North for Christmas and Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Fall is my all-time favorite season. Oh, I love summer barbeques and skiing in Park City is awesome in the winter; but, fall is full of mischief, magic, spices and pumpkins. With that in mind, I developed this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes. Hold on to your capes, brooms, and costume makeup because they will take you for a ride and you’ll be begging to go again.

Keep in mind, that right after the costumes and the turkey get put away, Christmas is here. Not only will the Echo Ridge Anthology be available; I also have a Christmas romance called North for Christmas that will be available through my publisher and online mid-October. But, if you’d like to get a jump on things, it’s available for preorder in print or ebook form. I loved every minute of creating this story because it was one I had wanted to write for quite some time. I hope you love Ruby and North and the whole Foxwell clan as much as I do.

Back Cover–

“I had Sheri gather the information on a flight to Italy, the hotel, and ski passes. I’m sorry, dear. It costs too much. I have other obligations this time of year.”

Ruby’s heart sank.

So much for getting engaged at the bottom of the Alps.

Ruby knows her CEO mother really could afford to send her to Europe for Christmas. But instead Ruby’s stuck in Tennessee working as a Christmas elf so she can pay for the trip that would finally get her the family she’s always wanted. Wrangling whiny kids at the mall certainly isn’t the holiday she had in mind. But things turn around when North—a lawyer-turned-elf, takes it upon himself to share a real family Christmas with Ruby. Will Ruby buy her plane ticket to Italy or will she decide that family isn’t something you achieve it’s something you create. This charming holiday romance is perfect for the book lovers on your list! Sweet and full of surprises, it’ll bring a little Christmas cheer to your bookshelves all year long!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cups canola oil
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
a pinch of cloves
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk (plus 2-5 tablespoons as needed)
Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions
Place muffin cups in muffin tin and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, all spice, and cloves. Divide evenly among 30 cupcake cups and bake for 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Once cupcakes have cooled, place the chocolate chips, butter, and milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until melted. Dip the top of each cupcake in the chocolate, twisting as you lift out to avoid drips. Allow chocolate to set for 10-15 minutes before frosting with cream cheese frosting and sprinkling with a dash of cinnamon. If desired, you can use a decorator’s piping bag and tip to create mounds of frosting on top.