{TWD} Pumpkin Muffins

The very best part of autumn is the coming of pumpkin season! Beginning in October, Einstein's Bagels sells their pumpkin bagels (along with pumpkin cream cheese and a pumpkin cupcake). And of course, the pumpkin pie is the star of Thanksgiving dinner (or at least it shares the stage with the dressing and gravy!)

About 15 years ago I found a pumpkin bread recipe in the New York Times (included at the end of this post.) It's become my standard, and is the second best pumpkin bread I've ever tasted. The best pumpkin bread is the "one that got away" - it was served at a big church gathering, and although I came close I never could quite track down the recipe. For me, really good pumpkin bread - or muffins - should be dark, moist, and dense, with lots of pumpkin and spice flavors.

For this week's TWD challenge, Kelly of Sounding My Barbaric Gulp chose a recipe for pumpkin muffins on p. 13 of Dorie Greenspan's book Baking From My Home to Yours . Dorie introduces the recipe (originally from Sarabeth Levine) with this claim: "The best pumpkin muffins in New York.... They're so good they ought to be the standard for all pumpkin muffins in the world." I couldn't wait to see if these would live up to Dorie's hype! (You can find the recipe in Kelly's post if you don't have the book)


cook's notes

In order to gauge these highly-praised muffins, I hewed to the recipe as closely as I could. There were lots of things I was sorely tempted to change, but made only these minor variations:

a) substituted 1/4 cup ground Elliot pecans for the chopped nuts
b) used equivalent amount of eggbeaters rather than eggs
c) replaced the golden raisins with currants plumped in boiling apple juice - I used the fruit for half the muffins and left the other half plain
d) stirred in half all purpose flour and half King Arthur white whole wheat flour
e) sprinkled roasted pepitas on the tops- what could be more perfect for pumpkin muffins than pumpkin seeds?

- I used silicone muffin pans. These need no paper liners and no additional butter to line the muffin cups.

- My muffins baked at 375 for 19 or 20 minutes

- Any extra pumpkin puree can be frozen for a future use.

the verdict

These muffins have a fluffy and light texture and a delicate flavor of pumpkin and spices. They were well cooked and moist. We liked them a lot. I made them on the first crisp day we've had this year, and they did a nice job of ushering in the autumn feeling.


I've wrapped up the muffins and they are in the freezer. On October 30 my book group is having a taste test of these muffins and pumpkin muffins made by one of the other members. I'll report back!

In the meantime, however, I must admit that I prefer my usual pumpkin bread/muffin recipe to Dorie's muffins. It is denser and more flavorful. It's also lower in fat, as it's oil not butter based. I usually reduce the oil, by substituting plain nonfat yogurt (or fat free sour cream, or applesauce) for part of it. Using the "lighter flavor" olive oil boosts the monounsaturated fat ("good" fat), making for a relatively guilt free - but just as delicious - bread.

The pumpkin-to-flour ratio in the two recipes is very similar, but there are significant differences in the other ingredients. Dorie's muffins have 50% more egg and a third more fat than those from "my" recipe. This is what makes hers fluffier and less intensely flavored and mine denser and more pumpkin-y. The spices in Dorie's lean more to cinnamon/ginger, and mine more to cinnamon/nutmeg/clove.

Hmm, I think I need to invite Dorie over for a few bites of my pumpkin bread.

This is the trusty recipe I've used for years:

Victoria's Pumpkin Bread
from ‘The Dairy Hollow House Cookbook’

2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
dash allspice
6 cups unbleached white flour (can use half whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat)
1 c mild vegetable oil
½ cup yogurt (I often use ¾ c oil and ¾ c yogurt)
4 eggs or equivalent egg substitute
3 c sugar (can use part brown sugar)
2 ½ c. unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 c. chopped black walnuts (I never use nuts)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, sift together the cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, ground cloves, ground ginger, allspice and flour. Set aside

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar and pumpkin. Mix until smooth.

4. Combine the two mixtures and beat until smooth. Fold in the walnuts.

5. Pour the batter into 3 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pans (no more than 2/3 up the pan)

6. Bake for around 1 hour, or until the loaves shrink away from the sides of the pan and have a hollow sound when tapped. Test for doneness after 45 minutes.