Improvising

My parents are on a cruise right now through the Panama Canal (I'm totally jealous), which means that Jared is staying with us for the next 2 & 1/2 weeks.  This is great, because it means I have someone in the house (besides me) to eat all my baked goods.

With the rather abrupt turn in the weather, I've totally been craving something fall-ish and pumpkiny.  Coincidentally, today, Rebekah posted a recipe for "Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Glaze".  They looked so yummy, I knew I had to try them out (in a non-vegan version since I can't be bothered to get almond milk or non-butter-butter).

...unfortunately, Safeway didn't have any pumpkin in-stock.  I had Jared and Parker with me, both of whom were getting antsy, so I didn't attempt a "quick" stop at Central Market on the way home, and hoped to miraculously find some pumpkin in the freezer.

No such luck, so I thought I'd try adding a little grated apple & zucchini, since that's what I did have in the house.

I wanted a more uniform look, so I pulled out the immersion blender.  Haven't used that thing in a while, now that Parker likes his foods chunky.  I also substituted 1/2 applesauce for the oil, and added an extra shake or two of each of the spices to cover-up the paucity of pumpkin in the pumpkin muffins. 

For the frosting, I mixed everything up until smooth, before adding the milk.  Looks like peanut butter, doesn't it, but it smells like espresso (well, actually, instant Foldgers, since that's what I substituted).

I covered a couple with this "frosting", just to try it out.

Then I thinned it down and started dunking.  I went whole-hog and completely submerged the muffins for total glaze coverage.  It makes them a little more messy to eat, but they turned out yummy!

I made a couple un-glazed ones for Parker as well, he doesn't need that much sugar (like I do...).

And there you have it, my not-remotely-similar-to-Rebekah's "pumpkin" muffins.

I had other big baking plans for today, but within an hour of returning from the grocery store, I seem to have run out of flour, sugar, oil, and molasses (not to mention the instant Foldgers, but that won't be missed).  What exactly did I buy?