Nothing quite says fall like a pumpkin pastry. I usually make pumpkin bread, but since I didn't have the patience to wait the requisite baking time, I made muffins instead. All the flavor, half the wait.
Yum! Want to whip up your own batch? Here's the recipe:
Brown Sugar Pumpkin Muffins (based on Ginger Pumpkin Bread from Martha Stewart)
(Pst: try to use as many organic ingredients as possible - they really do taste better)
2 1/2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree or 1 1/2 cups homemade puree
3 large eggs
1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl combine the butter, sugar, pumpkin, and eggs. Add dry to wet ingredients, stir to combine, don't over mix.
2. Pour batter into lined muffin pan. Makes 12 big muffins. Or: one buttered and floured 9x5 loaf pan.
3. Optional: top with a streusel like Mrs. Kostyra's (you will only need half)
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes (1 hour and 15-20 minutes for bread), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Dig in while they're still warm!
I also made some mini muffins for my mini-muffin-man. Check out his reaction:
"Umm, I'm pretty sure this is food."
"Yep, definitely edible ..."
"And sweet and delicious!!!"
"Thanks mom, you're the best!"
