Pumpkin season seeems to start earlier than ever, and the aromatic spices — cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg — smell like the holidays themselves. I suppose some might say the season ends as the new year begins, but don’t let that stop you from making the best pumpkin muffin recipe I have ever made — and there are a lot of them!
This one is adapted from a Gourmet recipe from November 2008. These big beautiful gems are perfect for breakfast or brunch or (if you substitute nuts for the chocolate chips) a lovely, dense accompaniment for a bowl of savory soup.
Welcome to my table!
Preheat oven to 400, and spray a nonstick muffin tin (12 muffins) with cooking spray.
Melt:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (set aside to cool)
Whisk together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a separate bowl, whisk together:
Melted butter
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (This is about half a can. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.)
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add this mixture to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
Stir in:
1/3 cup chocolate chips (You can substitute any number of additions: pecans, walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries. My family loves chocolate chips in anything!)
Divide batter among muffin cups, and bake until wooden toothpick comes out clean, approximately 20 minutes.
Here’s one of my best muffin-baking cooking tips:
As soon as you take muffins out of the oven, tilt the individual muffins in their tins, so that the bottoms are off the pan. A simple way to cool your muffins in the pan while still keeping them warm. It also keeps them from sticking.
Heidi's Hotplate 