LOW-FAT WHOLE-WHEAT PUMPKIN-RUM RAISIN MUFFINS WITH RUM-SPICE GLAZE

One of the first muffins that I made as a new blogger in 2007 was a Pumpkin Rum-Raisin Muffin with Rum-Spice Glaze.  The muffin was light with a dense crumb and luscious with rum-soaked raisins.  The glaze, made with the drained juices of the plumped raisins, was to die for. 


I resurrected that recipe, halved it to make 12 standard-size muffins, and made it with half white whole wheat flour, a partial sugar substitute, and pumpkin butter in place of applesauce.  For the 2 Tbsp. of oil, I used extra-virgin unrefined coconut oil, but any oil will work.  The result is an even healthier version of the original, but just as light and delicious.  I’ll be making this one again, for sure.

Low-Fat Whole-Wheat Pumpkin-Rum Raisin Muffins with Rum-Spice Glaze Rating:  9.0 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup raisins 1/3 cup rum (or juice, or water) 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour, whisked, then lightly spooned and swept 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, whisked, then lightly spooned and swept 7 Tbsp. granulated sugar + 2 Tbsp. Nu Naturals Stevia (or 1 cup sugar, if preferred) 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt or Morton kosher salt 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1/8 tsp. powdered cloves 3/4 cup pumpkin, freshly roasted or canned 1/2 cup pumpkin butter, commercial or homemade 1 large egg + 1 large egg white 2 Tbsp. oil (I used extra-virgin unrefined coconut oil) 1 Tbsp. molasses Bring rum to a boil in a 1-quart pot. Add raisins. Cover. Remove from heat and let raisins plump for at least a half hour or longer. Drain raisins over a measuring cup or bowl, reserving drained juice.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by greasing and flouring, or use flour-added non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.  Add the well-drained raisins and stir to combine. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin and pumpkin butter together till combined.  Whisk in eggs, oil, molasses and all but 2 Tbsp. of the reserved rum/raisin juice.  (The 2 Tbsp. of reserved juice will be used for the glaze.) Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquids all at once. Carefully mix with spoon or spatula till just barely combined.  Fill each muffin well with a scant 1/4 cup batter.  Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees F.  Bake  for 16-19 minutes.  Muffins are done when a wooden pick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool pans on counter 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to wire rack to finish cooling. While muffins are cooling, prepare glaze:   Heat reserved 2 Tbsp. rum-raisin juice and 1 Tbsp. butter on high in small microwaveable bowl in microwave till butter is almost melted, about 30 seconds. Stir till butter is dissolved.  Whisk in 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar.  Drizzle over muffins.  Yield:  12 standard-size muffins

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP STREUSEL MUFFINS

Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips are the perfect complement to a very moist, modestly spiced, sweet pumpkin muffin.  A brown sugar-cinnamon-pecan crumble topping brings the flavors over the top.  Now add a silky texture reminiscent of pumpkin pie, and you have the ultimate pumpkin muffin.  This very well may be my most favorite muffin of all, and you can just bet I’ll be making more.

Please try these, you won’t be disappointed!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins Inspired by The Peppered Pantry Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for Printable Page

INGREDIENTS:  Topping:  1-1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted 1/4 cup brown sugar 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon 2 Tbsp. toasted pecans, chopped 2 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat) In small bowl, combine all topping ingredients; set aside. Muffin:  1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose + 3/4 cup white whole wheat)  2-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. sea salt 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli bittersweet 60% cacao) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar (I used 2 Tbsp. NuNatural Stevia powder) 2 large eggs 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil 3/4 cup cooked mashed pumpkin, or canned pumpkin 2 Tbsp. orange juice 1 (3.9 oz.) cup unsweetened applesauce (about 1/2 cup) Heat oven to 400F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with paper cups that have been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  In large bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips; set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together sugars, eggs and oil till smooth.  Whisk in pumpkin, juice and applesauce until blended.  Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and stir with spatula or spoon just till barely combined.  Do not over mix, a few lumps are okay.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup for each.   Top with streusel.    Place muffin tin in oven on center rack.  Close door and immediately reduce heat to 325F.  Bake about 20 minutes, or till toothpick inserted in center of muffin returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn muffins out onto wire rack to finish cooling.  Yield:  12 standard-size muffins

