Pumpkin Caramels.

I made those.  

Having never have made caramels before, the process seemed daunting.

But I got this new book, Sweet Confections by Nina Wanat and knew I wanted to try.  Her directions are easy to follow and the photography was done by the amazing Todd and Diane of White on Rice. 

The pictures are enough to make you drop everything and run to the store for supplies.

But since I didn’t want to put Nina’s beautifully perfect recipe here (that’s what the book is for), but still wanted you to be able to sample some if this wonderful pumpkin and chocolate deliciousness, I made cupcakes.

Pumpkin Chocolate cupcakes.

With cinnamon buttercream.

And a caramel on top.

These tasted amazing.  Ah-mazing.  

I remembered I had some of these fun *free-standing muffin molds and I literally danced over to my supply closet to retrieve them.  (I also used *these fun little cupcake liners.)

Um, I like baking.  And cupcake liners.  And dancing in my kitchen.  And eating pumpkin caramels.

 Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes (adapted from Country Living)

1 1/2 cups Flour

2/3 cups Cocoa

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt

1 cup Canned Pumpkin

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 cups Butter, softened

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar

4 large Eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.

Prepare cupcake pan with your fun and festive liners. 

In mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Add in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, set aside.  Stir yogurt, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.  Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and yogurt mixtures in thirds, starting and ending with flour.

Bake for 18-25 minutes, depending on your oven.  Remove once toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, or center springs back when touched.

This recipe for Cinnamon Buttercream is divine, I simply excluded the brown sugar. (Because I wanted it to be whiter, not for taste purposes.  I am a vain baker like that.)

I used a *2D tip to pipe out big clouds of cinnamon frosting.  Then I simply went back and added a caramel square to each cupcake.

Now for the fun part… I would like to give YOU a copy of Sweet Confections!  

Simply leave a comment.  

Good luck!

CONTEST CLOSED!  The winning comment was #115, Roberta.  I will be sending you an email Roberta!

Thanks all who participated!

Open to USA and Canada residents only.  Sorry all you fabulous international bakers!  No comments accepted from Facebook.  

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