Even though my friend Courtney is always so generous in allowing me to borrow her mini muffin pan, I decided it was about time I invested in my own -- the urge to make minis has happened frequently lately, and I want to be an impulsive baker sometimes!
I adapted my family's pumpkin bread recipe, significantly lowering the fat by replacing half the oil with applesauce and all of the eggs with flax and warm water blended together, but know that these taste pretty "healthy." Like, they kind of stick to their wrappers healthy. That's ok, though -- just an excuse to top them with cream cheese frosting and candy corn! ;)
Pumpkin-Flax Muffins
yield: 16 standard and 24 mini-muffins
Blend together (using a hand blender right in your mixing bowl, if possible)
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup ground flax seeds (I like using gold flax seeds -- less noticeable in the finished muffin)
Whisk into the flax mixture:
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
16 ounces (2 cups) pumpkin puree (home-cooked or canned, whichever you prefer)
Whisk together, then stir into wet ingredients:
3 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Bake minis for 12 to 13 minutes, standards for about 24 minutes, at 350.
(If you wanted a less "healthy" tasting muffin, use a full cup of oil and omit the applesauce. Using flax instead of eggs will still keep the calories down!)
I enjoyed the muffin I snacked on after dinner; I'll update tomorrow with the kid review!
I also baked up the last of the "Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread" tonight:
This really is the most gorgeous, homey, chewy-soft and satisfying loaf of Artisan Bread! We plowed through the first loaf in record time last week, and I was pleased the loaf stayed soft for several days -- my homemade bread usually gets hard and dried out-tasting after only a day or two. Magical oats and pumpkin to the rescue!
Off to fold laundry -- g'night!
5 comments:
So sweet that you bake treats for the kids! (And that they ask for them too)
Your pumpkin muffins sound perfect for the start of autumn!
You totally could have borrowed my pan, but I am glad you got yourself one...you deserved a treat this past weekend!
Thanks for posting the recipe--I may have to give it a try myself :-)
Courtney
Emily, it's funny, isn't it? Our school food is pretty low-grade, (CACFP food program -- ugh!) so they look forward to treats like home-baked goods and fresh fruit.
Aimee, thanks! It's been fall here for a while, unfortunately. :) Winter's coming too fast!
Courtney, I DID deserve a treat, didn't I??
Awe that's so cute! mini muffins for mini hands. :-D
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