COUNTRY PUMPKIN MUFFINS

 

On a cold winter’s day, a warm pumpkin muffin and a cup of tea really hit the spot.  This recipe, that I saw on Lynda's Recipe Box, is originally from Allrecipes, where it was rated 4-1/2 stars.  These are not a dessert muffin – they’re a breakfast or snack muffin; and I enjoyed them thoroughly because they’re not overly sweet.  I ate mine with a nice pat of Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread each time, something I don’t normally do with muffins; but for these muffins, it was perfect.

I halved the original recipe, added some spices, used orange juice and whole wheat flour, and changed the ratios of liquid ingredients slightly.  I also sprinkled the tops lightly with cinnamon-sugar.  You’ll get 1 dozen standard-size muffins with this recipe, and they’ll be moist, dense, full of spice and loaded with raisins and pumpkin.  These are so good that I’ll be making them again, and I hope you’ll give them a try.

Country Pumpkin Muffins Adapted from Allrecipes Rating:  9 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp. Nu Naturals Stevia) 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 2 large eggs 1 cup butternut squash puree or canned pumpkin, drained 1/3 cup orange juice 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp. sea salt 3/4 cup raisins 1/2 cup broken, toasted walnuts Topping:  1/2 tsp. cinnamon + 3 Tbsp. sugar Heat oven to 400F (375F  for dark or coated pans).  Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  In large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and juice.  In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, raisins and walnuts.  Add all at once to liquid mixture, stirring with spoon or spatula only till just barely combined.  Do not overmix.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup for each.   Sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Bake 14-17 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in center returns with just a few crumbs.  Do not over bake.  Yield:  12 muffins

PUMPKIN-WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Thanks to all my lovely bags of frozen butternut squash, purchased at low prices when it was in abundance last fall, I am enjoying muffins, soups and veggie mashes with some of the prep work already done.

These muffins are light, tender, moist and delicious with a mild spicy background for the roasted squash, white chocolate chips and toasted walnuts. If you make this recipe as is, you'll get 6 standard-size muffins and 12 mini muffins, which will freeze beautifully and keep you in muffins for a while. Of course, they're only going to be as good as the ingredients you use. Remember to get chocolate chips with no hydrogenated anything in the list of ingredients. I used Ghiradelli, which have absolutely no cocoa butter in them, but they're not too bad and have no hydrogenated oils. Anyway, they taste pretty good in these muffins. But on my next shopping trip, I am going to look for better chips. (I'm still crying that Wal-Mart discontinued Sam's Choice white chocolate chips made with pure cocoa butter.)

Pumpkin-White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Source: Judy's Kitchen

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick (not instant) oats

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar (OR 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1-1/2 tsp. stevia)

2 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

1/8 tsp. allspice or cloves

1/2 cup good-quality white chocolate chips

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, broken or chopped

1 cup pumpkin puree (canned, fresh roasted or frozen/thawed)

1 large egg + 1 large egg white

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

Topping: 2 Tbsp. sugar + 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 6-cup standard-size muffin tin and a 12-cup mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, spices, chips and nuts.

In medium bowl, whisk pumpkin and eggs together till smooth. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk and oil and whisk again till smooth and well combined. Pour wet ingredients over dry and stir with a spoon till barely mixed.

Fill muffin cups to tops. In a small cup or bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle muffin tops with topping. Bake about 11 minutes for minis, about 13 minutes for standards. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

PUMPKIN RAISIN NUT MUFFINS

This recipe, from allrecipes.com, was rated 4 out of 5 by 25 members. One of the criticisms was not enough flavor. So I more than doubled the spice, and added some salt and raisins. I subbed whole wheat flour for all-purpose, some stevia for part of the sugar, and Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend for the butter. I had some candied sweet potatoes left from Christmas (yes, I made these Christmas week) so I subbed those for part of the pumpkin.

