My favorite time of year is almost upon us here in Alabama. The time of year that includes the beauty of the fall colors coming alive in nature as the leaves reveal their beautiful, enriching colors that just scream the fall season. I just love everything about this season! I love to make my famous pumpkin muffins that my family devours every year. I have included the recipe for these great muffins (they are easily adaptable).
Here in Alabama, we love the first signs of fall because that means that college football season has arrived. Roll Tide!! But I love the brisk weather that it brings and the caramel apples with their yummy goodness! I also love roasting marshmallows over an open fire with my family as we enjoy this cooler weather.
We usually start making plans for the holidays that are also set to arrive. We usually have a harvest event celebrating fall’s arriva,l full of games, treats, and friends. And then we start looking at Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as the two birthdays we have the last two months of the year.
After a humid summer in the Alabama heat I find myself just begging for cooler temperatures. Any given fall day or evening, you will find our family sitting around the woodstove with some piping hot muffins and some delicious hot chocolate, enjoying each other’s company.
Pumpkin Muffins
@allrecipes.com – adapted from a recipe submitted by Wendy Stenman
This original recipe included by the author was for Cream Cheese Muffins, and while I have made them that way I have also baked several other variations from the basic part of the recipe. They are very easily adapted to different flavors, so please give them a try, my family loves them!
Basic Recipe:
• 2 1/4 C Self Rising Flour
• 3 t Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 2 C Sugar
• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 C Canned Pumpkin
• 1/2 Canola Oil
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl and then slowly incorporate them together. I usually have to mix with a spoon because the batter gets very thick. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes up to 24 muffins, maybe a few more.
Cream Cheese Variation:
This is an add-in between layers of the Basic Recipe in the muffin tin. Ex. 1 tablespoon of basic recipe, 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture and then top with more basic recipe mixture.
• 1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1 T Sugar
Combine and beat ingredients with a mixer until smooth and then add as instructed as above.
Chocolate Chip Variation:
To the Basic Recipe add in 3/4 C of chocolate chips
Plain Variation:
These can also be made just plain. You can bake up the Basic part of the recipe without adding anything else and it is just as good!
Happy Fall Y’all!