Pumpkin Spice Bites with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil (Can use 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 applesauce instead)
• 1 cup (225g) canned pumpkin puree (preferred) or chopped fresh pumpkin
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice (optional or make yourself with 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

icing:

• 1 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 tsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Optional: tiny pinch of cinnamon
• 75ml chopped walnuts for garnish (optional) or grated chocolate

Instructions

Fresh pumpkin preparation (optional, canned pumpkin is preferred)

1. Peel and cut pumpkin into 1" cubes and place in a sauce pan with 15ml of margarine.
2. Cook stirring for 1 min
3. Add 50ml water, cover and cook just until it is tender to bite (about 6-8mins)

Pumpkin bites

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Sift flour and baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, salt, baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin in a large bowl until light and fluffy
4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet and mix thoroughly until a thick completely combined batter is formed.
5. Spread batter in ungreased lined cake pan for bars or a 12-cup lined cupcake pan or lined 30 mini cupcake pan.
6. Bake at 350F for 20-22 mins or until toothpick comes out clean. (For mini cupcakes, bake 12-13mins)
7. While bar/cupcakes are baking prepare icing by beating butter and cream cheese well.
8. Mix in vanilla and gradually add icing sugar and milk
9. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack. Loosen edges with a metal spatula. Invert onto a cooling rack
10. Once bar or cupcakes are completely cool, frost with icing and garnish with chopped walnuts or grated chocolate