I’ve had a couple of recipe requests for the muffins made last Tuesday, two of which I wrapped and added to a snack basket filled with fresh pears and crispy apples and bags of crackers and I don’t know what else… but healthy and tasty in-between meal snacks I knew my two daughters would enjoy during their hospital stay.
Well…let’s just say that basket of goodies and muffins were a bigger hit than expected. And hence… this post… which makes a record two in one week. When was the last time I achieved this, I wonder?
Anyway…. I always bake these muffins in the autumn. I guess it’s the pumpkin that makes me think autumn, though in truth, they would be good anytime of year. The leftovers (if any) freeze beautifully. I just store them in a gallon freezer bag… and whenever I wish to eat or serve one, it’s easy: The muffins go straight from freezer to microwave to table… taking a quick 20 to 30 second (per muffin) reheat in the microwave.
We were serving some of the leftovers tonight after dinner, when Kara asked… “Are there any more of these… or is this it?” To which, being the savvy mother that I am, I replied, “Oh, I’m planning on making another batch this weekend.” So… tomorrow morning, after serving breakfast to Kara and family, made up of fresh blueberry pancakes and sausage and Mother’s hash browns.. I’ll whisk up another batch of muffins. These to bake at Kara’s home rather than mine.. because they make the house smell so nice… long after the baking is over.
I serve these muffins for breakfast, in-between meal snacks… and for dessert, since they have a consistency more like cake than muffins… the latter I top with cream cheese frosting.
I’ve nothing else to say about this lovely autumn-time treat — but they’ll speak for themselves if you give them a chance. I hope you do. And that you will share them with a good friend or two. Or if you’re lucky like me, a daughter. Or two.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Makes 1 dozen Preheat oven to 350
Bowl One Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder Bowl Two Ingredients 1/2 of a 15 oz. can* of solid-pack pumpkin (freeze leftovers or double the batch) 1/3 cup canola oil 2 large eggs 1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp saltTopping Ingredients: 1 tsp cinnamon mixed with 1 Tbsp of sugar
In small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder together.
In large bowl, whisk together all other ingredients (listed for bowl two) until smooth. Add flour mixture until just combined.
Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Divide batter evenly — all 12 muffin cups should be about three-fourth’s full. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture and place in oven.
Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, until wooden toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a rack for a few minutes before transferring muffins from pan to rack for cooling. Leftovers freeze and reheat beautifully. (20 to 30 in microwave on high setting.)
- Original recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin
an everyday life 
They look beautiful, i love pumpkin and spice together, I make a ravioli stuffing with it x
Deena,
Your ravioli stuffing sounds wonderful — especially served in a buttery sage sauce. If you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to try it soon.
Thanks for stopping in and leaving a note.
Janell
Of course I will 🙂 I’d love you to have a look at the other recipes when you can. I will keep an eye out for yours as you do them x
Deena,
Spent a little while looking on your website for that pumpkin stuffing recipe you wrote of… to no avail. When you get a chance, I’d appreciate you providing me with a link. But no rush. And no pressure!
Janell
The only frozen dinner I still buy is Lean Cuisine’s butternut squash ravioli. I’ve never tried making my own, but would love the recipe, too. It sounds so good.
They sound delicious, I am going to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Oh… they are, Judy. Almost too good. Which makes me mighty glad they are safely tucked into Kara’s freezer rather than mine… if you know what I mean. 🙂
Janell
Leftovers? What is this “leftovers freeze beautifully” business? From the sounds of the recipe, I can’t imagine ever having leftovers!
Actually, is there any reason this couldn’t be doubled? If I’m going to fire up the oven, and they do freeze ok, a double batch seems like a good idea.
We’ve had rain since Thursday evening. It’s gone now, and there is word on the street that we have a 66 degree low coming along! It’s going to warm again, but at least we’ll get the terrible humidity out of here for a bit. And my goodness – everyone seems to have gotten 2-4″ over two days. It was as perfect as it gets. Now, we need some cool and dry so we can open windows!
