pumpkin surprise muffins

By the amount of pumpkin-related recipes in this online recipe box, you'd think I was obsessed. Truthfully, I'm not that big of a fan. It's about the seasons, and about my home culture. Making pumpkin things is my way to participate in the beautiful autumns of Northeast USA while living halfway around the world. I don't have corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and Ziegler's apple cider, but I can make pumpkin treats. It's like making peppermint things at Christmas and hanging paper snowflakes on my windows. I just love the four seasons, and I love the family memories tied to the seasons.

And it's about spreading love. Some people love pumpkin. And most people love a surprise treat, just because. And expats really like treats that remind them of home. So by sharing pumpkin love, I am allowing others to pretend the leaves outside are changing and they are bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins, and eating candy corn.

PUMPKIN SURPRISE MUFFINS
from Taste of Home

2 cups flour
½ cup plus 3 Tbsp sugar, divided
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup sour cream
6 Tbsp butter, melted
6 Tbsp apricot preserves, divided
3 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sliced almonds

COMBINE flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger. In another bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, butter and 3 tablespoons apricot preserves. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. In a third bowl, combine cream cheese and remaining apricot preserves.

FILL greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Place a spoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center of each cup. Top with remaining batter.

SPRINKLE with almonds and remaining sugar. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

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zucchini oat spice muffins

This recipe is altered slightly from one I found at Self.com. It makes a healthy morning snack and the ingredients are easy to come by in China. I like to freeze the muffins and eat them individually over a two or three week period.

ZUCCHINI OAT SPICE MUFFINS (makes 12)

2 cups zucchini, shredded
2 eggs
2 tsp ginger
Zest of one lemon
1 cup sugar
½ cup oil
2 cups oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder

COMBINE zucchini, eggs, ginger, lemon zest, sugar, and oil in a bowl; mix well.

SLOWLY stir in oats, raisins, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder, stirring until flour is just incorporated. Fill 12 greased muffin cups with batter.

Bake at 350°F until muffins spring back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.

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snickerdoodle muffins

A friend from college was known around the art building as Muffin Cait. In the spring of 2009, while at grad school, she made one recipe of muffins a day for an entire month. I’ve added a few of those recipes to my baking repetiore, one of which is snickerdoodle muffins. While her original recipe is vegan, and uses substitutes for the eggs, butter, milk, etc., I make the non-vegan version.

SNICKERDOODLE MUFFINS (makes 2 dozen)

2 ½ cups flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

topping:
¾ cup cane sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

COMBINE flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir until just mixed.

SPOON into lined muffin tin. Sprinkle sugar mixture liberally over each muffin and pat in gently.

BAKE at 375°F for 20 minutes.

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