Pumpkin Muffins from the PIONEER WOMAN!

Anyone in the mood for pumpkin?  :)  I found this picture on the Better Homes & Garden's website, and while they're advertising making cupcakes, I think these would be even better if you made them with pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting.  All you have to do to modify these is to add a little food coloring into your cream cheese frosting (see recipe below), and plop a pretzel rod in the top!  Cute & yummy!  See recipe below from the PIONEER WOMAN... don't know who she is yet?  If you love food, you MUST check her out.  You can thank me later. :) 

Pumpkin Spice Muffin Ingredients

• Muffin Ingredients:
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour (even better use half all purpose, half white whole wheat - kh's addition)
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 whole Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!)
• _____
• Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/4 cup Softened Butter
• 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese  (add yellow & red food coloring to make orange! - kh)
• 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.
Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting. (then add pretzel rod - kh)

To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins.   Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.