My neighbor Katie is a wonderful cook! One time when Matt was out of town, she invited Harper and me over for dinner. Everything she cooked was awesome, including her sweet cornbread muffins.
I asked her how she made them, and she said she used a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, and then tweaked it with some honey and sugar. I tried doing what she said, but mine just didn’t taste like hers. Not having a recipe to follows yields poor results for me. 😦
Since I needed a recipe, I got on Pinterest and searched for corn muffins using Jiffy corn muffin mix. Instead of the sweet version Katie made, I found these savory jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins from Love+Butter.
They are really good! Matt loves them, and I love how easy they are to make. They kind of remind me of my summer bounty corn casserole in muffin form, and with a kick due to the jalapeños and chopped green chilies.
I like to make these with chili or sloppy joes. Sooo good!
Harper loves corn, but doesn’t really like these due to the jalapeños and green chilies. She can’t handle spicy. (She’s crazy, right!) Not a true Texan you ask? We’ll continue to work on her. Lol.
My dad is from Kentucky, and hated salsa and Mexican food when he first moved to Texas. Now Mexican food (Mexican food in Texas is actually called Tex-Mex), is one of his favorites!
Harper says, “I’ll just stick to plain ole corn on the cob or canned corn, thank you very much!”
Enjoy!
Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
4 1/2 oz can chopped green chiles
8 oz cream style corn
8.5 oz box Jiffy corn muffin mix
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, mix egg, chopped green chiles, and cream style corn. Add cheese and diced jalapeños and mix again.
In a large bowl, empty the box of Jiffy corn muffin mix into a large bowl. Form a well in the center. Add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Spray a 24-mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and spoon in the batter.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (If you are using a standard 12-cup muffin pan, increase your bake time to 20 minutes.) Let cool on a rack, then serve.
If anyone knows Harper, you’ll know she has a HUGE sweet tooth! Uhhh… I wonder where she got that from?? 🙂
When she was younger and wasn’t talking yet, she’d sign “more” in sign language. With that said, “more” was one of her first few words. I guess she figured saying “more” might add a little emphasis to the sign language. Smart cookie she is!
A few weeks ago, Harper and I were at Grammy’s house (my mom/Harper’s grandmother). Grammy saw these quote-on-quote “healthy” muffins on feedly and was dying to try them. Technically, they are considered healthy since they have Greek yogurt and bananas in them, but with 1 1/4 cups of sugar, and 1 1/4 cups of canola oil, you be the judge on that one. Lol.
Healthy or not, Harper adored these muffins! She ate an entire mini muffin in a matter of minutes, and couldn’t stop asking for more! These muffins are very sweet, and almost taste like a cross between cake and a muffin. Go figure she liked them!!
If you’re needing some chocolate in your life, feel free to add 1 cup mini chocolate chips. I may try that next time to change it up. You can also add chopped walnuts or pecans, but if you’re making these for a toddler, you may want to leave the nuts out.
Enjoy!
Harper’s Favorite Banana Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Source: Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria
Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (10 oz or 315 g) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (10 fluid oz or 310 milliliters) canola oil, plus more for the pan
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups (13.5 oz or 360g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Kosher salt
3 ripe, brown bananas, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1 lb.)
1/2 cup (2 oz or 60g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup (4 oz or 125g) plain Greek yogurt
1 cup (5 oz or 150g) chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 12-cup standard muffin pans or two 24-cup mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray or butter them with oil.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla on high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and beat again until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Increase the speed to medium, add the bananas, coconut, and yogurt, and beat for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low or switch to a spoon, and add the chocolate chips. Mix until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 to 3/4 full.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out without any crumbs or wet batter clinging to it, 20-25 minutes for standard muffins or 15-20 minutes for mini muffins.
Turn the muffins out onto a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. (Muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month).
We’re not even close to being done with winter, but I’m ready to start spring cleaning. Maybe it’s the fact that we all got some new Christmas outfits, or I just had to clean the attic up to fit the Christmas tree back in there, but I’m ready to do some cleaning out, throwing away, and giving away of some items.
A few weeks ago I decided to tackle the downstairs den and organize some shelves by our TV. In the shelves, I keep all our wedding pictures, birthday cards, sweet notes from Matt and other little keepsakes.
As I was going through our wedding stuff, I found several nice cards, and even a TWENTY DOLLAR gift card to Target!!! Who-hoo! Let’s hope after seven years the gift card is still good! 🙂
Walking down the aisle as husband and wife.Can’t believe this was almost seven years ago!Rose petals!!
