Pumpkin Molasses Muffins

I really should be finishing up a project for class this evening.

After all, this is my allocated time slot to do such things. I shouldn’t be baking, or shooting photos of muffins in baskets, and I definitely should not be blogging right now. What can I say?  When the urge to bake something hits, I must. Bake, that is. I mean, who doesn’t need homemade muffins to grab for breakfast all week?

For the past few years, I’ve been baking a pumpkin molasses pie for Thanksgiving. The thick custardy filling combines pumpkin puree and your usual warm pumpkin pie spices, along with a couple of spoonfuls of molasses which, I think, is the secret to an incredible pumpkin pie.

Well, I don’t have pumpkin pie for you yet….but I do have some tasty “pumpkin-pie-inspired” muffins. They’re the best, warm, right from the oven. Add a cup of hot tea and things are even better.

Now, maybe, I can get back to work.

Pumpkin Molasses Muffins

Adapted from Simply Recipes. Find Elise’s original recipe here.

1 1/2 cups flour
 ( I used 1 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup brown rice flour + 1/4 cup arrowroot flour)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup sugar
 ( I used Demerara)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/3 cup melted butter

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup water
 ( I used almond milk)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

2 Tbsp well chopped candied ginger ( I used 1 tablespoon of molasses here instead, adding it to the wet ingredients)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium sized bowl, sift the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, butter, eggs, 1/4 cup of water ( or almond milk if using), molasses and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Fold in the candied ginger and chopped nuts.

Spoon mixture into a prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Cool on a rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Tagged as: Breakfast, Fall Recipes, pumpkin molasses muffins