Pumpkin muffins

This is the last pumpkin muffin recipe in this pumpkin season. I didn't want to bake any pumpkin cakes but I had remaining of pumpkin pure and I found Anna Olson recipe which I wanted to try. Muffin were tender, springy in touch, moist and spicy.

Ingredients for 6 - 9 muffins:

• 65g wholewheat flour
• 50g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
•  1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 190g pumpkin pure
• 60g brown sugar
• 75g buttermilk
• 1 egg white
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp canola oil

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

In a big bowl combine the flours, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice and set aside.

In separate bowl stir together the pumpkin pure, sugar, buttermilk, egg white and canola oil. Pour this mixture into a bowl with dry ingredients. Combine all ingredients until just moist.

Spoon the batter into paper cases up to 3/4 full. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes. When baked transfer to a wire rack to cool down.

Enjoy !

Pumpkin and mascarpone muffins

Soft, fluffy, moist cake with cinnamon scent. That would be the best description of those muffins. Even children enjoy eating them, which is not so obvious when there are veggies in the cake. 

The rapeseed oil which I used for baking had nutty flavour so I decorated my muffins with some roasted and salted cashew nuts.

Ingredients for 12 - 14 muffins:

• 170g pumpkin pure
• 240g flour
• 170g sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 125g mascarpone 
• 120ml oil
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a big bowl. 

In a separate bowl mix together the pumpkin pure, oil, egg and mascarpone cheese. Pour this mixture into a bowl with dry ingredients. Combine all ingredients together until just moist. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier muffin cases about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes. Check with toothpick if ready. If toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean then cake is ready.

Transfer muffins to the wire rack to cool down. While muffins are cooling down prepare the frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 125g mascarpone cheese
• 30g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• nuts

In a bowl combine the cheese, sugar and vanilla. Chill in a fridge for about 30 minutes.

When muffins are cool down completely spread a thick layer of frosting on top of each muffin and decorate with some nuts. 

Enjoy !

Mini pumpkin pie

Flaky pastry, made of wholewheat flour  with spicy, creamy pumpkin filling. 

Ingredients for pastry:

• 125 ml unsalted, cold butter
• 290 ml whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Cold butter cut into small chunks and set aside for 30 minutes.

Put the flour, sugar, salt into a  bowl and mix all ingredients. Add the butter and  mix it with your fingers until the dough is a rough, crumbly texture.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg, water and lemon juice or vinegar. Then add it to the dough all at once, mixing until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap into a foil and put into a fridge to chill for at least one hour. I kept mine in fridge overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge about half an hour before rolling.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Dust a working surface with a flour. Remove the dough from the cling film. Break the dough with your fingers to make it workable then roll it until 3 milimiters thin. Cut 12 circles from the dough. The circles should be big enough to cover the bottom and sides of mini tart molds or ramekins. I used silicone mini tart mold. Place the dough circles into a molds and chill them in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Filling:

• 250 ml pumpkin pure
• 150 ml sweet condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 60 ml whipping cream
• 2 small eggs

To make the filling put the pumpkin pure, milk, spices, eggs and whipping cream in the electric mixer bowl and mix until smooth. Remove the dough form the fridge and pour the filling into each pastry shell. Bake into preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is set. Cool the pies down and enjoy !

 

Pumpkin, pineapple and raisin muffins

Another pumpkin muffin recipe... :) This time with grated pumpkin not pumpkin pure as usual. Additionally those muffins were packed with chunks of pineapple and raisins. They were really tasty, sweet, moist with  delicious crust. Unfortunately they were falling apart so we had to eat them with spoons/pastry forks. The recipe comes form "The Australian Women's Weekly. Muffins."

Ingredients for 12 - 16 muffins:

• 375g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 220g caster sugar
• 100g finely grated uncooked pumpkin
• 4 rings canned pineapple in natural juice, drained and chopped
• 85g finely chopped raisins
• 60 ml cream (12% fat or more)
• 125 ml oil (I used canola oil)
• 2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

In a big bowl mix the flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, pumpkin, pineapple and raisins.

In separate bowl mix cream, oil and eggs. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and combine until just moist.

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier paper cases, 3/4 full. Bake 20 - 25 minutes.

When ready transfer to the wire rack to cool down. 

Enjoy !

Pumpkin pecan muffins

Pumpkin again ! Today's recipe comes from Jan Siegrist  'Muffin sampler'. Those muffins are spongy, spicy, crunchy thanks to nut content with very nice nutty, sweet topping. 

Ingredients for 18 muffins:

• 320g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 30g chopped pecans
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 285g pumpkin pure
• 70g canola oil
• 70g milk
• 40g dark Muscovado sugar

Topping:

• 3 tbsp oats
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp dark Muscovado sugar
• 3 tbsp chopped pecans
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp butter

 Place all dry topping ingredients in a bowl and  stir them well. Then cut in the butter and mix with you fingers until crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line  muffin tin with paper cases.

In a  big bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nuts. 

In a separate bowl mix the eggs, vanilla, pumpkin, oil, milk, sugar.  Pour the mixture into dry ingredients. Stir until just moist. 

Fill the muffin cases about 2/3 full with the batter. Sprinkle the topping over the batter in each cup.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. 

  Enjoy !