These muffins are moist and full of spicy pumpkin flavor. Raisins and nuts amp up the texture and add some complex flavors to this muffin. However, my addition of pumpkin seeds on the top left me cold. I've seen several recipes on the internet that used pumpkin seeds as a topping, so I thought I'd try it. But my homemade dried pumpkin seeds didn't work for me. I should have roasted them first to get rid of the chewiness. Pumpkin seeds aside, this is a great recipe, one that I would gladly make again. You can find the recipe on allrecipes.com, where you can make the recipe any size you want by changing the # of servings in the box and clicking "calculate." Be aware, though, that calculations on this recipe are off substantially. The recipe, as written below, is supposed to yield 12 muffins, but only yielded 6 standard size and 6 minis.

Pumpkin Raisin Nut Muffins
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. allspice
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend or butter
1/2 cup white sugar (I used 1/4 cup sugar + 1-1/2 tsp. stevia)
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp molasses
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (I used 1/2 cup fresh-roasted pumpkin + 1/4 cup leftover glazed sweet potatoes)
1/4 cup toasted broken pecans or walnuts
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

In small cup, microwave the OJ till very hot; add raisins and let steep while preparing muffin batter.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray with non-stick cooking spray a 6-cup muffin tin and 6 cups of a mini muffin tin; set aside.

In small bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices till thoroughly mixed. In large bowl, microwave SB till almost melted. Whisk in sugar, buttermilk, molasses, egg, vanilla and pumpkin, beating till well combined and smooth. Stir in dry ingredients with spoon or spatula, just till barely combined. Do not overmix.

Drain raisins, discarding OJ; toss walnuts & raisins in 1 Tbsp. AP flour. Fold into batter lightly. Fill standard muffin cups with about 1/4 cup batter; divided remaining batter evenly among 6 mini muffin cups. If desired, top muffins with roasted pumpkin seeds or more broken nuts, untoasted of course.

Bake muffins 9 minutes at 400F; reduce heat to 325F. Bake minis for 3 more minutes, standards for 5 more minutes, or till toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs. Cool in pans about 3 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling. Serve warm or room temperature. Yield: 6 standard, 6 mini muffins.

JUMBO PUMPKIN PECAN MUFFINS, ADAPTED

Janice Christofferson, Eagle River, Wisconsin, submitted her original recipe for Jumbo Pumpkin Pecan Muffins to Taste of Home Magazine and had it printed in their October/November 2008 issue. I thought the crunchy topping was a neat idea and decided to try these. I did make some changes. I incorporated some whole wheat flour in the mix, used bread flour for the remainder, subbed some Stevia for part of the sugar, added raisins and modified the baking temperatures slightly. Oh, yes, and I made standard-size muffins. The muffins are very tender and moist, and the topping is nice, but I'd like a bit more spice. They're not terribly sweet, which is ok by me. I like them a lot, it's just that I like my pumpkin muffins a little spicier. If I make them again, I'll double the spice and cut the buttermilk in half. Check out my recipe for Pumpkin Spice Rum Raisin Muffins also.


Jumbo Pumpkin Pecan Muffins, Adapted Half Recipe
Rating: 8 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
Topping:
1 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

Stir topping ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

Muffins:
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/4 cups flour (I used 3/4 cup whole wheat + 1/2 cup bread flour, lightly spooned)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I would increase this to 2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt (I use sea salt, always, because it has minerals)
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 large egg
1/2 cup pumpkin, fresh or canned
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used low-fat, and I would decrease to 1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the raisins to the boiling water and let steep for at least 15 minutes, or till raisins are plumped. Drain raisins, discarding liquid. Pat dry on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt till well combined. Stir in the walnuts and the drained raisins, coating them well with the flour mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, pumpkin, buttermilk, oil and vanilla till smooth and well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once and stir with a spatula, gently and quickly, mixing only till just barely combined. A few lumps are ok. Don't overmix or you'll get tough muffins.

Scoop about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin well and sprinkle topping evenly over the muffins, ppressing in just a bit so that it sticks.

Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 375F. Bake about 17 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in center returns almost clean. Cool in pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Yield: 6 standard sized muffins.

PECAN PUMPKIN BUTTER-CHEESECAKE MUFFINS

Here's a great recipe using my spiced pecan and pumpkin butter.  These muffins are light, full of flavor and luscious.  A real fall treat.  If you decide to make these with plain pumpkin puree, you'll have to make major adjustments with seasonings and sweeteners.

