Pumpkin Muffins

As I'm writing this, it's cold and grey outside. We're getting snow AGAIN! So, what's a great way to warm up?? Get a nice warm pumpkin muffin with a hot cup of coffee or tea! Mmm.... That makes me smile.

I tried these for the first time recently since my hubby likes anything sweet and was asking for pumpkin stuff. They're loaded with spices that make you feel warm and cozy (especially when the weather's chilly!). Also, the orange color on the inside of these muffins is just awesome!

Plus, they're a great way to sneak a vegetable into your picky child without them knowing. But if your child is not picky and likes to help you doing things, this is a great recipe to get them involved. They seem to love anything where they can get flour all over the kitchen!

One thing of note... Be careful to buy pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling when you're at the store. It's really easy to get confused and buy the wrong thing!

Ingredients:

1 15-16 oz can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, room temperature
Coarse sugar (e.g. Sugar in the Raw) for sprinkling

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line regular muffin tin with paper liners. *The recipe makes 12-18 muffins, so either you'll need 2 muffin tins or will have to bake them in 2 batches.*

2. Combine the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, raisins, walnuts, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and salt) in a large bowl. Beat wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, sugars, vegetable oil, and eggs) until smooth in another medium bowl using an electric beater or whisk. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined using a wooden spoon or a spatula.

3. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups. Fill each one about 2/3 full of batter. Sprinkle the tops with the coarse sugar. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, the muffin is done. Serve warm and enjoy!