Ina Garten Pumpkin Cupcakes Food

PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES WITH MAPLE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the top of a muffin pan with vegetable oil and line it with 10 paper liners.
• Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and the 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared tins (I use a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped Heath bars.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup and vanilla on medium-low speed until very smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line muffin pans with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly in the pan.
• For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
• Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Decorate with candied violets, if desired. Do not refrigerate.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA PUMPKIN MOUSSE - INA GARTEN

Steps:

• Heat the half-and-half, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them. Pour the egg-pumpkin mixture slowly back into the double boiler and stir well.
• Heat the mixture again over the simmering water for another 4-5 minutes, until it begins to thicken (about 140 degrees), stirring CONSTANTLY. You don't want the eggs to scramble. Remove from heat.
• Dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, bananas and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.
• Whip the heavy cream (chilled very cold) in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cooled pumpkin mixture and pout it into a 7 inch x 2-3/4 inch round souffle dish.
• Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
• For the decoration: Whip last 1 cup of cold heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the mousse and sprinkle, if desired, with remaining orange zest.
• Serve chilled.
• [As always with zest, be sure to just get the orange skin and not any of the white pith, which is bitter -- the orange in this enhances the flavors so that it is very refreshing - I could NOT believe how good this was - and how satisfying a small portion was!].