Spiced Pumpkin Butter Food

SPICED PUMPKIN BUTTER

Steps:

• In 5-quart Dutch oven combine all ingredients except nuts. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 25 minutes or until thick. (If mixture spatters, reduce heat to medium-low). Remove from heat; cool.
• Ladle into jars or freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover; store in refrigerator up to 1 week or freezer up to 6 months.
• To serve, top with chopped nuts. Pumpkin Puree
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut pumpkins into 5x5-inch pieces. Remove and discard seeds and strings. Arrange pieces in a single layer, skin sides up, in a foil-lined baling pan. Cover with foil. Bake about 1 hour or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop pulp from rind. Place pulp in food processor or blender. Cover and process or blend until smooth. Measure 1 cup puree to use in risotto. Transfer remaining puree to an airtight container. Store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen puree in the refrigerator.

PUMPKIN SPICE BUTTER

Steps:

• Add softened butter, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt to a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until everything is smooth, creamy, and well combined. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Whisk together the pumpkin puree and honey in a separate small bowl.
• Add the combined pumpkin/honey to the whipped butter bowl in several increments, beating well after each addition. Once all of the pumpkin/honey has been added, continue to beat the pumpkin spice butter on medium speed for several minutes, or until the butter is well whipped and creamy. Adjust salt and spices to taste.
• Pipe butter into a jar (or simply spoon it) or form a log or several mini logs by rolling the butter into a cylinder within a sheet(s) of parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for several months.

PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases. Beat the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the edges to combine. Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla.
• Fold in the flour and pumpkin spice, followed by the milk, and combine until you have a smooth batter. Using a tablespoon, divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, around two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 mins - they should be firm to the touch and slightly golden brown. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then lift them out gently onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the cream cheese icing. Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, beat the butter, icing sugar and pumpkin spice mix together until it turns smooth and pale, about 1-2 mins. Add the soft cheese and whisk for a further 3-4 mins until it thickens - it will turn runny and then thicken up again.
• You can either put the icing into a piping bag and pipe it in a circle on top of the cooled cupcakes, or spoon it on top of the cupcakes and swirl it with the back of a spoon. Dust with extra pumpkin spice, if you like.