Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins

Last week I posted a list of 5 Droolworthy Pumpkin Recipes that I’m dying to try. But before I give those a shot, I wanted to make some pumpkin muffins; pumpkin muffins are showing up all over Pinterest at the moment and I figured these are a good place to start honing my pumpkin baking skills. Most recipes call for canned pumpkin puree which we don’t get in South Africa, so I wanted to try using the cooked, fresh kind instead. Which worked out really well, I can tell you!

Man oh man, am I glad I made these muffins. The lightest muffins with a delicious pumpkin flavour that tastes so damn good, with warm winter spices and the tiniest brown sugar crunch on top, I can’t wait to make these beauties again.

These muffins were super easy to make and kept perfectly in an airtight container. They’re absolutely perfect as they are, but they could easily handle a little sour cream frosting piped into their centres or blobbed on top. Perhaps some chopped walnuts too…give them a try for breakfast, tea or an any time snack.

INGREDIENTS:

1 and a half cups cake flour

1 Tsp baking powder

1/2 Tsp bicarb

Pinch of salt

2 Tsp pumpkin spice

320ml sugar (plus 1 Tbsp extra for topping)

2 eggs

80ml oil or melted butter

1 cup pureed pumpkin, or fresh pumpkin cooked and mashed until smooth

1 Tsp cinnamon (for topping)

Method:

Preheat oven to 170C. Line a muffin tin with medium to large sized muffin papers.

Whisk flour, salt, bicarb and baking powder together in a medium sized bowl.

In a separate large bowl, mix the pumpkin, sugar, eggs and oil until mixture is smooth.

Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mix, until only just combined- do not overmix.

Mix the reserved cinnamon and sugar in a separate small bowl.

Divide the batter evenly between the lined muffin cups and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the tops.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean or the muffin tops spring back when lightly touched.

Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.