Katie{Did}It: 15 Tricks to Treat Your Halloween, Winthrop Chronicles

Hi, I'm Sarah and I blog over at The Winthrop Chronicles. I am so excited to be here with you today! I am a TV news reporter turned stay at home mom of three little ones. I love it and stay pretty busy, but have always loved to do crafts and to decorate, so I do that any chance I get.

I also love to bake. When it gets to be fall around here, I am all about pumpkin. I try to incorporate it in to as many recipes as I can. Today I want to share with you some pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened (one stick)

1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup 2 percent reduced fat-milk

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out, but I am sure they would be delicious included)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 24 paper muffin cup liners in muffin tins.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Place butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, beating on low speed. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour, beating on low speed. Stir in nuts.

Spoon batter in to muffin cups filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Maple Cream Cheese Icing

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat with mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread over cooled cupcakes.