Hey yall! Today I’m introducing you to an amazing blogger, Lindsay from The Ketchup Diaries.  She is so much fun to read, lives with a wonderful healthy balance… and has an incredible fall recipe to share with you.  Now, without further adieu…

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Hi, A Healthy Slice of Life readers! My name is Lindsay and I write daily on my blog, The Ketchup Diaries. When Brittany asked for guest posts on Twitter last week, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I love “meeting” new, like-minded people through the healthy living community, so I’m excited to be posting on A Healthy Slice of Life.

For those of you who don’t know me, let me introduce myself in a nutshell: I am a 27-year-old that believes in eating wholesome food 80% of the time and reserving the remaining 20% for life’s indulgences. I also believe in exercising almost daily to help feel my best. I truly believe that anyone can live well, if given the proper tools and know-how. I started TKD as a guide to help others eat well, move daily and enjoy their healthiest lives.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s talk about the important stuff. You know – like this:

 

 

What you’re looking at is a pumpkin muffin with cream cheese glaze.

Oh, yes, I did. I’m bringing out the big guns. No better way to entice you to read my blog than to tempt you with cream cheese glaze, right? 😉 I have no shame.

Fall is my favorite season for a variety of reasons, but three stand out from the rest: football, caramel (Who said that?) apples and pumpkin. I’ve been dreaming of delicious pumpkin bread for weeks now. This past weekend, I finally took the plunge.

As I often do before creating a new item, I scour recipes online. I then pick-and-choose different aspects from varying recipes and create my own version.

These muffins were no different. As I said, I was dreaming of pumpkin bread. Every recipe I came across claimed a loaf of bread served 12. I don’t know about you, but my loaves serve 8. The slices are way too tiny when cut beyond that.

So, I decided to make muffins. It’s a mental thing – I know the same amount of batter was used, but I feel better eating an entire muffin than a small slice of bread.

The end result was simply delicious. My boyfriend – Mr. KD as he’s affectionately known on my blog – devoured four and claims he doesn’t like pumpkin. If he likes them, I know you will too. They have that delicious pumpkin flavor without being overwhelmingly pumpkin. They remind me of a spice cake and the cream cheese glaze is the perfect accompaniment.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze:

Yields 12 muffins

For the muffins:

· 1 cup all-purpose flour

· ¾ cup whole wheat flour

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 tsp baking soda

· ½ tsp baking powder

· ½ tsp salt

· 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (If you prefer a stronger pumpkin flavor, use 1.5 tsp)

· ½ of a 15 oz. can of pumpkin – NOT pumpkin pie filling (eyeball it)

· ½ cup low-fat buttermilk (can use milk if you prefer)

· 1 egg

· 1/8 cup canola oil

· 1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce

For the cream cheese glaze:

· 1 Tbsp. butter, softened

· 2 Tbsp. light cream cheese, softened

· 3 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar

· Dash of vanilla (~ ¼ tsp)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with paper wrappers.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, mix pumpkin, egg, buttermilk, oil and applesauce.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until well blended.

Fill muffins cups evenly with mixture and bake for approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool once removed.

 

 

While the muffins are baking, prepare the glaze. Whip the butter and cream cheese in a small bowl. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add in the confectioner’s sugar. Because the butter and cream cheese are soft, the mixture will be rather thin.

Once the muffins have cooled a bit, glaze each muffin top with the cream cheese mixture using a small spatula. There will only be enough glaze to lightly cover each muffin top. After all, we’re making breakfast and not cupcakes 😉

Note: The texture of the muffin is actually perfect for a cupcake. If you prefer to make cupcakes, use an entire block of cream cheese, a stick of butter, 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla. This will yield enough to frost the cupcakes.

Place the muffins in the fridge to allow the glaze to firm up a bit before serving.

 

The end result is incredibly moist with the perfect marriage of fall spices and the rich, cool glaze. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

And, with these nutrition stats, you don’t have to feel guilty eating them or serving them to your family!

Amount Per Serving
Calories	178.2
Total Fat	3.4 g
	Saturated Fat	1.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.6 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.4 g
Cholesterol	20.6 mg
Sodium	160.5 mg
Potassium	80.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate	34.8 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.8 g
	Sugars	19.9 g
Protein	3.4 g

I hope you enjoy them as much as I (and Mr. KD) did. Happy Fall and Happy Eating!!