Pumpkin Muffins

I posted this on my FB page the other day and so many people were interested in the recipe, I thought I'd share the love on the blog, too. 

I found this recipe in a book that a friend gave us for our wedding.  It is so moist -- I think it's the honey (or molasses, if you use that instead).  And what makes them even yummier is baking them in an awesome silicone pumpkin- and leaf-shaped muffin pan.

Yes that is leftover "Pam" on the top. I couldn't scrub it all off and then thought: "Why bother?  I'm just making more next week!"

Here goes:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses (I have used molasses before, but this time I used honey since I didn't have molasses on hand, and liked that better - it wasn't so rich)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg (I used ground and it was fine)
• 1/4 cup currants or raisins (but I used chocolate chips since I don't like raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Grease muffin pans or use paper liners.
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter/margarine until soft. Add the sugar and molasses (or honey) and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and pumpkin and stir until well blended.
4. Sift over the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold in until just blended; do not overmix.
5. Fold the chocolate chips into the pumpkin mixture until just evenly combined.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling them two-thirds full.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched lightly.

**My awesome pumpkin- and leaf-shaped muffin pan makes bigger muffins, so it takes longer for them to bake - about 20-25 minutes. So just watch your muffins while they're baking to make sure they're done (or not burning!).

Enjoy.

And you're welcome.