Last Minute Muffins

I've had a couple of cans of pumpkin kicking around since Thanksgiving. I never got around to making any pumpkin pies, so have been trying to figure out a way to get rid of them. I thought about making my pumpkin pancakes before heading off to the gym on Saturday, but then realized that I didn't have any eggs. After the gym (and a trip to the supermarket) I decided to throw together a batch of muffins before a very important manicure appointment (more on that at a later date).

I love the flavor and texture of these muffins, but I might suggest a little streusel topping just to make them look a little cooler. They aren't particularly healthy to begin with, so it's not like you'd be instantly turning them into dessert, but they look healthy with that pepita garnish. Instead I threw in some chopped chocolate just to see what would happen. What happened was that I had a delicious pumpkin muffin studded with melty chocolate pieces! Unfortunately this recipe doesn't use an entire (15 ounce) can of pumpkin, so you might want to make a double batch or use the leftovers to make this for dinner.



Pumpkin Muffins
(Adapted from Gourmet)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas), divided
1/2 cup chocolate pieces, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Butter the muffin pan if it's not nonstick.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then stir in 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds and chocolate, if using.

3. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and sprinkle with the remaining seeds. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Makes a dozen.