In another wedding card, I found this recipe for Morning Glory muffins from my dad’s coworker named Sandra Winfield. The recipe sounded delicious, so the next day I decided to whip these up.
I’ve tried a bunch of quick breads and muffins over the years, and by far, this is my FAVORITE morning glory muffin recipe ever! Not only is it the best of all the morning glory muffins, it will now be my go-to recipe for whenever I want a muffin!! They are that good.
The apple butter is the secret ingredient. It makes the muffins light, flavorful, sweet and super moist. With two whole cups of carrots, an apple, whole wheat flour, walnuts, and wheat germ sprinkled on top, you’ve got a hearty and pretty healthy muffin at that.
Sandra – thanks for sending over the recipe. We all loved these and will be making them again!
So, next time you dread spring cleaning…. think of the positives. Like a treasure hunt, who knows what you may find. It may be cash, old photos, or even a new recipe to try! Enjoy.
Morning Glory Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 18 muffins
From: Sanda Winfield
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple – peeled, cored and and chopped
1 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. toasted wheat germ
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 18 muffin cups or coat with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, apple butter, oil and vanilla.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Stir in the carrots, apples and raisins. Stir in apple butter mixture and mix until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
In a small bowl, combine walnuts and wheat germ; sprinkle over the muffin tops.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.
Happy Birthday Sarah!! Today Sarah celebrates and turns 11-years old! In honor of my cousin Sarah, I thought I’d share with you her delicious pumpkin muffins.
When we were in Houston last week, my Aunt Jolene had made a batch of Sarah’s pumpkin muffins for Harper and I. Jolene actually doubles the recipe so she can use the whole can of pumpkin rather than throwing half the can away in the trash. Quick breads and muffins freeze well, so I’d suggest doing the same and freezing the leftovers if you can’t eat them all.
Sarah is Jolene’s 11-year old granddaughter and my cousin, and is sweet as can be. She loves playing with Harper and is the kind of person who would do anything for you. She is selfless and so giving, and at age 11, that is rare.
Sarah got this recipe from summer camp at Camp Ozark. They served these pumpkin muffins there and she loved them so much, that she sought out the recipe for them. The recipe happened to be in a cookbook they sold at the camp gift shop! Now Sarah makes these muffins all the time and we love them.
While Sarah doesn’t make these pumpkin muffins with a topping, you can add one if you wish. Jolene googled a cinnamon-sugar pecan streusel topping and added it to these muffins for a little extra sweetness. They are to die for!! If you want to go the healthy route, leave off the topping, but if you want them a little more decadent, feel free to add it!
Sarah smiling with Harper.Harper loves dogs, and enjoyed playing with both Sarah and Sophie, a King Charles spaniel.Harper loves walking. She even claps at herself while walking!
Enjoy!!
Sarah’s Pumpkin Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, soda powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until blended. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture.
Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
My mom’s “Bring Me Flowers” quilt won first place!!! She is super talented and her quilts are absolutely gorgeous. Maybe someday I’ll win a blue ribbon in a quilt show.
In the meantime, I’ll just practice-practice-practice. I am a novice and just started sewing when Harper was born. So far I’ve made collegiate pillowcases (Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Oklahoma State), a baby quilt, and a Texas A&M pillowcase dress and Dallas Cowboys pillowcase dress for Harper.
Harper’s baby quilt.Harper loves her quilt!Gig ‘Em Aggies! Harper in her Texas A&M pillowcase dress. Go Cowboys!
After returning from the quilt show, I tried one of these bran muffins that my mom made and wow are they delicious!
They aren’t your typical boring bran muffin recipe. Instead they’re made with shredded zucchini, pumpkin puree, flaxseed, whole wheat pastry flour, and coconut oil… all healthy ingredients for an actually ‘good-for-you’ bran muffin!
Credit goes to Jessica Merchant of “Seriously Delish: 150 Recipes for People Who Totally Love Food.” I’m not much on buying cookbooks since the Internet has so many of them listed, but Merchant’s cookbook is an exception. She has tasty, innovative recipes that are “lightened up”, but actually taste good.
I’ll be making these again soon since they were soooo good! Since it’s pumpkin season, grab a jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams-Sonoma to smear on these, and you’re good to go!
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Zucchini Bran Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Source: Seriously Delish: 150 Recipes for People Who Totally Love Food by Jessica Merchant
Ingredients
1 cup oat bran
1 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup freshly grated zucchini
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside.
