if Starbucks can do it...

I know that Thanksgiving is still six weeks away, meaning it's probably too early for the seasonal deluge of pumpkin-pie-spiced foods. But here in Minnesota it's COLD already, cold enough that I've been hunting for my box of winter clothes that got somehow misplaced in my move. Cold enough that I heard the "s-word" on a weather report yesterday. (snow? in October? we are not in Manhattan anymore...) And cold enough that I felt justified in needing to make these pumpkin muffins when I saw the recipe while flipping through my enormous cookbook collection. Plus, Starbucks is already hawking their pumpkin pie latte. If they can do it, so can I.

I made these muffins last Saturday night, to give me something to do other than watch bad TV and get nervous about our race the next day before I went to sleep early. (I just started coaching a juniors rowing team. They're the best, but I now have enormous compassion and sympathy for all the coaches I worked with growing up.) I've always found baking to be a productive form of stress reduction, and these muffins did their job.

These muffins have the dubious distinction of being "healthy," with whole wheat flour and a relatively limited amount of fat compared to many other muffin recipes. Unlike some lower-fat recipes, they were still nice and moist, and the molasses adds a distinctive fall flavor. The pungent combination of spices made the whole house smell good as the muffins baked, and the finished product was a big hit in the food tent at the regatta.

I adapted this recipe from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, which seems to do a great job making healthy food taste like it might not be so healthy. The recipe as written calls for 1 c. of pumpkin, which is just slightly over half of the standard size 15 oz. can. I hated to see the extra pumpkin going unused, so I not-quite doubled it to use all the pumpkin, and adjusted for the fact that I was missing some of the suggested flavoring.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

2 c. all purpose flour

1 3/4 c. whole-wheat flour or whole-grain pastry flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1 1/2 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

6 tbsp. molasses (I used full flavor, and the finished product was VERY molasses-y, so I would adjust according to your taste)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

15 oz. canned pumpkin

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. lowfat buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter or spray 24 standard size muffins, or twice as many mini-muffins.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium sized bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the brown sugar, molasses, and oil, whisking until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Stir in a third of the dry mixture, then half the buttermilk. Repeat, ending with the last third of the dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Pour into prepared muffin pans, and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the top springs back to the touch (mini muffins will bake more quickly). Let cool, unmold, and store in airtight container. I imagine these would freeze well, however none of ours lasted long enough to find out!

cookies (according to me)

My family does care packages better than any other family I know. My freshman year of college, I was the only kid on my hall who received a customized copy of "The National Enquirer" with her pet's face posted over the "World's Fattest Cat!!!" picture. Another only-in-my-family winner was the CD labeled "We Love You, Liz" that contained only 17 tracks of my least favorite song. With no set list, so I had to listen to every track to find out exactly what was on it. (The song, in case you were wondering, is "Teen Angel." So tragically stupid.)

But the best care packages always involved food. I have a very clear memory of getting a large container of my mom's chocolate oatmeal cookies sophomore year, and sharing them with hall-mates only to become mired in a deep philosophical debate - were these cookies actually cookies? Some stubborn friends insisted that to be a cookie required spending time in an oven, making these no-bake goodies unworthy of the cookie title. But there's chocolate, and sugar, and butter, which makes them a cookie in my book.

Now that I have a classical pastry education, I feel free to unilaterally declare that these morsels of fudgy goodness, are in fact cookies. But whatever you call them, they're delicious - a winning combination of chocolate and peanut butter combined with the chunky solidity of oatmeal. They're also quick and easy to prepare, and require only one pot and one spoon. It's true that beauty is not among their many attributes, but I think once you taste them you won't mind one bit.

This latest batch is destined for a care package to my sister Kathleen at graduate school, but of course I saved a few for us here!

Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies

3 c. sugar

3/4 c. cocoa

1 c. milk

1/2 c. butter

1 c. peanut butter

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

6 c. quick oatmeal

Bring the sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter to a rolling boil for one minute over medium to medium high heat. Remove from heat.

Add vanilla, peanut butter, and salt, stir still smooth.

Add oatmeal, stir to coat.

Drop with tablespoons onto waxed or parchment paper. Let cool.

Enjoy!

I'm baaack

Sorry it took so long! Hopefully these new posts and recipes will help make up for my absence, and I'll try to be more diligent in the future...