Review: Emily's Pumpkin Spice Muffins

[Paula H]

After having the recipe for, like, 18 months (overwhelming stack of to-trys, anyone?), I finally made these a couple of weeks ago.

Now then, keeping in mind that I can't stand pumpkin... YUM!

The pumpkin taste is really mild, so it's really the spices you can taste, and boy, do they taste good. The texture is great, the flavour is great, I felt virtuous for actually consuming pumpkin.... A definite winner.

In fact, I'm making up another batch tonight, to get me through a weekend of teaching massage.

Yay Emily!

For anyone who missed it the first time, here's the recipe:

Emily's Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% milk (normally I'd use skim, but I've got 2% right now)
1 2/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves - heaping
1 tsp cinnamon - heaping
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2) Cream butter and sugars. Add the sour cream and next 7 ingredients (milk through cinnamon) beat well.

3) Stir together flours, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to wet mixture and beat until combined.

4) Pour batter into muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until a toothpick tests clean - about 35 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

[sweetpea]

These are very yummy and a good way to use up leftover pumpkin! I might have added more than 1 2/3 cups of pumpkin since i just eyeballed the 2/3 cup so my batter was a little thick...not sure if paula had the same thing, but they were all bumpy/rocky on top b/c of my "globbing" of them into the pan, but they taste de-lish! even better with a little butter on top..shhh! :) i think with some raisins/nuts these would be even more fabulous! thanks for reminding me of this recipe paula!

[Kayaksoup]

I was looking for something to use up some leftover butternut squash. these were perfect. I didn't have quite enough squash, so I subbed some pumpkin butter and reduced the spice and sugar a little. Had only regular all purpose, but they still came out big and beautiful. Oh, yeah and I used FF yoghurt and full fat milk. Because that's what I had. But the basic premise is still the same. Really!!

[Sarah45]

but these didn't rise at all. My idea of a god muffin gets tall with a great "muffin top". These barely came to the top of the muffin pan. The tase is delicious but I can't help bu be disappointed in their look. Did anyone else's rise nicely?

[Kayaksoup]

Mine were gorgeous. How many muffins did you make?

On second thought, it sounds like you are describing the big storebought type muffins with more top than bottom. I have never been able to recreate that effect at home without overfilling the muffin cups. My muffins had a high top, but not wide, just a small lip.

I also made a second batch with a mixture of mashed banana and homemade strawberry jam instead of pumpkin puree. I think Rob likes those even better.

[sherri]

These sound very good, but I am not sure if I want muffins vs. pumkin bread. Also, chocolate chips may be a tasty addition (I can always add chocolate to desserts.....)and I liked the suggestion for walnuts. I have made so many pumpkin desserts (cookies, bread, etc) and am still always looking for more recipes. For those who have made the muffins, how do they compare to other pumpkin baked goods you have made?

[Sarah45]

Originally posted by Kayaksoup
Mine were gorgeous. How many muffins did you make?

On second thought, it sounds like you are describing the big storebought type muffins with more top than bottom. I have never been able to recreate that effect at home without overfilling the muffin cups. My muffins had a high top, but not wide, just a small lip.



I ended up making 21 becasue the cups were getting so filled and I didn't want overfill and have muffin oozing all over.

I am not even looking for the huge bakery-type muffin just one that rises over the top of the pan. Hmmm, my baking soda was fresh too...

They did taste good though and I am going to eat them all, no problem :D

[Kathy B]

Here's another pumpkin muffin posted by Vicandi on another thread that I just made today for the second time. Delicious, and I did add chocolate chips Sherri!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar
(I added 1 c. chocolate chips)

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans (I omitted)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1-1/2 c. WW flour)
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin (I used the whole can, about 1-3/4c.)
1/3 cup olive oil (I used 1/4 c.canola oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(I added 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and an extra 1/2 tsp. cinnamon)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners. (I got 24 nice-sized muffins).

To make the filling:
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, (fold in chocolate chips if using) then set aside.

For the streusel topping:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffin batter:
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.


Here's the thread if you want to look at some other pumpkin recipes...

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60731

[Kayaksoup]

Originally posted by Sarah45


I ended up making 21 becasue the cups were getting so filled and I didn't want overfill and have muffin oozing all over.

I am not even looking for the huge bakery-type muffin just one that rises over the top of the pan. Hmmm, my baking soda was fresh too...

They did taste good though and I am going to eat them all, no problem :D
I think that is the difference. I only made 12 muffins, basically filling each cup to the top.

[Paula H]

Originally posted by Kayaksoup

I think that is the difference. I only made 12 muffins, basically filling each cup to the top.

What she said. And they all had a nice dome on top when they came out of the oven.

[Kayaksoup]

Reviving this one. this is my favourite template for muffins now. My latest creation:

Apple Spice Muffins

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yoghurt
1/4 cup 2% milk (normally I'd use skim, but I've got 2% right now)
1 2/3 cup shredded apple (I just tossed the peeled and cored apples in the food processor)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon - heaping
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2) Cream butter and sugars. Add the yoghurt and next 6 ingredients (milk through cinnamon) beat well.

3) Stir together flours, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to wet mixture and beat until combined.

4) Pour batter into muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Top with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake until a toothpick tests clean - about 35 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

[Paula H]

Kayaksoup - Thanks for the Apple Spice Muffin modification; I made these over the weekend and they were yummy!!