After the recent ping-pong weather, I feel as if Fall has finally arrived. Coming to Evanston after growing up in the South, Fall has quickly become my favorite season. I love watching the magic of green, yellow, red and orange speckling the sky.
This stretch of time – the beginning of October to mid-December – not only brings a change in weather, but also a variety of bold earthy flavors – pumpkin, apple and butternut squash. These fall favorites add a zesty kick to drinks, dishes or pastries, giving the kitchen versatility you might miss out on in the other seasons.
What stands out to me is pumpkin– it’s everywhere I turn. There’s something special about it. Maybe it’s the memories of carving jack-o-lanterns every Halloween or the prospect of biting into a slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Or maybe it’s simply because it’s delicious.
I think my favorite thing about pumpkin is that it’s sweet and savory, depending on how you use it. It can be the main component, or complement a dish with a hint of its taste. When combined with the right ingredients, and especially the right spices, it adds a delightful and exciting break from daily meals.
Naturally, brainstorming this week’s recipe, I gravitated towards pumpkin. I wanted to make something where the pumpkin would not be overpowering, as well as a dish that wasn’t flat-out sweet or savory. And thus, pumpkin muffins were created!
Pumpkin Muffins
Muffins
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Cup Sugar
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
3 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Butter (Cold)
2 Cups Pumpkin Puree (Canned or homemade)
1 Cup Evaporated Milk
2 Eggs
3 teaspoons Vanilla
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir until just blended. Cut butter into ½ Tablespoon pieces, adding each piece to the dry ingredient mixture. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut butter into the flour mixture, working the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs are formed.
(Cutting butter in is like kneading it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter/fork.)
In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat together using a whisk. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well with either a whisk or an electrical mixer. Add in chopped pecans and stir until combined.
Line muffin tins with baking cups, and fill each ½ full. Place about 1 tsp of streusel (recipe follows) on top of each muffin, spreading streusel evenly and pushing it lightly into the batter. Bake for 20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for 15 minutes in the tins, then remove and cool completely. Makes 24 muffins.
For Streusel:
Brown-Sugar Streusel Topping
2/3 Cups Brown Sugar (Packed)
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Flour
Nutmeg
4-5 Tablespoons Butter (Cold, Cut into 1 Tbsp pieces)
Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and nutmeg in a small bowl and stir together. Cut butter into the brown sugar until it becomes consistent, forming a soft, cohesive mixture.
Other Topping Ideas:
Mixture of cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg sprinkled on top of each muffin.
Topping each muffin with cream cheese icing, for a sweet kick.