Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

I love September. I love seeing bins of fresh pumpkins at the market. The pumpkins remind me that we’re in the midst of the Jewish holidays, which signal a new year and new beginnings, so that even while the trees will soon be bare and it will get cold and snowy and nighttime will come more quickly and the long sunshiny days of summer are ending, there’s a new harvest, a new season. Life continues and thrives and I know that in Connecticut, where I live, we will soon see nature’s spectacular colors along the roads, fields and highways.

In case I wasn’t clear —I love this time of year.

I also love using fresh pumpkin for recipes. Ravioli filling. Soup. Sauce. Pie. Cake. Quickbread. Even ice cream.

This is my latest pumpkin special: muffins that are perfect for Sukkot as breakfast (or snack) or to tote to a Sukkah to eat with dinner. I add raisins but you can leave them out or substitute any dried fruit or chopped nuts.

P.S. These muffins would also be a nice treat for Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine; NOT pumpkin pie mix)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup milk (non-dairy or dairy)

• 2 large eggs

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or chopped nuts)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin tin cups. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, vegetable oil and milk in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and add them to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fold in the raisins. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the prepared cups. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Makes 10 muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Years ago I bought small, sweet “sugar” pumpkins, cut them, baked the pieces and mashed the roasted flesh to make pumpkin soup, quickbreads, pie, cake and muffins, and so on.

When I’m not busy I still do that, but these days, more often than not, I buy canned mashed/pureed pumpkin. NOT pumpkin pie filling (which has mixed-in spices).

Yes, I know that most canned “pumpkin” is a mixture of different varieties of winter squash. That’s fine with me — pumpkin is just a variety of winter squash after all. The point is, it tastes good and it works.

Canned pumpkin worked perfectly for the muffins in the photo, they’re dotted with mini-chocolate chips. These are a really good nosh for kids and parents coming in from the cold night out Trick-or-Treating.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1/3 cup coconut milk

• 2 large eggs

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

• 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin pan cups. Melt the chocolate and set it aside to cool. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, vegetable oil and coconut milk in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and add them to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fold in the melted chocolate, creating swirls — do not blend it in completely. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving some for the tops. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the prepared cups. Scatter some chocolate chips on top of each muffin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Makes 10 muffins

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

A few days ago someone on social media alerted the world to Oscar Mayer Pumpkin Spice Bologna.

No.

Just no. Just absolutely no.

Pumpkin spice doesn't belong in bologna. It doesn't even belong in the same sentence.

In fact, there is way too much "pumpkin spice" out there, in everything. 

However, pumpkin spice in muffins is a pretty good idea. It is pumpkin season, after all. And spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice do give the batter a welcome warmth and fragrance.

So, instead of even thinking about that terrible idea of pumpkin spice bologna, try these muffins, which are quite wonderful.

Btw, there really is no such thing as Oscar Mayer Pumpkin Spice Bologna. It's baloney! Watch out for the real #fakenews. (http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/verify/verify-pumpkin-spice-products-whats-real-and-whats-not/481457725)

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1-1/4 cups mashed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10 muffin tins. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together into a bowl. Beat the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and mashed pumpkin together in an electric mixer set at medium for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly blended and smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed for one minute to blend ingredients. Fold in the raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared tins. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 10

Pumpkin Muffins with Kefir and Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Muffins with Kefir and Pepitas 

As soon as I see that pumpkins have replaced the corn and tomatoes at the market I start hungering for food that’s autumn-like. Mostly pumpkin bread and muffins to snack on when I need a little something in the late afternoon with my last cup of coffee for the day. 

I don’t make pumpkin muffins as often as I do banana bread, but almost. This is my latest version, which has kefir because I happened to have some in the fridge. But buttermilk is fine too. 

Reheat leftovers in a toaster oven for a few minutes if you need a quick breakfast. 

Btw, I used to bake and mash the pumpkin insides to get the puree, but most of the time I use canned pumpkin or squash. NOT pumpkin pie mix. I want to mix in the spices of my choice, not theirs.

Pumpkin Muffins with Kefir and Pumpkin Seeds

• 3  tablespoons butter

• 1-3/4 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 cup mashed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

• 3/4 cup kefir

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 1 large egg

• 2-3 tablespoons crushed pumpkin seeds 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 9 muffin tin cups. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, kefir, molasses, egg and cooled, melted butter. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix only long enough to combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin cups. Scatter the pumpkin seeds evenly on top of each muffin. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 9