By Brandie Valenzuela

For the best family time, bring your kids into the kitchen to help you make this delicious, Autumn inspired recipe. 

WHO CAN DO WHAT

• Everyone:     Gather tools and ingredients
• Young Children: Stir and pour measured ingredients into bowl     Fill muffin cups
• Older Children: Measure ingredients, plus any of the above
• Teens/Adults:   Heat oven; put in oven; remove from oven; plus     any of the above.

TOOLS

• Mixing Bowl
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Cups
• Muffin Pan
• Paper Baking Cups
• Mixing Spoon

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 pkg. cream cheese (3 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Heat oven to 400 F.
2.  Line muffin pan with paper baking cups.
3.  In a medium sized bowl combine the egg, milk, pumpkin, and oil.
4.  Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg into the pumpkin mixture.
5.  Fill cups about 1/2 full (keep the leftover in the bowl).
6.  Divide cream cheese into 12 pieces and place one on top of the batter in each cup.
7.  Top each cup with more batter, filling 2/3 full, covering the piece of cream cheese.
8.  Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.  Remove from oven.
9.  For a special treat, serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Save Time!  Make the mess only once!  Double or even triple this recipe; freeze your extras for later.

About The Author: Brandie Valenzuela is a wife and homeschooling mom of three, who loves scrapbooking, cooking, and spending time with her family.  In her spare time, she publishes "HomeMade Living", a popular weblog for mothers, at http://homemadeliving.blogspot.com