Pumpkin Spice Muffins!

Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice _____ [fill in the blank]. Everywhere we turn it's pumpkin this and pumpkin that...not that we're complaining. The subtly of the pumpkin taste makes baked goods a little more savory and not too sweet. Pumpkin flavored breads and muffins then have a great diversity, either as a sweet dessert (maybe paired with cream cheese frosting?) or as savory breakfast bread with just a dab of butter.

From The Smitten Kitchen, this pumpkin muffin recipe is easy, quick, and only includes one non-pantry staple item: canned pumpkin. The muffins are spongy and moist. We tweaked it slightly to up the pumpkin spice taste. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 25 minutes  

Makes 16 muffins (can probably make 12, slightly larger ones)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice 
• 1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice + 1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 and grease standard size muffin tins. 

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice.

In a larger bowl, combine pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs and 1 1/4 cups of sugar. 

Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix until combined.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full (or slightly more for 12 muffins vs. 16) and sprinkle with the pumpkin spice and sugar mixture. 

Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pans half way to ensure equal baking time. Muffins are done when a wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.