Place the wheat bran on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes to toast the bran, shaking the pan once or twice during baking. Remove the pan from the oven and add the bran to a bowl. Pour the milk over the top of it and let it sit for 5 minutes.
In large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, In another bowl, stir together the zucchini, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, egg and vanilla extract. Add the wet wheat bran to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix. Fill each muffin liner almost full. Bake the muffins until the tops are set, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly.
Good morning!! If you’re looking for a healthy muffin with EVERYTHING in it, you’ve met your match.
My sister found this recipe via Cookie Monster Cooking for these hearty whole grain morning glory muffins and we all just fell in love with them. Brittany lives a lifestyle of eating wholesome ingredients and zero processed foods, and these passed her test!
Honestly I can say that these are the best tasting “healthy” muffin I’ve ever eaten. Loaded with shredded carrots, grated apple, coconut oil, pure maple syrup and honey for sweetness, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for flavor, unsweetened coconut, walnuts, and raisins; these muffins aren’t lacking in the ingredient list.
While they are a bit time intensive to shred the carrots, grate the apple, and measure out the long list of ingredients, they are well worth it. Feel free to double the recipe and freeze some for later; they still taste delicious.
Enjoy!
Whole Grain Morning Glory Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Source: Cookie Monster Cooking
Ingredients
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
2/3 cup milk or almond milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup grated apple
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, plus more for sprinkling on tops
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners. Set aside.
Whisk together the white whole wheat flour, oat bran, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg, coconut oil, milk, honey, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the carrot, apple, raisins, coconut, and walnuts.
Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle the tops with additional chopped walnut, if desired.
Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you’re looking for a wholesome muffin with EVERYTHING in it, you’re in luck! We saw these printed in the paper and couldn’t wait to try them.
Literally these muffins have tons of good stuff in them! You’ll get your veggies in with the carrots and parsnips, your fruit from the pineapple and apple, and lots of crunch with pepitas or walnuts or pecans, your choice!
You can save yourself time if you get a helper to grate the carrots and apple, but otherwise these are easy to make.
Enjoy!
Golden Morning Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 dozen
Adapted from “Flavor Flours” by Alice Medrich
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 grated apple
1 cup canned crushed pineapple
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, flour, cinnamon, cardamon, baking soda, and salt. Add coconut, raisins, apples, pineapple, carrots and pipettes, stirring to combine.
In another bowl, whisk eggs, oil and vanilla together. Scrape mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Divide batter among muffin pans lined with muffin liners. Each liner will be 2/3 full. Place in oven and bake until wooden toothpick or skewer comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then remove from pan.
Notes
You may substitute toasted walnuts or pecans for the pepitas. You can also add in 1 cup grated parsnip.
One of Matt’s favorite things in this world are blueberry muffins. He along with his college roommates Chance and Trevor would eat these on a regular basis. Being college kids, and guys for that matter, they would buy the $0.99 muffin mix variety. It was a certain brand too. I can’t remember if it was Duncan Hines or Pillsbury, etc. but Matt knows…. Chance and Trevor once made him return the box one time because he bought the wrong brand!!
Matt was craving blueberry muffins the other day, and since he didn’t specify I buy muffin mix, I thought I would make some from scratch.
There’s something to say for Google, because I did one search for “blueberry muffins” and found a recipe called “To Die For Blueberry Muffins“. While the recipe is the same, I changed the name because I thought Blueberry Crumb Muffins were more fitting due to the topping.
The muffins really are “to die for”, as they very sweet, easy to make, and have a delectable buttery crumb topping. They taste like gourmet muffins you would order at Starbucks or a coffee shop! Plus, more than likely you will have all the ingredients already in your pantry.
These are definitely a good recipe to have when you’re in a bind and need a quick muffin recipe. Even though deep down Matt likes his box muffin mix better (he must associate wonderful college life memories with those muffins lol), he still really enjoyed these and went back for seconds.
Enjoy!
Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
TO MAKE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS: Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries.
Fill muffin cups right to the top and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
TO MAKE CRUMB TOPPING: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
I actually haven’t been in the mood to blog and this may give you a hint why…… 🙂
Yep, we’re (I’m) due November 1st… the day A&M plays Louisiana-Monroe at Kyle Field!! Secretly I think it would be hilarious if she (yes, it’s a girl!) was born on October 18th…. the day A&M plays Alabama. Man I’d love to see Matt’s face on that one. We’d definitely have to have the game on TV in the hospital. Lol.
As I said, I haven’t really been in the mood to blog or even cook. You really do sleep a lot when you’re pregnant, and I got no less than 10 hours a day in my first trimester.
