pumpkin muffins

If you've been following along on twitter, you might know that yesterday had a rough beginning. We woke up to NO hot water and spent the second day in row hanging out with our very nice, but loud plumbers. My children were home from school, and I was a bit cranky. I'll be the first to admit it. At around 9am when breakfast didn't make itself as I had hoped it would, and my daughter desperately needed a focus beyond the chaos in the basement, I pulled out my trusty can of organic pumpkin. Time for muffins. They really do have transformative powers, you know. My hungry girl made them with very little help besides opening the can and a little measurement guidance. This recipe can be made with roasted pumpkin or baked yams, but I always keep a couple of cans in the pantry for mornings just like this one. Unassuming. Filled with good things. And so tasty my son finished the last FOUR this morning. You may want to make these over the weekend. Just saying.

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes enough for a tray of muffins plus one loaf of bread.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of pumpkin (one can is just a little short, but works out fine)
• 1 cup of oil
• 1 cup of maple syrup (we've also used brown sugar)
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons of soda
• 2 teaspoons of powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 2/3 cup of apple juice or milk
• 1 cup of a mix in
  
• mix-in suggestions: chocolate chips, pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, diced candied ginger

Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat all we ingredients until smooth.
3. Combine all dry ingredients and then add to the wet.
4. Toss in a cup or so of whatever mix in options you happen to have on hand.
5. Bake in a well greased muffin tin and one loaf pan until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.(This recipe made a dozen muffins and one 8x8 square pan)

These hit the spot, and our entire day shifted. Pleasant, cozy, and content are words that come to mind. After lunch we discovered that a little dollop of Nutella on a pumpkin muffin is nothing short of divine. Have a great weekend!