We at the Dana Green Team are not immune to the pumpkin craze. We too await the annual local coffee shops’ pumpkin spice lattes, and we always look forward to Orchard Nursery’s Harvest Festival. We start decorating our homes with white and orange varietals the minute they make their appearance at Trader Joe’s and Diablo Foods (even though it might still be 85 degrees outside), and we start hunting for the best pumpkin recipe we can find.
Pumpkins and pumpkin-flavored everything herald the beginning of fall, perhaps our favorite season. It’s fun to see how retailers continue to find new uses for this fruit (yep, pumpkin is a fruit.) Pumpkin spice squeezable applesauce; pumpkin spice Frosted Flakes; pumpkin spice lotion? We’ll stick to the pumpkin spice latte and our Saturday and Sunday October visits to Orchard Nursery where, from 11am to 3pm, they feature live music, farm animals, and a maker’s market. Oh, and yes, plenty of pumpkins. It’s the communal place to be during fall.
As for that pumpkin recipe? Here’s my favorite:
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 24 mini or 12 regular muffins
Ingredients
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup plain canned pumpkin
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips (we use milk and regular chocolate mixed. Others use white chocolate or butterscotch chips)
Steps
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease muffin cups, or use foil or paper baking cups (we use mini muffin tins and spray with non-stick spray).
3. In one large bowl, thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
4. Break eggs in a separate bowl. Add pumpkin and butter and whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula until dry ingredients are moistened. Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and springs to touch in the center. (If making mini muffins check at 20 minutes). Place on cooling rack. Enjoy!
Happy baking!