FoodPoint

1.09 Spiced Pumpkin & Walnut Muffins – Low-Fuss – Baking & Desserts

I went through a muffin phase at one point, and these quickly became my favourite. Slightly similar to carrot cake in flavour, and good for breakfast on the go (or just a quick snack).

There is nothing to stop you from using this mixture to bake a cake instead of muffins, but it may turn out a little dense.

Ingredients:

2 cups white self-raising flour

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

200g diced pumpkin

200g crème fraîche

200ml sunflower oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp mixed spice

1 tsp vanilla paste/extract/essence

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

I usually like to use raw or golden caster sugar when baking as I think it adds a mild hint of caramel, but plain caster sugar will suffice.

Use whatever pumpkin you like. I use butternut squash because it is a little sweeter, and can usually be bought already peeled, deseeded and diced, which is really handy! You can also just use a tinned mashed pumpkin, just make sure it’s as close to natural as possible.

If you can’t get crème fraîche, just substitute sour cream or buttermilk. If you can’t get sunflower oil (for some reason), substitute canola oil, corn oil, rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia oil, or just plain vegetable oil. Olive oil isn’t recommended for baking.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (or 390°F) and line a 12-piece muffin tin with muffin papers.

2. Place the pumpkin in a microwave-proof bowl with a splash of water, cover, and microwave for 3-4 minutes or until soft.

3. Mash the pumpkin and leave aside until cool.

4. In a jug, whisk together the pumpkin, crème fraîche, oil, eggs and vanilla until combined.

5. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, walnuts, mixed spice, baking powder and salt until evenly distributed.

6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together until combined.

7. Evenly distribute the mixture amongst the muffin tins. (This is approximately 1/3-1/2 cup of the mixture per muffin. If you somehow have a lot of excess mixture, fill a few extra muffins up in another tin.)

8. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through.

Serve warm or cold. Makes at least 12 muffins.

A video of this recipe is also available - https://youtu.be/uewlOG6G94E.