Pumpkin Muffins
A delicious and easy-to-make treat made with pumpkin puree and packed with nutrients. Ideal for breakfast, a midday snack or a festive holiday treat.
Equipment
- 1 Electronic digital scales
- 1 Hand Blender OR Food processor
- 1 18 hole mini muffin tin OR 12 hole large muffin tin
- Muffin liners optional
- Piping Bag optional
- Pastry Card optional
- Cooling Rack optional
Ingredients
- 1-2 small Pumpkin - About 200g puree [Note 1] 7 ounces
- 185 grams All Purpose Flour 6 1/2 ounces
- 200 grams White Sugar 7 ounces
- ½ teaspoon Bicarbonate
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Sweet Cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon Mixed Spice
- ½ teaspoon shy Salt
- 80 ml Rapeseed Oil [1/3 cup] OR good quality vegetable oil
- 2 Free Range Eggs
- 75 grams Crushed Fresh Walnuts [ 2 1/2 - 3 ounces ]
Instructions
Roasting the Pumpkin
- Preheat the oven to 200 C [approx 400 F]
- Cut the pumpkin/s in half and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet, cut side down.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour/ 1 hour, 15 minutes and check- it should be nice and tender. Add another 15 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkins.
- Once you've removed the pumpkin from the oven, set aside on a cooling rack, until cool enough to handle.
- Scoop the flesh from the roasted pumpkin and puree using a hand blender or food processor and set aside.
For the Muffins
- Reduce the oven temperature to 175 C [350 F ] and line the muffin tin with muffin liners, or lightly grease and flour the tin.
- Gather and weigh your ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate, baking powder and spices.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and oil until blended then add the sugar, salt and pumpkin puree.
- Fold the pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients, and add the walnuts until just mixed.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle [to allow for the crushed walnuts] pipe the mixture into the prepared muffin tin to just about to the top of the muffin case for a real nice risen muffin top. [note if you fill this too much, it will rise over the top and and bake onto the actual muffin tin]If you are using a spoon to fill the prepared tin, go gently as it can get a bit messy.
- Check on the muffins after about 12-15 minutes for the mini muffins and 20-25 minutes for the large muffins. They should be golden, risen and when a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and place the muffins in the tin on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes, or until the muffins can be handled. Remove the muffins in their cases and continue to cool on the rack. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container once the muffins have completely cooled to avoid any condensation build up in the inside of the container.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Note 1. I used Turks Turban
You will want a pumpkin that has a firm flesh. The flesh of the basic orange pumpkins frequently available in the Autumn for Halloween are too watery and stringy for a good quality end product. You can also substitute Roasted Sweet Potato for the pumpkin in this recipe, or use a good quality tinned pumpkin puree.