Week 1 - Pumpkin Popper

This week officially starts my 52 Weeks of Pinterest Challenge.  The first pin I opted to try was Pumpkin Poppers, a recipe from Domestically Speaking.  My family loves all things pumpkin, regardless of what time of year it is.  The main reason I attempted this recipe when I did was because I needed something to feed my family breakfast earlier this week, but it was before we'd gone grocery shopping.  I had everything I needed for this in the pantry so it made it an easy choice.

The recipe can be found here in case my isn't sufficient enough for you.  ;)  Here's what I did after gathering all  of the ingredients (see the full recipe at the bottom):

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

Spray your muffin pan with some non-stick cooking spray.  I used a mini muffin pan, just like MaryAnn did.  If you choose to use a regular size muffin pan, increase the baking time a few minutes.

In a medium size bowl, mix the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients.

Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Mix everything until just combined.

Next, fill each muffin tin until almost full, then bake 10-12 minutes.  

While the poppers are in the oven, it's time to prepare your coating.  Start by melting the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

And mix the cinnamon and sugar together in separate container.

Once the poppers are done, pull them out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

This is where things start to get messy - and fun.  Roll each popper into the butter, followed by the cinnamon sugar.

That's it... you're all done.  It's time to indulge.

These Pumpkin Poppers are super light and airy, and not overly sweet since the only sugar is in the coating.  I do think that the next time I make them I'm going to add some extra pumpkin.  They seemed to be a little light on the pumpkin flavor.  One batch made 28 mini poppers - I had enough to feed my family and the neighbors.  

Here's the full recipe:

POPPERS - 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup pumpkin (fresh or canned, but not the pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup milk (MaryAnn's recipe calls for low-fat - I used 2%)

COATING - 

1 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon

PREPARATION - 

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray your muffin pans.

- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and spices) in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.

- In a separate larger bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk). 

- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined - do not overmix!

- Fill your muffin tins until almost full and bake 10-12 minutes.

- While waiting on the poppers, melt your butter in a small bowl and combine your cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl.

- Let the poppers cool for a few minutes before rolling them around in the melted butter.  Next, roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

- EAT and ENJOY!!!