The Pumpkin Shortage is OVER!

It is Fall.

There are no crisp breezes or turning leaves here in Arizona. But it is football and back to school time.

It is Halloween-around-the-corner time, and time-to-make-muffins time.

Let me tell you, we are addicted to pumpkin muffins at our house. Addicted.

We even stockpiled canned pumpkin last year. But in a few fits of weakness, we ate all the pumpkin and were left wanting, waiting, and weary of the wait.

My brilliant mother-in-law had MORE pumpkin stock piled. When we visited, I baked muffins for everyone (and added chocolate chips because I'm nice like that) and I think I earned a few points with my father-in-law.

They were kind enough to send some of their coveted and highly prized cans home with us. (you better believe they are prized possessions!) And then when I was grocery shopping yesterday, there were actually cans of pumpkin on the shelf.  Not at 88 cents like they used to be, but there they were. Like they had never been gone!! Oh, life. You tease me so.

We ate pumpkin muffins yesterday. They lasted about 30 seconds (Pencil ate his slowly because it was still hot-- it would have been 15 seconds otherwise) So in the spirit of  FALL LOVE and Pumpkin Muffin Madness, I'm sharing our favorite recipe with you.
Oh-- and if you add about 1/4 cup veggie oil and a splash more milk, they make good waffles too!

Pumpkin Muffins

(my mouth waters just to think of them!)

Combine wet:

2 egg whites or 1 egg

1 TBL soft butter or margarine

3/4 C + 2TBL pureed unsweetened pumpkin (almost exactly 1/2 of a regular can)

(the other half of a can freezes well for the next batch of muffins!)

2/3 C brown sugar

3/4 C skim milk

                   

In separate bowl, combine dry:

2 C flour (I do half white and half whole wheat)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

small dash cloves (optional)

1/2 C raisins (optional-- we don't like cooked raisins at our house, so we sometimes elect to put chocolate chips instead.)

Mix dry into wet until just blended.

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.