Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Well, after being my own chief reader of this blog for almost the last 2 years (coming back on to look up my own recipes because I lost them or didn't feel like looking them up, heh-heh), I'm back!

...For at least one post. ;-)

It's officially starting to feel like fall out there, so naturally, I'm starting to feel like things need be made with pumpkin around here. And since I am a big fan of muffins... and chocolate... what better recipe to start with on my pumpkin quest?

But enough chatter... let's just get to the recipe.

[Picture coming as soon as I make these again... Wish I'd have thought to do it when I made them the other night!]  

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Ingredients:

 ¾ recipe (1½ cups) of the flour mix found in my Cranberry Bread recipe*
½ c. chopped GF oats (I used rolled oats from Trader Joe's, blending them in the food processor)
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. pumpkin spice
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ c. butter or margarine
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can (approx. 1¾ c.) pumpkin
a few tbs. milk or milk substitute (as needed)
½-¾ c. chocolate chips (or raisins if you prefer)

*Edit: I previously included xanthan gum as a separate item in this recipe, but as long as you use it in the flour mix, as listed in the link, you don't need to add any extra.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, oats, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon). Set aside. In another bowl, whip butter until softened. Add sugar and mix thoroughly. Add eggs and vanilla and mix again. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating mixture as you go. When the dry ingredients are fairly incorporated into the wet, add pumpkin and mix well. The batter may seem pretty thick, and this is okay, but if it seems to need a little thinning out, add a few tbs. of milk. (I've been adding 2-4 tbs. per batch.) Stir in chocolate chips.

Grease or line one muffin tin (for a dozen muffins). I recommend greasing vs. lining, because you will pretty much be filling each cup to the top. After doing so, place on a middle rack in the oven and bake for about 22-25 minutes. Best to let cool before serving, unless of course you prefer getting into a mess of melted chocolate!

These muffins are hearty little dudes that can fill you up surprisingly quickly! I sometimes make muffins as the main course of our "breakfast dinners," and while my older kids can eat 3-4 blueberry muffins easy, they could barely make it through 2 of these (and it wasn't for any absence of deliciousness). Pretty sure these will be a staple around here over the next few months. :-)

Hope you enjoy!