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.