Introduction: Pumpkin Muffins

About: Aspiring product/package designer trying to improve her band. She loves to play the drums but wishes she had better recording equipment... oh, and more cowbell.
Today I'm going to show you how to make delicious pumpkin muffins to share with your friends and family on Thanksgiving (or any other time).

Step 1: Ingredients

Ingredients

1 small sugar/pie pumpkin (2 cups purée are needed for this recipe)
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar (1 1/4 cups for the sweet intolerant people in your family)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter/oil/shortening
3 eggs
Vanilla Extract

{2 tsp of each ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg 
{1 tsp ground allspice
{OR 2 tbs "pumpkin pie spices"


Tools

Oven
Mixer/Spoon/Whisk
Muffin Trays
Blender 
Tinfoil
Baking Tray
2 large mixing bowls
Timer
Time

Step 2: Prep

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds and strings.
Place on baking sheet, cut side down.
Cover with foil and put a layer of foil on the tray
(BEWARE: The pumpkin will leak juices that will burn and make for a messy clean up job afterwards)
and bake for 90 minutes.

Step 3: Meanwhile

While your pumpkin is cooking you can...

Clean your house, brush your dog, wash the dishes, read a book, watch TV, go to Instructables.com, the possibilities are endless... 

Though, the best thing you could do right now (maybe not right away but at least in the last 45 minutes) would be to prepare your batter.

Step 4: Preparing the Batter

Mix together all dry ingredients and mix together all wet ingredients in separate bowls.
For the wet ingredients you can mix them all together first
(but if you are using butter instead of oil then don't add that yet)
and then add the pumpkin after.

Step 5: Ring Ring, Your Pumpkin Is Ready.

Get the pumpkin out of the oven,
scoop out the pulp
(try not to include any burnt pieces)
and purée in the blender.
Take out 2 cups and set aside.
(You can eat the rest of the pumpkin like mashed potatoes with your Thanksgiving dinner,
it is very good and is a nice change from the usual.)

Step 6: Combining

Pour the (almost room temp) butter that you melted
and (same temp) pumpkin purée into the wet ingredients and mix well.
Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well until smooth. 

Step 7: Almost Ready

Grease the muffin pans (this made me 10 muffins and 12 mini muffins)
with more butter (not too much)
and then add in the batter mixture.
If you want you can put a pumpkin seed (shell-less)
on top of each muffin to roast for extra pumpkiny goodness.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 8: Finished

Take your muffins out of the oven and check with a toothpick
(if batter sticks then they are not done) to see if they are done,
if not put them back in the oven.

If they are finished take them out of the trays and put them on a rack to cool off
(not on the windowsill).


Enjoy these delicious muffins with your Thanksgiving dinner!

Don't forget to vote (hopefully for me) in the CHOW.com Thanksgiving recipe contest!
CHOW Thanksgiving Recipes Contest

Participated in the
CHOW Thanksgiving Recipes Contest