So Many Dishes

I love spending time in the kitchen, but as much as I enjoy cooking and baking, I’ve never owned a stand mixer. I received a hand-held mixer as a wedding shower gift, so I wasn’t totally without a mixer. I was still an undergraduate when Ken and I married, then we both were in graduate school, so money was tight. A stand mixer wasn’t a priority. And as time went on, I could never justify the investment of both money and kitchen space. Because, admit it, a standard mixer takes up a lot of room!

So when I bake, 53 years later, I still pull out my little hand mixer. I used it yesterday to make pumpkin cupcakes for our grandson Luke’s birthday.

I mentioned the pumpkin cupcakes in an earlier post about kitchen failures. In addition to being family tradition at football tailgating, they have now become the go-to for Luke’s birthday celebration. Alice invited us to dinner last evening with the proviso that we bring the cupcakes.

This is an old Southern Living recipe. I got rid of most of my Southern Living annual recipe collections several years ago, but I kept a few that contain special recipes. This one tops the list. It’s easy, and makes delicious, moist cupcakes that are a perfect carrier for cream cheese icing. I’ve included that recipe, too.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl; add all ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin pans, filling three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool; frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 pound powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until well mixed. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing after each addition, until it reaches your desired consistency (you may not need to add the entire pound).

We had a great celebration, and we all enjoyed the cupcakes, especially Luke. I hope you will, too. Happy eating!