Simpler Living Blog

Perfect, Make-Ahead Pumpkin Muffins

Lehman's
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The days are still warm but the nights hold a chill, just a hint that fall is around the corner.

In the heat of summer, breakfast is often just fruit and yogurt or a cool smoothie. But fall calls for more substantial fare. Kids are heading off to school and time is at a premium too, so having meals both quick and hearty is a boon to busy homemakers. Back when I was seeing 8 kids out the door each morning I got in the habit of preparing breakfast the night before. It’s become a habit that still makes good sense, even though I now have only one child at home.

Perfect, Make-Ahead Pumpkin Muffins

Lehman's

The days are still warm but the nights hold a chill, just a hint that fall is around the corner.In the heat of summer, breakfast is often just fruit and yogurt or a cool smoothie. But fall calls for more substantial fare. Kids are heading off to s...

Ingredients

1 stick of soft butter (do not use margarine)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin (or winter squash)
1 beaten egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Grease the muffin pan.
Combine the soft butter, brown sugar and molasses in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
Add the pumpkin and the egg and continue to beat well. You will still flecks of white but that’s fine.
In a second bowl whisk the dry ingredients and add that to the mixing bowl.
Mix in some raisins or chopped nuts if you have them. They aren’t necessary but they do add something special.
Mix it until the flour is just incorporated. Too much mixing will leave your muffins too heavy.
Spoon into muffin pans and bake for 15-18 minutes. Be careful. These muffins burn rather quickly. In fact, the original recipe called for them to be baked at 400 degrees but I burned every batch at that temperature.