(from Muffins by Elizabeth Alston)
Makes 12 regular or 48 miniature muffins
½ cup (1 ¼ ounces) sliced unblanched almonds (or another nut of your choice)
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin puree (half of a 15-ounce can)
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350°F. Put almonds on a baking sheet or pie pan and bake about 5 minutes, just until lightly browned; watch carefully so almonds don’t burn. (You can also toast them in a toaster oven.) Slide almonds off the baking sheet so they cool quickly.
Grease muffin cups, or use foil or paper baking cups.
Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Break eggs into another bowl. Add pumpkin and butter, and whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and springy to the touch in the center. Turn out onto a rack to cool. Wrap in a plastic bag and keep for 1-2 days. Reheat before serving.
OMG, Siobhan, these are such an enormous hit this morning! I'm taking the ones we haven't devoured over to my mother's place tonight, and I have plans to make 200 or 300 more of them.
Also made the straight pumpkin bread, but haven't tried it yet.
Posted by: Jessica | November 22, 2008 at 06:35 AM
Hey, do you have a favorite pumpkin pie recipe? I'm in charge of all things pumpkin at Thanksgiving this year.
Posted by: Jessica | November 22, 2008 at 06:36 AM
Looks very delicious! I can't help cooking it on my own! By the way, hoped to find it in my favorite cookery book http://file.sh/huge+collection+of+recipies+torrent.html , but failed to find. It must be your original recipe, right?
Posted by: helga | April 28, 2009 at 05:00 AM
No. The recipe comes from a little cookbook called "Muffins," which I've attributed above.
Posted by: Siobhan Nash | April 28, 2009 at 11:44 AM
i made these today with vanilla almond granola instead of the almonds and they are super delish. & also really pretty because i have the most adorable muffin pans. thanks!
Posted by: Rebecca G | October 12, 2010 at 10:41 PM
Rebecca--that's an interesting twist I wouldn't have thought of. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Siobhan Nash | October 13, 2010 at 12:16 PM