Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes – Yes please!

Good afternoon blog world! Happy Friday! I am super excited for the weekend, but it’s going to be a busy one.  What are my plans? Glad you asked!

Tonight will be low-key and I am enjoying that idea. Saturday I plan to run the Central Park loop in the a.m. and then meet up with some long-lost friends for dinner later. But it will be an early night since I have a race on Sunday morning. I’m running the Race to Deliver – 4 miler. Then I’ll be heading to a fun blogger brunch in the early afternoon! Somewhere in there I also need to clean the apartment. Less than fun.

What are your plans for the weekend?!

I had a few notable eats from yesterday that I thought I’d share. I haven’t been posting most of my meals lately. But here’s a few. Yesterday I had blueberry oatmeal. I simply cooked in some frozen blueberries and it was delicious!

Last night’s dinner was an easy one. We STILL do not have gas in our apartment building, but I hear whisperings of progress. I maintain my less than optimistic stance. So I made myself a fried egg sammy on the hot plate with a side of strawberries.

Then for dessert I finished up the last pumpkin cupcake that my mother forced on us when we were upstate last weekend. Cream cheese frosting – how divine!!

Here is my momma’s delicious recipe for the cupcakes and frosting.

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes
 
 2 cups flour                                                                
1 cup butter softened
1  (3.4 oz) pckg. instant butterscotch pudding mix         
1 cup white sugar
2 tsps. baking soda                                                     
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbls.  cinnamon                                                        
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. ground ginger                                                   
1  tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. allspice                                                           
1  (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp. ground cloves                                                   
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven  (ohh to have an oven!) 350    Grease or line 24 muffin cups.
 
Cream butter, white and brown sugar with mixer til light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla and pumpkin puree.  Mix all dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture.  Add walnuts.  Bake 350 about 20 minutes.   
 
Cream Cheese Frosting
 
1  8 oz. cream cheese- softened
2 tbls. butter – softened
1  lb. box confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
 
Mix til thoroughly combined and creamy.

Have a great weekend all!