A muffin for all seasons

Delicious muffins in a jaunty dish!

Last night I attempted spinning for the second time in my life. I think I loved it. I felt so energized afterward that I ran two miles and then came home to do a little baking in preparation for today’s team meeting at work. (As an aside, I recommend bringing a baked good in for day-long or potentially contentious meetings at work. It softens everyone’s mood…really.)

In contrast to last night’s energy, I am sitting at my laptop tonight preferring the idea of having a beer to the idea of having an hour of yoga…so you, dear reader, can have the first recipe from my blog!

The muffins are a variation on one I found last fall in the Good Life Eats Blog that I rather fancy.

I should say that these are not particularly healthy, rather a nice treat for sharing with friends (or co-workers!). They are a pretty basic pumpkin muffin that can be dressed up for your pleasure such that they are great to make any time of year, not just in the fall when pumpkin muffins are at a premium. While the recipe calls for pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree is a suitable alternative, and your consumers will hardly tell a difference! Feel free to replace the chocolate chips with raisins, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips or forego them all together. Your muffins, your call. Go crazy!

All-Season Pumpkin Muffins

• 4 eggs*
• 1 c white sugar
• 1/2 c milk**
• 1 -15 ounce can pumpkin puree (or sweet potato puree)
• 1/2 c butter, melted**
• 1 c applesauce
• 3 c all-purpose flour
• 2 t baking soda
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c coconut flakes
• 1 c bittersweet or dark chocolate chips
• pecan/hazelnut/walnut pieces or pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. With a wire whisk, beat the eggs in a large bowl, and mix in the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, and butter. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, salt, coconut and chocolate. Stir the flour mixture into the egg and pumpkin mixture until just combined (over-doing it will make the ‘ffins tough and rubbery).

Transfer better into lined muffin cups, a scant 1/4 cup of batter per cup. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes in the pans then remove muffins and place on a rack. Makes about 2 dozen. This recipe is easy to double and freeze. Once they are completely cool (if not already eaten!), place in air-tight container and freeze; remove from container and thaw on rack.

* to reduce calories and cholesterol or if you are vegan, replace eggs with egg replacer according to product instructions

** Also if you are of the vegan persuasion, replace butter and milk with their non-dairy cousins and make sure your chocolate chips use soy instead of dairy lectin!