Baking Spree

I'm a sugary floury mess! For whatever reason I got the baking bug today and decided to come home and bake up a storm. I found a pumpkin muffin mix at Trader Joe's yesterday and since canned pumpkin has been MIA for a month now (although I did find 4 cans at Hannaford's today and yes, I bought all 4 cans) so I figured this mix was the only way I was going to get any pumpkin baked goods. Some of the ingredients in my baking venture:

I started out with mix, 1 large egg, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. I stirred it up and it turned this lovely color:

I may or may not have taken a couple of spoonfuls of the mix right out of the bowl. Ok that's exactly what I did. Oh my. I love pumpkin. I popped them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and they yielded this:

While the second batch was in the oven, I started on my buttercream frosting. I actually had a cream cheese recipe that I was going to use but ended up using the recipe that was on the side of the powdered sugar box. Ingredients:

1lb of powdered sugar
1/4 cup of milk
1 stick of softened butter
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

I decided to add dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg too to compliment the pumpkin. When the second batch came out of the oven, I allowed both batches to cool completely before I frosted (this is very important, otherwise your frosting will melt and look lopsided) but honestly it wouldn't have mattered because I don't have a fancy pastry bag, so I used a regular ziploc and let's just say my frosting skills leave much to be desired.

They may not look pretty, but they tasted pretty delicious! I will use the cream cheese frosting next time because this frosting actually came out really really sweet.

My second baked good was a recipe that I got from Jenna of Eat, Live, Run. The recipe is here.

Yes, I did use two complete sticks of butter baking today. Yes I know it's not good for me. But really, if buttercream frosted pumpkin cupcakes and chocolate chip blondies are wrong, I don't want to be right.

I added this melted butter to 1 and 2/3 cup of packed brown sugar (I used light but you could use dark, whatever you have on hand). Once that was mixed I added 1 large egg, 1 cup of flour, a pinch of salt, and a dash of vanilla. I used a square pan. Before baking:

After baking:

It's supposed to make 16 servings, but it actually makes 9 cookie battle sized servings ;)

I will be taste testing these out on the girls tomorrow for the Grey's premier party. Partly because I need to bring something, but also because if I have all of these goodies in the house, I will eat them all! As it was, all the "sampling" I did out of the bowls before the food even got cooked made me feel a little sick. I could barely finish a frosted cupcake.


Let's backtrack to earlier today. My workout this morning was a spin class and it was one of the best ones I've had in a while. I definitely am feeling fitter and fitter as the days go by. This is the most consistent I've been in a workout plan in quite some time. Breakfast was a cantaloupe bowl and lunch was odds and ends. Meaning I shoved whatever I could in my mouth in the five minutes I was home before I had to run right back out. Dinner was a lean cuisine pizza since I was so focused on baking. I had planned to make a stir fry tonight, but that will have to wait.


How is everyone liking premier week?? So many good shows!! I am trying to start working my way through my DVR now, but will only be able to get through a few tonight. Biggest Loser and Glee are definitely at the top of the list!


What is your favorite season premier so far?