Classroom Pumpkins Transformation

Every year I take home the pumpkins in my classroom and turn them into cupcakes, highlighting the delicious circle of life. 

After baking the different pumpkin varieties until tender, I scoop out the flesh…

…and blend away in the food processor. Ok, so I processed one of the pumpkins from the porch too, ensuring a hefty amount of pumpkin puree to be utilized for the holiday season. 

I bake the pumpkin pieces face down in a casserole pan with an inch of water and cover with foil. This way the pumpkin needs no additional water to blend into a smooth, tasty puree that is ready for scooping. 

I use Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s VCTOTW recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cupcakes because it’s perfect. 

Beautiful cooling cupcakes waiting for their icing.

Time for scratch-made vanilla buttercream. For best results, use real vanilla scraped from a pod. 

After piping, I sprinkled them with vanilla sugar.

All done and ready for 5th graders!