Cookie Exchange 2014

While these aren't cookies, they make for amazing desserts or an eat at any time of the day snack.

I've played around with this recipe to my personal tastes, but I tend to like savory desserts so feel free to adjust to your own preferences. I wanted them because I can't have the ones at Starbucks, lol

I'm gluten free and soy free so the recipe is built around that but it'd be easy to change it to regular flour. Though I'd recommend trying it gluten free as I think the texture is better. It's less dense and fluffier, which I think is an improvement for a muffin.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour (the King Arthur's Blend, do not use the Bob's Red Mill. The texture doesn't work at all and it screws up the flavor)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp or so ground cloves (I freshly grind my own cloves which seems to be more potent than the ground clove powder found in the store. If using the store bought, use 1 tsp)

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp or so ground nutmeg (you'll know when it has enough by smell)

1/4 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup brown sugar (if you like sweet desserts add a couple extra Tbsp)

1 cup pumpkin puree (I HIGHLY recommend using a freshly baked sugar/pie pumpkin or butternut squash. Compared to the canned stuff you get in the store, the difference is amazing.)

2 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, spices, salt, and baking powder.

3. In a stand mixer, or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. It'll take up to 5 minutes. Add pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and eggs. Do NOT over mix once the eggs are in. (Otherwise it makes the batter tough and the muffins too chewy) 

4. Add in the flour mixture in batches until just mixed completely. Again, do NOT over mix.

5. Spoon in the pumpkin deliciousness (batter) into the muffin pans. Bake for 35 minutes.

Makes about one dozen muffins.

If you're feeling really decadent, you can add homemade cream cheese frosting on top. Or do what I did and hollow out the middle with a knife once the muffins cool and plop some frosting right in the middle. If you want the frosting, I recommend making the muffins on the savory spectrum so it's not overly sweet.

Simple cream cheese frosting recipe