The Seasonal Gourmet

A bin of pumpkins at Jean Talon Market, Montreal

If there is one flavour that really says ‘autumn’ it’s pumpkin.  Pumpkin pie is a staple at Thanksgiving and in the past few years I’ve seen everything from pumpkin fudge to ice cream once fall arrives. Some coffee shops even make pumpkin lattes. Combined with warming spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, pumpkin is a delicious seasonal treat.

To make things easy, I use canned pumpkin puree instead of fresh pumpkin for this recipe.  While fresh pie pumpkins can certainly be used, the quality of the finished product can vary due to the water content of different pumpkins (for a guideline on how to prepare puree from pie pumpkins, check out How to Prepare Fresh Pumpkins for Baking).  If you’re using canned pumpkin, make sure it’s labelled as pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which already has spices added.

To make big, puffy bakery-style muffins, fill the muffin tins up almost to the top. Make sure you grease the top of the tin so that the muffin tops don’t stick.  If the muffins ‘grow’ together during baking, just cut them apart with a knife.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Makes about 8 large muffins

• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1-1/2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• Oil or cooking spray to grease muffin tin

Topping:

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin tin (including top of tin) and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and spices. Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined.
3. Add pumpkin puree, oil and eggs, and stir into the dry ingredients until smooth. Gently fold in nuts until distributed throughout batter.
4. To make topping: In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Reserve chopped nuts in a separate bowl.
5. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling them to about ½” from the top of the cups. Sprinkle the batter of each muffin with cinnamon/sugar mixture and a spoonful of chopped nuts.
6. Bake muffins for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove muffin tin from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before removing the muffins.

This recipe first appeared on Suite 101.com.

Bon Appétit and Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins