Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes with Maple Bacon Frosting

I love cupcakes. I enjoy all flavors, varieties and sizes. I do not, however, bake my own, generally preferring fabulous treats from my favorite bakeries. So, I decided to conquer my fear of cupcake baking with a bacon and beer version that I developed myself. This took a few batches to get right, but I am so proud of how these came out. And they're super cute too!

Pumpkin ale helps to make a very fluffy and light cupcake with lots of delicious pumpkin flavor. I topped it with a maple cream cheese frosting, because cream cheese makes everything delicious. I was going to crush the crispy bacon and sprinkle it on top, but I thought the single piece made it a bit more artistic. You can do either.

WARNING: these cupcakes are addictive. I love miniaturized anything, but cupcakes are especially dangerous. Make sure to have some guests coming over so you don't eat the entire batch!

Full recipe after the jump!
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Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin puree is a flavorful and low calorie addition to any dish. I've been getting into the fall spirit and am loving adding pumpkin to everything these days. Tonight I decided to throw together a simple baked pasta dish that pairs creamy pumpkin with flavorful goat cheese and pesto for a delicious and simple vegetarian meal. Quick and easy to put together, this dish is filling but still light. This recipe makes enough for some tasty leftovers as well!

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Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

I love muffins on a Sunday morning with my coffee. The problem is that most muffins are packed with butter and sugar and tons of calories. This recipe is not just easy to make, it's incredibly healthy as well. Each muffin has only 88 calories and 3 grams of protein and fiber. These are an energizing breakfast or pre-workout snack. Best of all they take less than 30 minutes to make.


Full recipe after the jump.
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