Not being much of a pie baker, many holidays back, I went in search of an alternative pumpkin dessert recipe. I found a pumpkin–chocolate chip loaf cake recipe on Epicurious, which reviewers rated highly and suggested making as muffins. Here’s my take on pumpkin–chocolate chip muffins.
Next up: Carter’s take on how cream cheese frosting and red sprinkles transform pumpkin–chocolate chip muffins into perfect Christmas cupcakes.
Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Put paper liners in muffin tins. Alternatively, coat the tins with cooking spray, or butter and flour them. Note: I used a standard ice cream scoop to portion the batter and had a yield of 16 muffins; I put water in the empty spots.
Sift first five ingredients into a mixing bowl. Cream butter in a separate mixing bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar, then add the eggs one at a time. Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, alternately with milk, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
Distribute batter evenly among muffin tins. Bake until the muffin tops brown and feel firm to the touch, and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Adaptation notes: The original recipe calls for just 1 cup of pumpkin, 1 1/4 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of walnuts, and 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. I pulled a Jessica Seinfeld
Adapted from Epicurious (Bon Appétit, November 2000)