A few days ago, I was craving muffins. I wanted to make a healthy kind, and preferably with carrots and/or applesauce in them. Thanks to Google search, I discovered a tasty recipe from 100 Days of Real Food that had nothing but good, wholesome ingredients: whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat), carrots, applesauce, cinnamon, and honey instead of sugar. Did you get that??? NO SUGAR are in these muffins!!
These were super simple to whip up and more than likely, you may already have all the ingredients on hand. Taste-wise, I really liked these. At first, I was expecting my typical banana nut muffin recipe of a sugary, nutty (and unhealthy) muffin, so when I first bit into the carrot applesauce muffin, I was a little disappointed. Truly I think it’s because my brain thought I was about to eat the banana nut muffin.
However, the next day, for some reason the muffins tasted even better! I had one for breakfast and drizzled it with a little honey. The cinnamon flavor really shines in these muffins and pairs perfectly with the carrots and applesauce.
Matt is not shy to EVER express his opinion, and actually liked these! I half expected him to spit it out, but he said he truly enjoyed them. Shocker since these are so healthy!! 🙂
Anyways, these will definitely be on my “favorites” list and I will be making them again in the near future!
Whole Wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Adapted from 100 days of Real Food
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup carrot shreds
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper, foil, or silicone liners, and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a large bowl vigorously whisk together the butter, honey, egg and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be fairly thick at this point.
Using a spatula, carefully fold in the applesauce and carrots. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and muffins are beginning to turn golden brown on top.
Fall is my favorite season of the year for many reasons.
Number 1: Aggie Football (okay, this may be Matt’s number 1, but I’ve gotten a whole lot more interested in football since marrying him). Yesterday we even went to College Station for the A&M vs. Auburn game. Tough loss for us Ags, but great weather and lots of fun!
A&M football team walking into the stadium.Warming up.
Number 2: Cooler weather. Texas is known for our brutally hot summers, so when we start getting some cooler nights and mornings come October, we all get really excited.
Spoon batter into muffin cups almost to the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Since my mom knows how much I like pumpkin, she decided to make these pumpkin yumkins just for me (okay, I let Matt eat some) this weekend.
The recipe is from one of our favorite cookbooks: Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texas Hill Country’s Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe by Rebecca Rather. Everything in this cookbook is just like the author: down-home yet grand, and familiar yet one-of-a kind. From Texas Big Hair tarts to fried pies to cookies, I’m ready to try just about all of Rather’s recipes.
Just what is pumpkin “yumkin” you ask?
In Rather’s cookbook, she describes having found this recipe in her grandmother’s things but couldn’t ever remember making them. The unusual name caught her (and our) attention so she decided to make them. It turns out, the yumkins are a cross between a muffin and a cupcake, all dressed up with orange-flavored cream cheese frosting.
When Dad brought these over to us last night at 10:30 pm, I only intended on eating a bite but that didn’t happen…. This is probably my all-time favorite pumpkin recipe ever!!
The orange-flavor cream cheese frosting is genius and pairs perfectly with the yumkins. What may surprise you is that there are no spices in this recipe: no pumpkin spice, no allspice, no cinnamon and no cloves. However, the can of pumpkin, brown sugar, dates and cream cheese frosting create the perfect fall recipe to serve during the holidays. Enjoy!
Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes before frosting.Coat the tops of the cool yumkins with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!Up close.Half-eaten 🙂Another one up close. Don’t they look good?
Pumpkin Yumkins
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 dozen
Source: “The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texas Hill Country’s Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe” by Rebecca Rather
Ingredients
YUMKINS
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped dates
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups powdered sugar
Zest of 1 orange, preferably organic
Instructions
TO MAKE THE YUMPKINS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Cool the nuts, and then coarsely chop.
Grease 12 standard-size muffin cups with butter or cooking spray. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about 1 minute. Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in the dates and pecans. The batter will be thick.
Spoon the batter into muffin cups just to the top. Bake about 20 minutes, until the muffins are firm to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert them onto racks to cool for 30 minutes before frosting.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and orange juice on medium speed about 20 seconds. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Stir in the orange zest.
Coat the tops of the cooled yumkins with frosting. Do no wrap until the frosting has set, about 45 minutes. Well-wrapped yumkins will keep about 3 days at room temperature.
They are really good! Matt loves them, and I love how easy they are to make. They kind of remind me of my summer bounty corn casserole in muffin form, and with a kick due to the jalapeños and chopped green chilies.
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