GINGERBREAD PUMPKIN MUFFINS
November 6, 2012 9:58AM
Judith Dunbar Hines prepares her gingerbread pumpkin muffins, topped with cream cheese frosting, crushed shredded wheat and candy pumpkins on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. | Stacie Scott~Sun-Times Media
Updated: December 8, 2012 6:03AM
MAKES 36 SMALL
OR 18 LARGE MUFFINS
1 1/4 cups sugar ¼ cup molasses ½ cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh roasted (see Note) 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly use cooking spray on mini muffin tins (or large tins if making standard-sized muffins).
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, molasses, oil and eggs. Beat until smooth. Add liquid and blend. Stir in pumpkin.
In another bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and baking powder and all spices. Stir with a whisk then add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend until all are mixed; do not overmix.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin tins. Bake in preheated oven until they test dry in the center, about 14 minutes for mini, 20 minutes for standard size. Cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove carefully to a cooling rack.
Muffins can be baked up to 2 days ahead.
Note: To make fresh puree, rinse off pumpkin, place on a foil-lined baking sheet, roast at 350 degrees for 90 minutes or until tender. Let cool enough to handle, then slice in half, scoop out seeds and stringy pulp.
Peel off the rind. Put the meat into a bowl and mash with potato masher. Scoop into freezer bags in measured portions. Store up to six months in the freezer. One small pumpkin makes about 3 cups puree.
If you want to serve muffins as hors d’oeuvres:
4 ounces soft cream cheese 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice or milk ½ cup chutney (such as Major Grey’s) 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey
Judith Dunbar Hines
