Fall : Pumpkin

Every fall, right around September, my pumpkin craze hits. My husband knows it's coming (and he's usually not too excited about it). It always has. I want everything pumpkin - pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies.


I've mentioned this before, but I haven't always had the best of luck baking with pumpkin. I don't know what it is. More often than not, my results are a gooey mess. And it makes me want to use the ingredient even more. It's my curse.

My daughter and I went on a walk the other day, and walked right by the local bakery. Naturally I had to stop in. They had a big sign advertising that they were now serving pumpkin muffins, so that's what I ordered. The muffin was full of pumpkin flavor, dense, moist, with the unique addition of walnuts. I was a fan.

Friday morning rolled around and I said to my husband, "I want to bake today." And I did. I turned to smitten kitchen for a pumpkin muffin recipe, hoping they would resemble that muffin from the bakery.


First, I need to mention that my pumpkin muffins turned out! I was extremely pleased with that fact. I made half of the muffins plain, and added walnuts to the other half. I'm really kind of digging the walnuts in the muffin. It's a pleasant combo.


Second, I need to mention that my husband actually liked these muffins. And he admitted it to me. He's not really a pumpkin fan, you see, so this was big.

If you're looking for an easy fall recipe, try this one. It was delicious and moist. And they freeze well.


Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from the American club, in Kohler, Wisconsin via Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined. Add walnuts in using.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.