Pumpkin Muffins with Low-Fat Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

Many of my posts containing recipes have accompanying stories.  This one is no exception….

Last week, in an attempt to build up some Brownie bonus points toward taking the car later, my daughter offered to do some shopping for me.  She knows I can be…ummm…particular about ingredients; so she was understandably a bit flummoxed when the clerk told her there had been a poor pumpkin harvest and they would be out of canned pumpkin until November.  Huh???

Never one to be deterred by a little thing like complete unavailability of the key ingredient in my recipe, and really being in the mood for something that tasted like fall, I asked her to bring home frozen butternut squash instead. The result was a resounding success.  While I’d probably use pumpkin in the future, as it imparts a bit more intense flavor, the squash was an excellent understudy I’d use again in a pinch.

Healthy Foods in Disguise

Being what I think is a pretty good mom, I get perverse pleasure out of watching my seventeen year-old step son, who prefers “plastic pourable nacho cheese” to many other foods, devour a “treat” full of vegetables, whole wheat flour and flax seed meal.  Score a point for the healthy foodies world-wide!

We call these “cuffins” or “mupcakes” … the offspring of a down and dirty dance between a muffin and cupcake.  They’re healthy enough to eat along side a scrambled egg and fruit salad for brunch – and, when topped with the Low-Fat Chai Cream Cheese Frosting,  decadent  enough to be served as a dessert for company.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin / Butternut Squash “Mupcakes”

Ingredients

3/4 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax meal
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
15 ounces canned pumpkin or frozen butternut squash, thawed and mashed
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts – optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º.
Sift together first ten ingredients (white flour – cloves), set aside.
Cream eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Mix in pumpkin or squash.
Mix in dry ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.  Don’t over-stir.
Fold in walnuts, if using.
Spoon mixture into muffin tins sprayed with canola oil spray, or lined with paper liners.
Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Do not overcook or they will become dry.
Makes 12-14 mupcakes

Low-Fat Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

 Ingredients

4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
contents of 2 chai tea bags, ground in spice grinder

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and tea until the mixture is smooth. Using a spoon or spatula, spread the icing on top of the cooled cupcakes.