Food For Thought Friday: Pumpkin Muffins

So, it's Friday.  Cue skipping through the office and smiling at people that, on any other day of the week, would only warrant a grunt at best.  I haven't been baking much, lately.  Sad face.  My family are suffering for it, too.  I actually bought cookies the other day at the grocery store, brought them home, and filled up the cookie jar with them.  Yep, that'll fool 'em. 

At any rate, I was bitten by the baking bug again this morning and, low and behold, it is Friday!  Coincidence?  I think not.  I absolutely love baking with pumpkin.  This time of year, it's everywhere; in bread, in soup, even in your latte.  But I enjoy baking with it all year round.  It makes me feel sneaky, because my family is eating a vegetable and they don't really notice.  Hooray for sneaky health food!

These pumpkin muffins are so fabulous and so easy to whip up.  Plus, they make your house smell like pumpkin pie.  Who doesn't want that?  No downside here, people, so get baking!  I hope you're all having an awesome Friday and that the awesome will continue through the weekend!  Enjoy.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cup flour  (I add a smidge more because I'm way up in the clouds)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup (about 2/3 of a can) canned solid-pack pumpkin

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tbsp.

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl; set aside.  Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pie spice, 1 1/4 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.  Whisk in flour mixture until just combined (a few lumps are A okay).  Divide batter among 12 muffin cups.  Combine remaining 1 Tbsp. of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle liberally over batter.  Bake for 25-30 mins, or until tops are firm and nicely browned.  Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving (if you can...)

Note: you will most likely have extra cinnamon/sugar, unless you like breaking your teeth when you bite into a muffin!  That is just a good proportion of sugar to cinnamon.  What to do with the leftover goods?  Sprinkle on some buttered toast and reminisce about childhood or stir into a bowl of oatmeal!  Yum!

Back to the writing cave!  I think I'll grab a few of these to bring with me...