the queen of greens.  There were two skeins of this yarn at Maryland sheep and wool, and I grabbed them both and threatened to bite anyone who came too close to me.  I did let Ruadhan buy the other skein, since she taught me to knit, but watching her knit a pair of socks in this yarn before I started mine made me whimper.

Now, to the baking.  I’ve made several batches of these muffins now, and have tested them on people who have not encountered corporate coffee’s version.  These are not identical to corporate coffee’s (crack-laced) muffins, but my baking consultant Etaine declared these were just right and demanded that I stop tinkering.  Frankly, I’m relieved.  I can’t eat another muffin or I shall perish.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Recipe makes 24 muffins

Cheese filling:
8 ounces of cream cheese or Neufchatel (use the Neufchatel—it doesn’t hurt the end product)
¼ cup sugar

Toasted Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (either from a store or from inside a pumpkin)
1 tablespoon white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon ginger
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon water

Muffin batter

1 and ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
½ cup pumpkin butter
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
3 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, for garnish

Prepare cheese filling:

1. Blend cheese with ¼ cup sugar.

2. Place cheese mixture on foil or plastic wrap (I use the foil the cheese came in), shape into a log, and freeze for an hour or more.

Toast and spice pumpkin seeds:

1. Toast seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly browned.

2. Toss toasted seeds with sugar and spices. Add water, and continue pan toasting until seeds are dry and spices are clinging to seeds.

3. Set aside to cool.

Make the muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Prepare muffin pans with baking spray. Set aside.

3. Combine pumpkin, pumpkin butter, melted butter, and sugars.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated.

5. Add salt, baking soda, and spices.

6. Fold in flour one cup at a time until just blended.

7. Check and adjust seasoning.

8. Evenly fill muffin tins with batter (I use a 2 ounce scoop)

9.Remove cream cheese from freezer, unwrap, and cut into 24 pieces.

10. Place one cream cheese disc in each muffin and press down into batter.

11. Sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds onto muffin batter.

12. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with cinnamon sugar.

13. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin (not the cheese)

14. Cool the muffins in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins to cooling racks, allow to cool completely.

Note 1; I use organic pumpkin and pumpkin seeds from Trader Joe’s.

Note 2: I made my own pumpkin butter because there was none in my local grocery store.  To make pumpkin butter, put some pumpkin puree, water, sugar or honey if you want, and typical pumpkin spices in a pot and cook it until the mixture is significantly darker and thicker.  Do not leave it alone while cooking–fruit butters are so reduced that they approach a form of candy, and are thus analogous to sweet, delicious lava.  Left unattended, a fruit butter will scorch, then make a huge mess, and possibly burn someone pretty seriously.  Treat fruit butters, caramels, and candy with respect in the kitchen or buy them from someone who does.  If you can’t find pumpkin butter and don’t want to bother making any, use 1/2 cup more pumpkin and you’ll get something almost as good.

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