Breakfast, Snack, Gifts...

Oh, you're wondering what sorts of things are emerging from a Hayley Holiday Kitchen, aren't you?!

First up: A really yummy pumpkin muffin, recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. (Introduction to the Pioneer Woman, courtesy of my mom...then Shelley...then Jodi...)

I found this recipe and knew we had to give it a try for the holidays. I figured it would make for a wonderful breakfast treat - or snack - or even as a gift basket for colleagues.

The Niece helped me mix and bake. It was a great opportunity share some of my 4-H baking knowledge about how to make quick breads vs yeast breads, proper measuring techniques and the Calories Don't Count if You're Testing Cooked Muffins rule.

One important change that we made to the recipe was to leave the frosting off. These muffins already pack a powerful lot of sugar. I felt the frosting would have sent us into diabetic shock, plus you can't eat a frosted muffin for breakfast.

That's my rule, anyway.

Here's the recipe, sans frosting. You can navigate over to the Pioneer Woman if you want the full, kill-me-now sweet version.

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter - cut into pieces
• 1 cup (heaping) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 whole egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional!)

Topping

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

Note: We made these as mini-muffins (yield: 32), reducing the cook time to 15 minutes.

Cute, aren't they? (So is the hot pad...a great find in last year's Christmas clearance sales!)