Here we are friends at lucky number 13! And I know what you are thinking… Jenny, you chose a cupcake with pumpkin and peanut butter? Have you have lost your mind?” And the answer is Yes. I possibly have lost my mind, but not when it comes to this fantastic cupcake.

Today’s cupcake is brought to you by Jessica of How Sweet It Is. She loves cooking, cupcakes, chocolate, and bacon. And what’s not to love about a person who loves bacon? I love me some baked bacon. And if you don’t like bacon, well then I don’t know if we can be friends. Note to self: Please stop dreaming about bacon and get back to your description of the cupcakes.

Several of you have asked how I find my cupcake recipes. Well, I really trust the bakers that I started my 52 cupcake journey with. I started reviewing their blog rolls (similar to what I have on the right side of my blog). Jessica was on several of these lists, and I ventured over there late one night. I was on the site at least an hour salivating over her recipes, while my poor husband was snoring and trying to get some sleep.

So yesterday I decided I wanted another pumpkin cupcake since it still doesn’t feel like fall has arrived here in Phoenix. And then when I discovered pumpkin and peanut butter on Jessica’s index list, I was simply intrigued. A unique combination with 3 things I like. Pumpkin + peanut butter + cupcake= Wednesday morning decadence.

I started making these cupcakes yesterday. I preheated the oven and went to work gathering the ingredients. Then as I started mixing my first ingredients, Emily screams, “Our oven is on fire!”  You see when I was in Utah last weekend checking things off my list, my husband made a pizza for our 4 kids and placed it directly on the rack (without anything underneath). So we had a little fire and thus had to clean the oven. Always an adventure in the Meyerson mansion.

So today’s cupcakes are fresh. And they make my kitchen smell like fall at 5 o’clock in the morning. I feel like a Folger’s coffee commercial where I know that my husband and kids are going to wake up, well rested, and rush down the hall because the kitchen smells heavenly. They will kiss me good morning and thank me for slaving away, making them cupcakes before school. Ok… I’m drifting off to the same place that I was with the bacon. Focus.

After 13 cupcakes, this was the first recipe that was exact. I mean it made exactly 24 cupcakes. No extra batter. No squeezing the bag or scraping the sides to get that little bit of extra batter to fill the last 2 liners. Exact. So Jessica gets a 100% and a gold star. I don’t know if that is worth much, but I was a nerd. A gold star would have made me grin at least a good week as a kid.

So after the pumpkin cupcake came out of the oven, I started the frosting and it clicked with me… I was combining peanut butter AND cream cheese. Pure lick your fingers goodness. I took a spoon back to Jeff who was stirring, and he exclaims, “Wow. That’s good and a great way to wake up. I need to get up and exercise now, since I’m going to be having several cupcakes later this morning.”

And the frosting did not disappoint. Wow, that frosting is good. I have a feeling that I’m going to be using that frosting on many cupcakes, not just my pumpkin cupcakes.

Family review: It’s 6:18 am and Jeff has had 2 cupcakes. My 8th grader, Rebecca, has been up early with me, finishing her math homework. She just finished her breakfast of none other than cupcake #13 and said, “Yum. Can I have another one in my lunch?” And meet Sam, my 2 year old who thinks that cupcakes are a food group. I’m creating a monster, but who could resist?

So head on over to Jessica’s website and tell her that I sent you. Go here for the link to the recipe. Thanks again, Jessica!

Blessings for a scrumptious Wednesday and don’t forget to lick your fingers.

Jenny

Story of the 52 cupcakes:  

I am making 52 cupcakes this year in honor of my chemotherapy buddy. When we were undergoing chemotherapy, people would bring cupcakes and other treats to the chemotherapy “lounge”.  We would smile, laugh, and talk about how we were so nauseous and that all we could eat was saltine crackers and Sprite. We were glad that our family and friends were comforted by them though.

My friend said, “If we survive this disease, we should eat a different cupcake every week for the rest of our lives.” My friend did not survive. So in honor of him, I am making a different cupcake every week for a year. Every time I make a new cupcake and lick my fingers, I think of him and his zest for life. So in honor of my friend and all cancer patients, I challenge you to eat a cupcake today and remember to always lick your fingers.