Fall Favorites: Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

15 Comments

IMG_1085

With the arrival of fall, my thoughts turn to cool, crisp mornings, fields full of pumpkins, the smell of a crackling fire and the taste of hot apple cider.  This time of year often causes us to reflect on happy times.   It’s always interesting to me how our senses ignite memories.  Memories that take us back to a single, meaningful experience.  The senses of smell and taste, in particular, tend to evoke the strongest memories for me.  The smells of freshly cut hay and buckets of Dad’s ripened tomatoes, or the taste of Mom’s homemade Thanksgiving dressing.  These smells and tastes take me right back to my childhood. It’s such a visceral experience.  I think that’s one reason we enjoy the seasonal routines of planting gardens, visiting a pumpkin patch or preparing and eating a holiday feast.  The sights, smells and tastes associated with these activities bring back a familiar comfort.

So, here’s the thing.  With the many signs of fall, including pumpkins appearing at the local farmers’ market, I  remembered one of my family’s favorite recipes:  Spiced pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  They always remind me of the season and that everything is right with the world–at least for a little while.  I hope you try these muffins and like them enough to add to your fall favorites, as well–maybe even creating a happy memory in the process.  Enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins:

*Use organic ingredients when possible

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon curry

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

***************

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup pumpkin (half of a 1-pound can)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted

2/3 cup chocolate chips

2 1/2 tablespoons of crystallized ginger chips

Method:

In a large bowl thoroughly mix the flour, sugar, spices, soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine the eggs, pumpkin and butter; whisk until blended. Pour over the dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in the chocolate and crystallized ginger chips.  Spoon the batter into greased muffin cups.  Bake in a 350 degree oven 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a rack or plate.  Store in an airtight container and keep 1 or 2 days.  Best if served warm.

P1010308P1010320P1010327P1010335 P1010348P1010362 P1010368 P1010375

YUM!

Categories: Family, Photography, Recipes, Reflections on Farm Life

Tagged as: , , , , , , , , , ,

15 Comments »

  1. I LOVE this…the pictures are great and now I’m totally inspired to make those muffins!! Who cares about the calories??
    Seriously, though, you are so right about the smell of foods taking us back to memories. Every year the smell of pumpkin pie baking takes me back to our little kitchen where I grew up…I can see us all there and it’s a wonderful re-visiting of my family…thanks for reminding me of all of that…Lynn

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Reblogged this on fourth generation farmgirl and commented:

    From cooler mornings to colorful foliage, it’s starting to look and feel like fall on Green Hill Farm. So, with signs of fall all around, I thought I’d re-share one of my very first posts. It’s about the many wonderful things we associate with this beautiful time of year, and a recipe that’s a family favorite. I hope you enjoy it.

    Happy Monday!!

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.