Happy fall, y’all!

When I lived in upstate New York, a lifetime ago, fall was my favorite season. It was chilly and the green hills were ablaze with color–reds, oranges, yellows, deep purples. We’d rake leaves into a pile and take a running LEAP into them, scattering them everywhere. And the smell of crunchy leaves…ahhh! I miss those falls. Here in Arizona, not much changes except the nights and mornings getting gloriously cooler.

Here, summer reigns. And I love it. I’d probably freeze my bottom off if I were to experience a NY fall again. Even though these days, summer is my favorite season, (hell, Arizona is my favorite season!) I enjoy getting my fall on in little ways around this time of year.

I’ve been in the kitchen messing around with this recipe. It’s not the dense, moist pumpkin bread my dad makes (he’s my baking hero, I’ll share his recipe soon), it’s something different and wonderful in it’s own right. These muffins are fluffy and delicate and oh so pumpkin-y. They’re perfect for a morning on-the-go or as a mid afternoon treat with coffee.

I subbed pure maple syrup for sugar to make them a bit better for you. Make sure you read the labels on your syrups. Most are just maple-flavored corn syrup–bleh. I also like to use unbleached flour. You can use wheat flour if you’d like them a bit denser and nuttier. I think that would be wonderful.

Fluffy, Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

•6 T unsalted butter, softened
•1 c. canned pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
•1/2 c. pure maple syrup
•1/4 c. milk
•2 eggs
•1 t. vanilla extract

•1/2 t. baking powder
•1 t. baking soda
•1/2 t. salt
•1 T + 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
•1 1/2 c. all purpose, unbleached flour

1. Preheat oven to 350º and spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with muffin papers.
2. Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
3. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Whisk briefly to combine.
4. Fold the dry mixture into the wet until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
5. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 13-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool a little. Eat your first one (or two!) warm. 🙂
   

This recipe makes 12 muffins. Share them only if you want to!

So while we won’t be wearing any scarves or boots for another few months (maybe more!), we can enjoy a little bit of fall in the form of muffins.