Friday, December 17, 2010

A Break from the Cookies

Today I didn't have to drive to Scottsdale for work, so I was back in the holiday mood and did a little more baking.  Barry's very favorite dessert is pumpkin pie, but it's so high in fat and calories that we've been trying to steer clear of it.  Instead, I made him pumpkin muffins today.  This recipe actually tastes rather like gingerbread, and Barry loves it.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Dry ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup roughly chopped pecans

Wet ingredients:
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup apple juice
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 12-cup muffin tins.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in one bowl and all the wet ingredients together in a second bowl.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  When blended, fill the muffin cups and bake about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks.

These actually taste better if you wait at least an hour before eating them so the spices have a chance to permeate the muffins.

I also set up the holiday village this afternoon, but by the time I finished the lighting was wrong for a good picture.  Maybe tomorrow...

“Now for the tea of our host, Now for the rollicking bun, Now for the muffin and toast, Now for the gay Sally Lunn!” ~William Shakespeare

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