PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Makes 24 muffins

These muffins have a very subtle pumpkin taste. Adding the sugar and cinnamon topping and chocolate chips makes them just a bit more special!

Ingredients:

Muffins
• 1 small sugar pumpkin (Roasted and pureed. See note
below)
• 1 and 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup grape seed oil (or other neutral flavored oil)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Topping
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

To prepare pumpkin:
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Cut sugar pumpkin in half and place in baking dish skin side up. Fill 1/4 of baking dish with water. Place pumpkin in preheated oven and bake until very tender, approximately 45 minutes. When pumpkin is cool enough to handle, remove seeds and discard. Scoop out pumpkin flesh and puree in a blender or Cuisinart until smooth. One small pumpkin should yield approximately 1 ¾ – 2 cups of pureed pumpkin.

To prepare muffins:
Pre-heat oven to 350°. In a large bowl combine sugar, pureed pumpkin, eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir together until very smooth. In a separate bowl stir together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips if desired. Line muffin pan with cupcake papers and fill with batter until three-fourths full. Bake for 19-20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Makes approximately 24 muffins.

These muffins can be frozen too. Remember to let them fully cool before placing in freezer. To thaw, place them in the fridge overnight for best results.