Your rain sounds lovely, Linda. It missed us somehow… dropped all around us, but not directly upon us. But I’m glad you received some… and a cool dose of autumn temperatures to boot. Even though we missed the rain, we’ve enjoyed one lovely side effect, since we’ve been sleeping with windows open at night. How comforting I find the chirping of crickets as I turn out the light to release myself to sleep…
Maybe you’ve tried the muffins already… it’s been a few days of busyness for me, bouncing back and forth between my daughter’s home and mine. If so, I hope you enjoyed them. You mentioned making a double batch… I’m wondering how that worked out for you. I’ve never attempted this, probably because a 15 oz. can doesn’t yield enough for two full batches. (I can get somewhere between a cup and half and a cup of three-fourths.. which, I had thought, would require me to skinny down the proportions of the other ingredients.)
But you know, re-calibrating this recipe in order to use up an entire can of pumpkin might make a fine rainy day project!
Janell
Haven’t tried them yet. They’re going to have to wait for cooler weather, for one thing. I try not to use the oven until we’re past air conditioning season. Penny pincher, I am. 😉
As for the doubling, I’d just open two cans and then use the leftovers for something else. I’m a great fan of pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin or squash soup, so there’s always something to do with it!
Pumpkin pancakes sound good — I’ve never had the pleasure but maybe I’ll try some with Kara and her family this week or next.
And soup… it won’t be long before we have good soup weather… and a couple of birthdays for the two of us to celebrate with good food and company. And with those days falling just before Halloween, who knows….maybe a pumpkin cupcake or two!
Janell,
Looks delicious indeed… makes me think of Proust’s mouth watering madeleine eating episode.
As a matter of fact, I’m hosting another Proust read-along with Vol. II of In Search of Lost Time. Just posted the invitation. I know, you’re probably too busy to join. But, thought you’d be interested to know just the same. 😉
Yes, my friend, now isn’t the right time for me to read Proust.
But thank you for thinking of me. I do have plans to read Vol 2. sometime this winter. Maybe earlier, like perhaps the weeks between the holidays. The reasons you describe in your post — of how Proust slows down your world — hold well for Advent, also. Then again, I still have a desire to re-read Volume One first. I feel like I missed too much, even in reading it slow. Maybe this “missing much” is how it is in reading Proust — just as it is with everyday life.
Janell
Going to try and adapt the recipe using gluten free flour. I didn’t want to go to the store for just pumpkin so I bought a fresh pie pumpkin at my local produce stand. We have lots of them do to the fact that here on the Eastern Shore of MD they grow lots of food crops. The only problem was getting that pumpkin to open it was not any easy task. Remembering how we spent our Birthdays when we were in High School. Mine is this Saterday 58 wow. When did we become our parents age. Maybe since you are grandmother it feels moe real to you. If and when I might be won is not in the near future. Would love to talk some time. If you could email me your phone number to mccauleyannie@yahoo.com would be great. I’ let you know if the muffins turn out.
An email is on the way… in true birthday style. Happy 58th… dear and old (but not-so-old…really), friend.
Hey, I hope those muffins turn out … I don’t know why they wouldn’t.
I’ve been stretching my kitchen skills the last few weeks, cooking and baking dairy-free for my youngest daughter, Kara. No food allergies… but she gave up dairy in hopes of having a healthier pregnancy and baby. And because she feels so much better without dairy, she’s continuing the course… for at least the next few months. And then, after that, she has wondered aloud whether she’ll ever return to her old dairy-rich diet.
Life in my late fifties is a mixed bag– some days it’s full steam ahead and other days, like today, I feel my age. And then some. And all I want to do is rest and read and have Don take me somewhere for dinner. Doesn’t that sound like a nice way to spend a birthday? Well… even if not, I hope you celebrate in whatever way brings you joy.
Happy Birthday, Annie…. Love you.