Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Pumpkin-Walnut Spice Muffin w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

This evening we had a quick and easy dinner since we just had the leftover pizza from last night.  However, with the cooler weather, I had the "itch" to bake something "fall weather appropriate"...if there is such a thing!  While searching online for something else, I accidentally stumbled on a recipe for pumpkin muffins a few days ago on another blog called "Healthy Living How To".  The muffin recipe looked good and they served it with pumpkin butter...but I thought a cinnamon cream cheese "frosting" would be something I'd prefer and it would be easy to experiment with on such a small scale.  Basically this muffin is a variation of a "One Minute Muffin", also called Muffin in a Minute (MIM).  This muffin is made and cooked in a 4-1/2" ramekin or bowl (I used a Corning grab-it bowl...remember those?) rather than a mug and it takes 2 minutes to cook in the microwave (mine actually took 2-1/2 minutes).  I want to tell you that it was really good and really easy to make.  I made a few minor tweaks but essentially followed the recipe.  Below are a few pictures as well as the recipe.  It is definitely worth trying if you like pumpkin...and the best part about it is that since you are only making one portion...if you don't like it, it isn't a big deal and you didn't waste a lot of ingredients...which is a good thing!  Enjoy!






Pumpkin-Walnut Spice Muffin w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseed meal
Pinch Celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum-free & gluten-free)
1 large egg (or 1/4 cup Egg Beaters)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (Canned or Fresh)
20-30 drops liquid stevia, or to taste (I used 30 drops) or 5-6 teaspoons Swerve sweetener

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a 4 1/2 inch ramekin or bowl.
2. Whisk egg with water, pumpkin, stevia or Swerve and melted butter in ramekin or bowl.
3. Add coconut flour, flaxseed meal, sea salt, cinnamon and walnuts and mix well.
4. Sprinkle with baking powder and mix one more time.
5. Spread/smooth out evenly in ramekin and microwave for 2 minutes (mine took 2-1/2 minutes).
6. Remove from microwave with dish towel and invert on cooling rack (I inverted mine on to a plate).
7. Top or frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired.
  
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Cream Cheese Frosting (for one muffin)

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons cream cheese (brick style, not whipped)
2 tablespoons half-n-half or cream (add gradually to desired consistency)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Truvia or 2 teaspoons Swerve confectioners sweetener
Dash of cinnamon
Splash of vanilla extract (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Directions:

In a small bowl, whip cream cheese until softened and fluffy with a small spoon; add Truvia or sweetener of choice (I used a little over 1/2 teaspoon Truvia), vanilla, cinnamon and add half-n-half a little at a time, whipping/beating it in until you get the desired consistency (I used almost 2 tablespoons).  Spread or frost on cooled (or almost cooled) muffin.  Sprinkle with “cinnamon sugar” (1/3 teaspoon Truvia mixed with a few shakes of cinnamon) and top with a few chopped walnut pieces, if desired.  Enjoy!


        

8 comments:

msfees said...

Hi, Your blog is amazing. Thanks for all your great cooking! If you have good pantry staples for eating like this please think of posting in the future. I don't know which sweetener to buy ... there are so many out there.

Thanks, Melissa

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Melissa. I understand completely about the sweeteners. No two stevias are alike either...some are down right awful and bitter and all of them measure differently which makes it hard to follow recipes some times. So far, I like Truvia and for other stevia I use NuNaturals brand (both drops and I bought the pure stuff too). One of these days I will do a post on some of the ingredients that might help to stock. For flour substitutes I use almond flour, coconut flour and ground golden flax meal. Read labels on packaged food -- almost everything either has wheat or high fructose corn syrup or sugar of some sort. Thanks again for the kind words about my blog...let me know if I can help with anything! P.S.--I am not an expert of any sort...just someone that likes cooking and experimenting in the kitchen! :-)

Trudy said...

My microwave no longer works, which is both good news and bad news. Would this work in a conventional oven? I realize it would take longer than 2, 2 1/2 minutes, but...

Thanks!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Trudy -- I don't see why it wouldn't work in an oven (providing you place it in an oven-proof bowl or mug). I would think 350 degrees F would be the temp to use and you would just have to check it for doneness -- maybe 15 minutes, give or take a few minutes? If you decide to make it in the oven -- I hope it works for you -- let me know! Thanks! :-)

Sonshine Strong said...

Made this last night for dessert. We loved it! And we thought going wheat/sugar free would be boring. Silly us. :)

~Cindy

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

LOL, Cindy! I hear you -- when I started my wheat free journey -- I was determined to make sure it was NEVER boring! And almost 15 months into it, I am still not bored! ;-)

Sonshine Strong said...

That's awesome - and so encouraging to hear! I have to tell you, I've been using your recipes for the majority of our meals and my husband's blood glucose levels are coming down. We feel like we're really splurging because our meals are so filling and tasty. :)

~Cindy

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Cindy -- that is so great to hear about your husband's glucose coming down -- and I am flattered that you have been using so many of my recipes! I know some people fear they will be deprived when removing wheat/grains/added sugar -- but instead I feel like I am splurging, too! It's great, isn't it! Wow...what good news for your husband though -- I know you both are thrilled about that! :-)