Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting

Because we had leftover pumpkin from our adventures in coffeecake. Because it’s Halloween. Because my mom sent me these wackadoo toothpicks with monsters on them, along with enough Halloween themed items for a legit tablescape, Sandra Lee style. So we celebrated the holiday, a little early, with a Halloween feast. These tasty little numbers will make your day. Especially if your day was filled with bizarre wet snow that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Is it winter? Wait, did fall happen? Even if you missed autumn, which you haven’t according to the calendar, you can make it yourself. With these cupcakes. These warm, friendly cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting, from Shutterbean

Ingredients
for the cupcakes
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice (Lacking allspice ourselves we substituted 1/8 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp ground cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup warm milk (110 degrees Fahrenheit)
for the icing
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and place cupcake wrappers in the your muffin tin.

Step 2: Sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside.

Step 3: With an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until creamy and light. Mix in the eggs, until combined. Add pumpkin and milk; beat until combined. Add flour mixture, and mix on low until just combined.

Step 4:  Fill cupcake wrappers 3/4 of the way full with batter (~ 17 cupcakes), and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Step 5: Once the cupcakes are cool, prepare frosting. Heat the butter over medium high heat, until aromatic and nut brown in color. Add this butter to the powdered sugar, leaving behind any burned bits of butter.

Step 6: Add in the vanilla and 1 Tbsp milk, and stir until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more milk 1 Tbsp at a time. Let cool 5 minutes, and then ice cupcakes.

Step 7: Stab a Halloween Party Pick in them and enjoy!