Pumpkin Spice Muffins
On cold, damp autumn days I crave something warm, fragrant and spicy. These pumpkin muffins were just what I wanted: simple to make, with a soft, tender crumb, a warming aftertaste and a wonderful aroma.
First, prepare the pumpkin puree. Peel the pumpkin, remove seeds and seed fibers, cut into pieces and place in a saucepan. Add a couple of tablespoons of water. This is necessary so that the pumpkin does not burn at the initial stage. Then it will release its own juice.
Simmer the pumpkin over low heat until soft. If the pieces fell apart and turned into mush, even good. Using an immersion blender, puree the pumpkin until smooth. Separate 2 cups of pumpkin puree and cool. I put the remaining puree in a container and froze.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, soda, baking powder and spices.
In another bowl, measure liquid ingredients: cooled pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and eggs.
Beat lightly.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to make a loose batter.
Line muffin pans with paper cases and fill approximately 2/3 full. Bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
The muffins are soft, crumbly, with a bright spicy taste.