Friday, November 14, 2008

Friday's Baking Day Around Here




Marble Man and I finished eating up a batch of Pumpkin Iced Cookies this week. And Oh, My GOD they were fabulous! I tried to slow us down by putting them in the freezer, but soon found out they taste even better frozen.

Today was a cold, dreary, wet day here in North Carolina. I wanted to bake something to make the house smell divine, and decided to try pumpkin muffins, continuing the winter squash theme we've got going here. Once again, the magic orange orb has delivered something of a gastronomic delight. The original recipe called for 1 cup of the canned pumpkin, but I put in the whole can. They were amazing - light and very moist. And the house smells delicious as well!

Pumpkin Muffins
adapted from Gourmet, November 2006
Makes 12

Ingredients:
1½ C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-oz can)
1/3 C vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
1¼ C plus 1 T sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Whisk together pumpkin, vanilla, oil, eggs, and 1¼ cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 T sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about ¾ full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 5 min. then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

~
I had the muffins with some orange spice tea on this cold afternoon - all curled up with warm socks, softly glowing lights, and in my big chair



...with a new book.



Marble Man's going to need a crowbar to get me up!

10 comments:

Fete et Fleur said...

This recipe looks yummy! You're earrings below are gorgeous. Love them!

Have a Beautiful Weekend,
Nancy

Anonymous said...

Hello Kate,

These look great, mmm!!!

~ Gabriela ~

rochambeau said...

Sounds like a great recipe Kate. Pumpkin makes baked goods moist and yummy.

Did you finish your book??

xox
Constance

3rdEyeMuse said...

that sounds like a perfect Friday! and the recipe sounds wonderful! thanks for sharing.

ps - I hope you do get motivated to play with at least one of the boxes. :)

Kathryn Costa said...

Your baking treats sound so good. My son made us an orange/cranberry quick bread today and it was so yummy!

Things are getting colder here. In my heart I'm resisting it since it was set on moving to NC. :( I was really looking forward to skipping the New England winter this year but it looks as though I have to buck UP!

I'll keep myself warm drinking coffee and reading blogs!

Terri Pezzullo - Handmade said...

Mmmmm, I'm no baker Kate,that's my husbands specialty, but I might just have to try your recipe this weekend.

Kelly said...

YUM! These sound delish! And I like that you further illustrated the comfortableness with your pics of the chair and book!

Sigh! I love fall...

Karen Cole said...

I'm still smelling those muffins as I look at your beautiful earrings. Did I ever make jewelry????It's hard to remember.

Love how you display the earrings, kate.

somepinkflowers said...

ooooooooowww....

yummy stuff---->muffins
with some orange spice tea.

i'll be right over
when my spare time gets here.

:-)

thanks for popping in to give me
words
of encouragement
about my dad!

{{ i would love
to curl up in your chair
and
so
i will...
at least
in my mind today.}}

PS: love your banner
which is NEW TO ME...

Anonymous said...

Sadly I wasn't born with the baking gene. I just made pumpkin bread for the first time last week (boxed version from Trader Joes) and I was so thrilled that only the top burned (removable) and not the bottom (removable but quite the mess). I may have to try your version..looks delicious and frankly I'm tired of giving Starbucks all of my money so I can eat theirs:)