Seasonal from Scratch: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins Recipe

Think of these as “crossover muffins”, between November (all about pumpkin) and December (all about cranberries). To make them, you certainly can open a can of pumpkin, but you know that cooking with pumpkins is just going to taste better so you might as well give it a shot. Plus, the process takes very little effort on your part. Here’s how to optimize your muffins:

• First, always cook with smaller pumpkins, as they yield more flavor. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits, and then place the halves cut-side down in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 375 for 90 minutes until the flesh is soft.
• Scoop out the pulp, puree in a food processor, and it’s ready to use. The puree can also be placed in the freezer at this time and used later on.

… or you could open a can.

What you’ll need:

1 cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter
1¼ cup pumpkin; thick puree
1 egg
¾ cup dried cranberries

What you’ll do:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt. Stir the ingredients to mix them well.
3. Add the butter, pumpkin, and eggs stirring the remaining ingredients until the batter is smooth.
4. Spoon the batter into 24 greased muffin cups, and place in the hot oven.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or till tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy!