Pumpkin Muffins

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp all spice
• Pinch of salt
• 160g soft brown sugar
• 60ml milk/buttermilk
• 200g pumpkin pureé made from leftover scoops of pumpkin flesh – *see below for method
• 2 eggs
• 30g apple sauce
• 120g melted butter
• Few drops of vanilla extract
• Pumpkin seeds for garnish

Method:
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / gas mark 6.

To make the pumpkin pureé, scrape out the flesh of a medium pumpkin – this is a great way of using up leftover pumpkin when you carve your Jack O Lantern!  Cut the flesh into small cubes or pieces and simmer with a splash of water in a hot pan until soft. This should take around 15 – 20 minutes.  Drain, then blitz the pumpkin to a pureé. Weigh out 200g for the muffin mix.  You can either freeze any leftover to make these muffins again another time or use it in soups.

Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and all spice into a bowl, add salt and sugar and set aside.  In another bowl whisk together the milk or buttermilk, pumpkin pureé, eggs, apple sauce, melted butter and vanilla extract. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet to create a smooth batter.

Fill up your muffin tin or cases and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Bake in the pre heated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until just cooked.  To check the muffins are cooked through insert a cocktail stick into the centre, if it comes out clean when removed the muffins are cooked.

Leave to cool on a wire baking rack. Then serve plain for a savoury muffin or if you want to make them sweet ice with frosting and more cracked pumpkin seeds if desired.  (I’ve included my maple cream cheese frosting recipe below if you want to frost them.)


Maple cream cheese frosting

Covers 12 muffins

• 100g icing sugar
• 100g cream cheese
• 45g butter
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Method

Blend all of the ingredients together and spoon over the cooked muffins.