Pumpkin Muffins

I've posted this recipe before, along with others during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 

under R - Recipes, but am including it again to save you the search, to offer a way to use those winter squash, and because it's so darn delicious!  A perfect way to start a crisp fall day (even one that will heat up into the 80s!)

still warm with steam!

The first thing to know is, you do not have to use the vegetable sold as "pumpkin."  That is just one kind of winter squash.  You can use any winter squash with delicious results.  Winter squash... do not try this with zucchini! That's to grate into your chocolate cake.  Feel free to take a short cut and buy canned pumpkin!  Freeze the extra.  This morning I used Galeux D'Eysines, the warty one.  The warts were off-putting to my daughter, but once the pulp was out of the shell it was okay! 

Pumpkin Muffins - makes 12 standard size muffins

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine (that's one stick)

3/4 cup brown sugar (I like dark)

1/3 cup molasses

1 cup cooked pumpkin, smoothly pureed

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease muffin tins.  Muffins work best greased rather than with paper cupcake liners), or spray the bottom only with cooking spray (aka Pam).  Only the bottoms, muffins like to "climb" the sides of the tins!  

Combine the softened butter with brown sugar and molasses and beat until creamy.  

Add the pumpkin and the egg, mixing well.  It's okay that it looks a bit curdled at this point!

You can mix the dry ingredients together and then add into the wet, but I lightly stir in all but the flour, then lastly the flour.  Stir together, but not too hard or long, muffins get tough if you over mix the batter.  

Spoon the batter into muffin tins, about 2/3 full.  It's a thick batter, so you may need to use your fingers a bit!  Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar if you like the looks.  I do.

Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the centers come out clean.  Remove from tin (or they continue to cook), and serve warm.  

Now, my son likes these muffins, but he really likes my pumpkin cookies!  So, he requested a topping of pumpkin cookie frosting for his muffins, making them pumpkin cupcakes!  They do look good.  For me I'd add some chopped nuts, but my son is not a nut lover.

Here's the frosting (or icing) recipe.  

Icing for pumpkin baked goods!  Also good on applesauce cake! 

3 TBS margarine
4 TBS milk
1/2 cup brown sugar

3-4 cups powdered sugar (sometimes I need more, sometimes less, I have no idea why!  Just have at least 4 cups on hand.)

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix in small pan and bring to boil.  Stir and boil 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.
When cool, stir in the vanilla and powdered sugar, bit by bit, until smooth.  You don't want it too thick or it won't spread, or too runny, but just a bit runny helps it flow over the baked good.  It will stiffen as it cools.  

A side note about my toothpick dispenser!  I keep it on the top of the microwave near the stove for easy access to toothpicks.  My son found it at a thrift store.  You push down on the penguin's head and he bends down and picks a toothpick up in his beak!  It's really cute!

                                                                  Enjoy your muffins!