Growing up, I thought it was normal to have a bottomless cookie jar, fresh cinnamon buns every morning and the smell of freshly baked goods dancing around the house on a consistent basis. This is what happens when your mom grew up in a bakery.
Pair these muffins with low fat cream cheese for an added flavour kick
My grandfather Babak owned a small bread bakery in Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, and its obvious he passed on his love for baking to my mom.
There was nothing better than pulling out the wooden stool and being given an important responsibility as a child, such as mixing the batter, or cracking the eggs. This may have accounted for the crunchy addition of egg shells in my mom’s baking from ages two to 10. I still strongly believe enthusiasm is the key to a good recipe, though!
In keeping with the pattern, I have also developed a love of baking, though- I do not do it enough. On top of this, in keeping with a healthy lifestyle its hard to find treats that can accomodate everyone. I’m making it my goal to use this blog as a portal to discovering the joys of baking, with a focus on keeping it natural and wholesome, so you can enjoy with the minimal amount of guilt.
First stop: pumpkin muffins. I had made pumpkin spice cupcakes for a birthday party the day before, and was left with half a 28 oz. can of pumpkin puree loitering on the counter. Instead of throwing out the remains, I made a few substitutes and whipped up this batch of hearty, tasty muffins. And this was even after the haze of the party.
Enjoy!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 18 muffins
Ingredients
3 Tbsp. neutral-tasting oil (vegetable, canola etc)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 Tbsp. molasses — a substitute for this is equal parts HONEY
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. 1% buttermilk — a substitute for this is equal parts YOGURT (use Greek for extra protein)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins (or try dried cranberries)
Method
Preheat oven to 400° F. and line 18 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar and egg. Add the pumpkin puree, molasses and buttermilk and mix until well combined.
In another bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon and raisins. Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Source: http://www.ilovemuffins.ca
These muffins are perfect to grab when you're on the go in the morning
joelletomlinson 