Pumpkin muffins

Those pumpkin muffins baked of wholewheat flour are very delicious. The cake itself was moist and dense with lovely cinnamon fragrance. The most tasty part was the crunchy crust made of cinnamon, sugar and almond flakes mixture. The idea for that recipe comes form this website. In comparison to the original recipe I have replaced plain flour with wholewheat one. Hoping this sweet treat will be a little bit healthier then regular pumpkin cake.

Ingredients for 6 muffins:

• 2 room temperature eggs
• 220g sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 200g grated fresh pumpkin
• 150g wholewheat flour

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line the muffin tin with paper cases. 

Grate the pumpkin into small shreds. Set aside.

Break the eggs and put them into electric mixer bowl. Add the sugar and beat until pale and creamy. In separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and cloves. Gently fold the dry ingredients into egg mixture. And last but not least fold in the pumpkin shreds. Spoon the batter into prepared earlier muffin cases, half full. Set them aside and prepare the crust.

Ingredients for crust:

• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp flaked almonds

Place all ingredients into a small bowl and stir them together.

Sprinkle each muffin top with dry crust.

Place the muffin tin into preheated oven  for 20 - 30 minutes. Check with a skewer if baked in the middle. When the skewer comes out clean then it is the time to remove muffins from the oven. Cool them down and enjoy !

 

Pumpkin muffins with toffee sauce

Those muffins were loved by children. I was really surprised as for me they were just average. They tasted like pancakes, were soft and very moist a little bit sweet and spicy. But children ate them quite a lot. The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12-16 muffins:

• 280g flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• pinch of salt
• 50g brown sugar
• 65g white sugar
• 1 egg
• 200ml milk
• 6 tbsp flavourless oil (I had grape seed oil)
• 425g pumpkin pure (I added 525g of homemade pumpkin pure)
• few spoons of toffee sauce from a jar 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Sift the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, salt  into a bog bowl. Add the sugars and whisk well.

In a measuring jug whisk egg, add oil and milk and combine them all. 

Pour the wet ingredients into a bowl with dry ones, add pumpkin pure and combine all ingredients together. Do not over mix the mixture. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier paper cases about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Leave the muffins in a tin for 5 minutes then transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. While the muffins are cooling spread toffee sauce over the top of each. Enjoy !

Pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins

Very moist, sweet, chocolate rich muffins. The recipe comes form this website.

Ingredients for 12-16 muffins:

• 195g flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 113g butter
• 200g white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 180 ml pumpkin pure *
• 175g chocolate chip 

* to make home made pumpkin pure check here

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Place the butter and  sugar in an electric mixer bowl and cream them until white and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, soda and spices. Add half of the flour mixture and half of pumpkin pure into a batter in an electric mixer bowl. Whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated.  Then add the rest of the flour and pumpkin and combine all ingredients. At last, but not at least, gently fold in the chocolate chips. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier muffin cases, about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, check with tooth pick if baked in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave in baking tin for  a few minutes, then transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. Enjoy !

Pumpkin and pecan microwave muffins

If I didn't know I wouldn't guess that those muffins were baked in microwave. Only 4 minutes !(for 900-watt microwave oven). Those muffins were moist, reasonably sweet and crunchy. The recipe comes from 'The Australian Women's Weekly'.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

•  225g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 75g Dark Muscovado sugar
• 80 ml grape seed oil
• 2 eggs
• 200g pumpkin pure
• 60 ml thick cream
• 75g pecans

Place 6 silicone muffin cases on microwave plate.

Chop the pecans into small chunks.

Put the flour, spices and sugar into a big bowl and combine all ingredients together. Add half of chopped pecans, save the rest to sprinkle on the muffins.

To the bowl with dry ingredients add the oil, whisked eggs, pumpkin pure and cream and combine. 

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cases, abut 3/4 full. Sprinkle with pecans. 

Cook one 6 muffins batch at the time, uncovered, on Medium - High (70%) about 4 minutes or until just cooked. Stand 1 minute before turning muffins onto wire rack. 

Repeat with remaining batter.

Pumpkin muffins with cranberries and black treacle

This recipe comes from Carol Pastor cookbook '75 best - ever muffins'. We liked them very much. They were very tasty, spicy, sweet, moist.  The cake was fluffy and a little bit crumbly. Adding pumpkin pure to the batter  is a good idea to introduce veggies into a children diet

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 115g soft butter or margarine
• 150g Dark Muscovado sugar
• 60ml black treacle
• 225g pumpkin pure*
• 1 egg
• 225g flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 15g dried cranberries

 * I have bought a pumpkin recently so I made my own pumpkin puree. There is a method. Cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces. Remove the seeds (set them aside) and cut off the skin. Place the pumpkin on baking tray one piece beside another and bake them in the oven for 45 minutes in 180C. Poke the pieces of pumpkin with fork to check if they are soft. Then place them into a blender and bled for pure. You can store them in a jars in a fridge for a few days or freeze. If you like the pumpkin seeds, wash them and place on the same baking tray, keep them in a warm oven (60C) until they become dry. Then remove the with shell and enjoy !

pumpkin puree

Coming back to muffins.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Into a big bowl put the butter and sugar. Beat them together until fluffy. Then add black treacle and beat until well incorporated. 

Next add the pumpkin pure and and whisked egg.

In separate bowl combine the flour, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold them into wet ingredients mixture. And last, but not  least, gently fold in the cranberries.

Spoon the batter into baking cases, 3/4 full. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the top of each muffin. Bake 12-15 minutes. When ready transfer to the wire rack to cool down. Enjoy !