If by chance you're a little short on pumpkin, add some applesauce to make up the difference.makes 12 muffins
Equipment
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
1/3 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup milk
½ cup dried cranberries (can sub raisins, dried cherries or chopped dried dates)
½ cup chopped pecans
1 ½ cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon EACH: cinnamon and ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon freshly and finely ground black pepper
¼ cup pepitas, salted or plain
Soft butter or cream cheese for serving, optional
Instructions
PREP: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and set rack at center. Grease muffin pans including a little around the top of each cup or use paper liners.
MIX WET INGREDIENTS: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, butter, sugar, and milk. Stir in cranberries and pecans.
MIX DRY INGREDIENTS/STIR ALL TOGETHER: On top of the wet ingredients, measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper. Lightly mix just the dry ingredients together. Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until barely blended well. (Lazy baker method. Use an extra bowl for dry ingredients if you like.)
FILL MUFFIN PANS/BAKE: Using a sprayed or greased scoop (or spoon), fill each muffin cup no more than 2/3 full and top with about 10 pepitas per muffin. Bake for about 15 minutes or until just firm and golden brown at edges. Toothpick inserted at center should come out clean or almost clean. Remove from oven, let cool in pan briefly on cooling rack, remove and serve warm with butter or cream cheese, if using.
Notes
Inspired by FANNY FARMER Pumpkin Bread. Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2020. All rights reserved.