Pumpkin Muffins

Dry ingredients:

3 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Wet ingredients:

1 cup oil
4 eggs
2/3 c water
2 cups solid pack pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with cupcake papers.

Combine dry ingredients. Then add wet ingredients. Stir until no longer lumpy.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick doneness test!

Brown Sugar Glaze:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
few shakes of salt from the salt-shaker
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Melt butter in medium bowl. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.

Sprinkle salt in. Add powdered sugar. Mixture will be chunky (and resemble oatmeal!).

Add milk and stir until dissolved.

Dip mostly-cooled muffins upside-down in glaze, or wait a few moments and spread on with a knife.

Makes 36-40 muffins.

Comments from the cook: Pumpkin muffins = Fall. And, I fought everything in me to hoard the solid-pack pumpkin I found the other day...but these muffins? I'm no match for them, I tell you.

This is a huge recipe, and makes a LOT of muffins. My mom usually makes loaves, and just bakes them for longer. From what I remember, she usually made some loaves with walnuts. Just smother your bread/muffins with butter before eating, and you can't go wrong. Mmmmm-hmmmm.

This glaze was my first attempt at a non-cream-cheese frosting, and it is quite sweet. A brown sugar flavor without the thickness of frosting...

Originally a recipe from my mom. I managed to misplace it (or never wrote it down in a safe place), and then found a close facsimile online, here. (Mom, if yours is different, please email me IMMEDIATELY!)

Banana Streusel Muffins

Muffins:

1 cup flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plain yogurt)
1 lg egg, lightly beaten
1 lg banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
Topping:

1 TBSP cold butter, cut into pieces
1 TBSP brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 TBSP flour
salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan or muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Stir in the melted butter and plain yogurt. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute. Add the banana and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan or into muffin tin (makes about 12 muffins).

Make topping by mashing together the tablespoon of cold butter with the tablespoon of flour, the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Distribute the topping evening over the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes for loaf or 20-25 minutes for muffins, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan or muffin tin.

Comments from the cook: A.Maz.Ing. These muffins represent one of my few cooking ventures since I've been so sick and pregnant. They are fantastic, and the streusel topping is to DIE FOR.

I doubled this recipe, and it made about 20 muffins. I've always been a fan of streusel, so I actually did a little more than the recipe called for. That can't hurt anything, right??

Best served with Mylanta...or your juice of choice! :)

Originally found on this website, taken from this book. (Most text taken from website).