Pumpkin muffins

oke up with a persistent craving for something freshly baked for breakfast and knew that I had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge... naturally, I reached for my handy epicurious app on the iPad and pretty much picked the first one that popped up. Luckily, it was a yummy option--but I find that it's hard to go wrong with the epicurious folks...

Pumpkin muffins
Makes 12

1/3 cup golden raisins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas), divided

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter muffin pan if not nonstick.

Soak raisins in hot water 5 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then stir in raisins and 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds.

Divide batter among muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining seeds. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack.

I made some adjustments: no raisins for me, no thanks. And I also omitted the pumpkin seeds and substituted whole wheat flour for the all-purpose. While I enjoyed my muffin (with coffee, of course) quite a bit, they lacked a little bit of a pumpkin "punch"--a little milder in flavor than I was hoping for. Some fiddling around with the amount of pumpkin in the future may possibly help... I'll keep you posted.

Warm from the oven, these made a delicious addition to our omelette and potatoes breakfast! And undoubtedly contributed to the must-nap-after-breakfast feeling I had to fight... well, maybe fight is too strong of a word. The nap and I chatted for a bit and I gave in pretty quickly...