Pumpkin Muffins

I've always loved pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie ice cream. I love it all. It's the reason I love autumn so much. Luckily, Tink shares that love. These are Tink's favorite muffins. She asks to make them all the time and then eagerly licks the batter of the beater. (Yes, my less than 3 year old eats the occasional raw egg.) She even prefers them over banana muffins, which surprised me since she loves bananas. The first time I made these, I went straight from the Betty Crocker cookbook, but used gluten free flour. It was a recipe I used all the time, but it came out dry. The second time I made them, I used applesauce instead of all oil. That helped a bit. I then altered the sugar content, added ginger and changed the baking time. These remind me of pumpkin pie and, when not over cooked, are very moist and delicious. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Gluten free baked goods tend to dry out fast and mold easily.

Pumpkin Muffins – Makes 24 muffins

2 cups canned pumpkin puree (15oz can)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp gluten free vanilla
4 large eggs
3 cups gluten free flour mixture
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¾ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp baking powder

 Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease muffin tins or line with cupcake liners. Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. In another large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from muffin tins. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator or freeze muffins individually.