Pumpkin Muffins

Roy is blaming me for a somewhat orange skin color due to all of the pumpkin and squash I have been feeding him.  It started a week ago with pumpkin muffins, then pasta with roasted butternut squash, then brunch yesterday that started with a roasted butternut squash salad and ended with pumpkin mousse crepes. There was a Prosciutto and Asparagus Strata and Lox and Bagel-less Salad so its not like there have not been other things to eat.  However, most of the remaining squash from the salad went on a pizza tonight… Guessing the creamy roasted butternut squash soup will not be on the menu tomorrow night.

Anyway, Pumpkin Muffins are a very easy muffin to make (no chopping or food processor needed).   

Not to change subjects, but a note on flour:  in my quest to eat foods that are closer to their whole (and un-fortified) state, whole wheat is an obvious choice over regular all-purpose flour.  But regular whole wheat has a pretty distinctive taste and color, and doesn’t easily substitute into most baked goods.  But white whole wheat, which is whole wheat flour made from white wheat instead of red wheat, cooks up much  more like AP flour.  King Arthur Flour makes it, and I can find at Trader Joes or Safeway.   In most muffin (or quick bread) recipes, you will be hard pressed to tell that half of the flour is white whole wheat.  I’ve been using all white whole wheat in muffins and they still come out great. 

Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups flour (unbleached all-purpose, white whole wheat, or a mix)

2 tablespoons oat bran 

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ (scant) teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1/2 to 2/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

¾ cup milk (or soy milk)

¾ can pumpkin (or more… save some for the dog!)

½ cup raisins

Pumpkin seed or sliced almonds for topping

Oven:  400oF

Put dry ingredients in a small bowl, and mix with whisk.

Combine eggs and brown sugar with a whisk, mix in butter, then add milk, pumpkin, and raisins.  Mix well.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Place in greased muffin pan.  Sprinkle pumpkin seeds or almonds on top, making sure none stick out too much.

Bake for 20 minutes.