Pumpkin Goop

...This is how we carve pumpkins...

Indian Pudding

I had my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday morning, and so i am confined to pudding and mashed potatoes. What a sad fate.
But i was determined to make the best of it, so this morning i cooked some Indian pudding for myself. It almost tasted like pumpkin pudding, but more cornmeal.

Oh Streusel

When i come home, i bake.

Somehow in the jumble of flour and spices life untangles itself and i can breathe again.

I decided to bake with pumpkin this afternoon since it's October and all, and i made these delicious little pumpkin muffins.

They are absolutely de-lightful, so i thought i'd share. Bake.Eat.Enjoy. :)

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cups pecans, roughly chopped (i used walnuts)
  
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups solid-packed pumpkin
• 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat two 12-cup standard muffin tins with oil and set aside.
2. Mix the cream cheese, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
   
3. Toss 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pecans, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.
   
4. Combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon in a large bowl. Lightly beat the remaining eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour the pumpkin mixture into the well, and mix with a fork just until moistened. Evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin cups. Place two teaspoonfuls of cream cheese filling in the center of each cup and fill with the remaining batter. Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin and bake until golden and a tester, inserted into the muffin center, comes out clean -- 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.