Pumpkin Muffins & The Waterford Fair

Last weekend I went to the Waterford Fair in Waterford, Virginia. This quintessential colonial town turns into an artisanal crafts market for three days every year. Tents and barns filled with pottery, gourd art, jewelry, rugs, paintings, kettle corn, caramel, cookie cutters, flowers, wines, and ornaments are scattered about this picturesque setting. It recalls the beauty of a simpler time.

          

          

Just like the Waterford Fair, pumpkin muffins are perfect for a fall day. Browned butter, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon make these muffins taste like a slice of pumpkin pie that's socially acceptable to eat for breakfast. After a few minutes in the oven your house will smell like autumn. A wonderful way to enjoy this treat is with a healthy slathering of apple butter, but if you don't have any, no worries... these flavorful and moist muffins will satisfy the warmth needed from that first fall chill. Enjoy.

          

Pumpkin Muffins

adapted from Martha Stewart

yields 16 muffins 

Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind and let cool.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
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Strawberry Banana Muffins

Today, in sunny Tucson, it hailed and snowed in mid-March. The apocalypse is near, my friends...

So instead of biking into work early, I decided to ride out the storm by making simple yet satisfying muffins. These muffins combine great breakfast flavors and are fairly healthy as far as muffins go, with neither butter nor sugar (agave and maple syrup instead).

Right as the muffins came out of the oven, the sky parted, I kid you not. The sun came back out, birds sang, and the ground dried up in less than an hour. Muffins FTW! I hope these little rays of sunshine make their way into your morning soon.

Strawberry Banana Muffins
adapted from Honey, What's Cooking?

yields 24 muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup overripe mashed bananas (3 bananas)
1 cup milk (buttermilk would make a nice muffin, I imagine...)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups chopped strawberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin trays with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon).  Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients (bananas, buttermilk, canola oil, agave, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and eggs). Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold the mixture.  Do not over-mix. Fold in the strawberries.

Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners (I used an ice cream scoop) until 3/4 full.  Place the muffins in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden on top. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.
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