Pecan Pumpkin Butter-Cheesecake Muffins
Rating:  9.5 out of 10


Filling:
8 oz. Neufchatel cheese (or regular cream cheese)
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cornstarch

Muffins:
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur, and it's so light I really think the entire 1-1/2 cups of flour could be whole-wheat)
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup oil (or melted butter if you prefer)
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups Pecan Pumpkin Butter
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour muffin tins, or spray with flour-added non-stick cooking spray. For coated pans, spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In medium bowl, with electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat till combined. Stir in cornstarch.  Refrigerate while you prepare the muffin batter.

Measure flour by first aerating it with a whisk, then lightly spooning into measuring cup and leveling off with a spatual or knife.  Do not just dip the measuring cup into the flour, as this is one of the major causes of heavy muffins -- too much compacted flour.

In large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon till well combined. Set aside. In medium mixing bowl, whisk oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin butter and flavorings till well combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquids all at once, stirring just till barely combined. Do not over mix, as this is the other major reason for heavy muffins -- too much mixing. Batter will be thick.

Spoon a few tablespoons of batter into prepared muffin cups. Spoon some cream cheese batter on top (about 1 heaping tablespoonful), then top with more muffin batter. The photo below shows the progression, from right to left.  I guess I was thinking Chinese.  You can also swirl the cream cheese batter if you prefer.

 Place muffins in oven and bake for about 18-22 minutes for dark or coated pans, longer for shiny pans. Check for doneness with toothpick. When it returns with just a few crumbs, take the muffins out and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the muffins should release easily and should be placed on a rack to finish cooling. Yield: 12 standard muffins.

LOW-FAT PUMPKIN SPICE RUM-RAISIN MUFFINS WITH RUM-SPICE GLAZE

These are incredibly light muffins with really good flavor.  Rum and raisins add something special to this muffin -- and the glaze is a perfect complement. Although I used freshly roasted butternut squash, you could easily use canned pumpkin and they will be just as good. Here's an added bonus: this recipe only uses 3 Tbsp. oil, so it's fairly low-fat. There's another 1 Tbsp. fat in the glaze, but comparatively speaking that's pretty good.  Gourmet Magazine's recipe uses 2/3 cup oil.

Pumpkin Spice Rum-Raisin Muffins with Rum-Spice Glaze
Inspired by Gourmet Magazine
Rating:  9.0 out of 10
Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

MUFFINS:
1 cup raisins

1/2 cup rum
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, whisked, then lightly spooned and leveled
2 cups white sugar, minus 2 Tbsp.
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. powdered cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups freshly roasted butternut squash (or canned pumpkin)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 large eggs

3 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. molasses

1/4 cup flour for raisins

GLAZE: 1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. reserved rum

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup confectioner's (10X) sugar

DIRECTIONS: Bring 1/2 cup rum to a boil in a 1-quart pot. Add raisins. Cover. Remove from heat and let raisins plump for at least a half hour or longer. Drain raisins over a measuring cup or bowl, reserving drained juice.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare two 12-cup muffin tins by greasing and flouring, or use flour-added non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin and applesauce together till combined.  Whisk in eggs, oil, molasses and 3 Tbsp. of the reserved rum/raisin juice.  (Reserve remaining 1 Tbsp.juice for the glaze.)

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquids all at once. Carefully mix with spoon or spatula till barely combined.  Toss the drained raisins in the 1/4 cup flour. (I put everything in a plastic bag and shook it till all raisins were coated.) Add the coated raisins and remaining flour and give it a quick stir. Fill each muffin well with about 1/4 cup batter.  Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees F.  Bake  for 16-19 minutes.  Muffins are done when a wooden pick inserted near center returns almost clean. Place pans on counter to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to wire rack to finish cooling.

While muffins are cooling, prepare glaze: Heat rum and butter on high in small bowl in microwave till butter is almost melted, about 35-40 seconds. Stir till butter is dissolved. Add pumpkin pie spice and 10X sugar and whisk together. Drizzle over muffins.  Yield:  24 standard-size muffins