pumpkin muffins

I absolutely love these muffins! To be honest, I don't really love pumpkin, I mean I eat pumpkin pie but it needs to be smothered in whipped cream...but I do love these muffins. They are so simple too. You can have these baked in no time, and they stay moist and delicious for about a week. They also freeze very well, so you can eat some now, and save some for later.

For a little extra texture, I also added a tablespoon of old fashioned oats and a teaspoon of raw brown turbinado sugar to the topping. Yum!


Pumpkin Muffins
Letters, Gourmet, November 2006

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 oz 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

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put liners in muffin cups. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until combined. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl. (Add 1 tablespoon old fashioned oats and 1 teaspoon raw brown sugar for a crunchier topping!) Divide batter among muffin cups (should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool. (so yummy when they are warm!)