make this monday :: pumpkin cupcakes with maple frosting

I'm going to try to keep a weekly feature going... "make this mondays". I got the idea after last week's post and figured why not? If anything, it will help me blog regularly. Today is another food post, but I promise to include crafts and quick DIY makeovers as well. What would you be interested in seeing?

This post from Remodelaholic popped up in my Google Reader and the title alone was enough to sell me. We're on the brink of fall here in Vermont... leaves just starting to change and there's a cool crisp breeze in the air. Pumpkin cupcakes with maple frosting seemed just the treat! Cassity from Remodelaholic originally found this Ina Garten recipe in a House Beautiful email and I love how she tweaked it to be a tad healthier and more nutritious. The original Ina Garten recipe can be found here, but for the makeover version from Remodelaholic, click here.

The makeover version includes whole wheat flour, agave nectar, and applesauce. (Remodelaholics's version makes 24 cupcakes instead of Ina's 10. The cupcake recipe is sized up for the 24 cupcakes, but you'll notice the frosting recipe remains for 10 cupcakes - don't worry about it. The frosting is plenty to top 24 cupcakes! And I'm a frosting lover!)


These cupcakes are so, SO yummy! I don't think I've ever made cupcakes and frosting from scratch (Gasp! I know... Betty Crocker from the box just makes it so easy), but these babies were a cinch. Autumn in edible form.

What fall favorites are you cooking up lately?