Pumpkin Muffins

It's September and even though it is Spring here in Australia, I am still in a fall eating mood (probably all those fall recipes on Pinterest).

I made these this morning, modified from this recipe at Post Punk Kitchen. She didn't use any eggs, which was weird for me, so I tossed a couple in, cut back the sugar, subbed coconut oil for the vegetable oil that she called for and regular milk for her soy milk. The molasses adds a yummy depth to the flavor. They were tasty.

Here's my version:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 cup milk
1 cup coconut oil or other oil
1/4 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease your muffin tin or use liners.
Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil, and molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Fill the muffin tins and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Oaty Cookie Dough Base

I checked out a fun book from the e-library last week called Milk and Cookies. The author is a pastry chef and owner of a New York bakery. The first chapter of the book has cookies based on this recipe. I've doubled it, because, let's face it, there's no good reason to make a small batch of cookies. This recipe is identical to one we loved as kids (titled "Jewel's Cookies" in our church cookbook published in 1997, haha), save for an extra cup of butter and a little more vanilla. The oat flour gives them tasty texture.

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Add in whatever extras suit your fancy. My first batch involved butterscotch chips and homemade toffee bits. Yum.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grind oats in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter until light and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, then the brown sugar, continuing until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat to incorporate, scraping down the sides regularly. Beat in the vanilla and when blended, slowly beat in the oat and flour mixture, just until combined. Stir in the add-ins.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned on the edges. Mine took about seven minutes in a convection oven.