Halloween Recipe #2: Pumpkin, pecan and cranberry cupcakes

 Pumpkin, pecan and cranberry cupcakes

(Recipe by Daniel Acevedo)

250g unsalted butter

250g castor sugar

3 eggs

350g self raising flour

200ml milk

200g pumpkin

50g dried cranberries

50g pecans

Peel and dice pumpkin into small chunks to speed up the cooking time.  Lightly oil and roast until cook for approximately 20 min and set aside to cool

Using a whisk attachment with a hand mixer, in a medium sized bowl cream butter and sugar until it becomes whiter in colour, add eggs in one at a time mixing in well.

In a separate jug add milk and pumpkin and give a light blend with a hand blender.  It is not essential to have a smooth liquid some small bits of pumpkin present is fine.  Add your cranberries and pecan nuts to this mix and give another light blend to break them up slightly.

Add wet mix to creamed sugar and butter, sift in flour and fold mixture together using a wooden spoon.

Line muffin tin with cupcake cases and fill almost to the top as they will rise slightly. To make things easier use a piping bag if you have one and pipe it in.

Bake at 160c for 25-30min, to touch the cupcakes should bounce back when fully cooked, alternatively prick with a toothpick, should come out clean.

For the icing:

Depending on how much or little icing you wish to add here is a simple rule to follow

Half butter to icing sugar, I used the following:

200g unsalted butter

400g icing sugar

2 Tbsp milk

2-3 drops of your chosen food colour in, to tie in with the Halloween theme I used green

Beat soft butter in a mixing bowl with approximately half of the icing sugar, add the remainder of the sugar along with your milk and food colouring and combine well.

Once cupcakes have cooled down completely top with icing and decorate.  

Finally, and most importantly. Taste test! Here carried out by our selfless volunteer Thiago Campos.