Mollie Katzen's Pumpkin Muffins

Note from Cheri: The recipe and text below was reprinted with permission from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café -- Over 350 Easy Recipes for Irrisitible Muffins, Glorious Omelets, Tasty Pancakes, Hommade Protein Bars, and Other Delights to Launch and Sustain Your Every Day (2002, Hyperion). Click here for interview with Mollie Katzen, one of the best selling cookbook authors of all time, as well as more book reviews and lots more recipes!

You don't need to wait for autumn to celebrate the spirit of the harvest. Create your own holiday season any time of year with these golden muffins. For a touch of texture, and to give more of an intriguing bitter edge to the muffins, coarsely chop the orange rather than grating it. The easiest way to do this is to shave off the outermost peel with a vegetable peeler and then to chop the shavings into smaller pieces with a sharp knife.

Recipe Notes:
The range of sugar allows you to make these sweeter or not, according to your taste. Cooked sweet potato or winter squash can be substituted for the pumpkin. Canola oil can be substituted for some or all of the butter.

nonstick cooking spray 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt (rounded measure) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon allspice 3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon chopped orange zest 1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1 cup mashed pumpkin 1 large egg 1/2 cup milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

YIELD: 8 to 10 muffins PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes, plus 20 to 25 minutes to bake 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray 8 standard (2 1/2-inch-diameter) muffin cups with nonstick spray. 2. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, spices, granulated sugar and orange zest in a medium-sized bowl. Crumble in the brown sugar and mix with a fork or your fingers until thoroughly blended. 3. Measure the pumpkin into a second medium-sized bowl. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat with a fork or a whisk until smooth. 4. Slowly pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay. 5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. For smaller muffins, fill the cups about four-fifths full. For larger muffins, fill them up to the top. If you have extra batter, spray one or two additional muffin cups with non-stick spray and fill with the remaining batter. 6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.