TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

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There are two kinds of people in this world: cupcake people and muffin people. I happen to be a cupcake girl. It's not that I don't like muffins, because I do. I just like cupcakes more. Some might say cupcakes.....muffins....., they're pretty much the same thing, except that you can get away with eating muffins for breakfast. Not true. Just ask my friend Cakespy, who wrote a very informative and (ahem) scientific treatise on the subject a while back. I won't go into the details of her findings, but suffice it to say, there are significant differences between the two.

With this in mind, let's move on to this week's Tuesdays with Dorie assignment: Pumpkin Muffins. When I first learned of this recipe choice, I was kind of excited. Fresh, hot muffins laced with pumpkin, raisins, nuts and cinnamon sounded like the perfect thing to have with my coffee on a crisp, cool Autumn morning. Oh.....Wait.....I live in Florida. We don't have crisp, cool Autumn mornings here. Oh, well. I was still up for it, so I gathered my ingredients and made muffins.

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Just to prove what a good sport I am, I even ended up making two batches of pumpkin muffins, so that I would have plenty to share. For the first batch, I stuck to the original recipe, using golden raisins and chopped pecans. For moist, plump and juicy raisins, I soaked them in some apple cider for a few hours.

For the second batch, I mixed it up a little and used dried apples and cranberries with chopped walnuts. Also, since some of my nearest and dearest cannot have cinnamon, I left it out and instead, added a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup to the batter.

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The recipe was fairly easy and I didn't run into any problems along the way. As I baked the muffins for the instructed length of time, my house smelled heavenly - just like pumpkin pie! When I removed them from the oven, they looked nice and golden on top too. Unfortunately, when I broke into one and tasted it, it was a little dry and spongy. Not bad, but a little "meh". Certainly, not what I was expecting! I'm not sure what I did wrong. I was very careful not to overwork the batter, but perhaps I did. In any case, while the muffins were tasty, they were just okay for me. Luckily, most of them will be going to work with me today. (Those people will eat anything!)

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My thanks go out to Kelly of Sounding My Barbaric Culp for choosing this week's recipe. If you'd like to try these pumpkin muffins for yourself, you can find the recipe in Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours, or here on Kelly's site. If you'd like to see what the rest of the TWD gang has done with this recipe, visit our blogroll.

Comments

Jen said…
I often find that cookbook recipes for muffins are a little on the "meh" side - mostly because I think they tend to imitate commercial muffins. I've asked for the Dorie cookbook for Christmas... I got it from the library and I love it.

I've enjoyed so many of her recipes, but when I saw the pumpkin muffin recipe it didn't look that exciting.
Núria said…
Girl... your muffins look divine!!! I'll bake these ones for sure one of these days :D :D

I've always wondered about the difference...here we call them madalenas, just like that!
Lo said…
Crisp autumn mornings or not, these look pretty fabulous.

Even a cupcake girl could learn to love these.
Jodie said…
Cupcakes all the way! I love your pics- your muffins look fabulous!
The muffins look really good. Too bad they were dry!
~Kimberly said…
The muffins look fabulous!
Peggy said…
Oh the maple sounds sooooo good to me. And even here in the South (I'm in Alabama), we have cool enough mornings for a muffin or two! Yours look fantastic, as always.
kimberly salem said…
i am definitely a cupcake girl ;) i had the same experience as you with these. yours look great, though, especially covered in that jam :)
Patsyk said…
I like a really delicious muffin, but I would never turn down a cupcake either!

I am always so impressed with your food photography... the lighting is perfect and you really stage/style the food so that it's visually appealing every time!
Anonymous said…
I feel I'm a cupcake and a muffin girl. I really am.

I also like your version of the recipe better! Especially with the maple syrup addition, yum.
Anonymous said…
MAPLE SYRUP!!! You are a genius.
Bria said…
Your muffins look really delicious!
Nicole said…
I am more partial to cupcakes myself. Partly due to the frosting. But if I were to go for a muffin, I'd take your pumpkin ones!
squawmama said…
MMMMMM... I like both muffins and cupcakes and would never turn down either one... They looked delicious even if they were meh... I will be baking some up really soon...

(((HUGS)))
Donna
Anonymous said…
Can I soak the raisins in rum instead of apple cider? ;-)
It looks really delicious. I take a dozen. :-)
Tami said…
Love the changes that you've made! They sure look good!
Anonymous said…
I like the idea of dried apples and cranberry. Could you taste the addition of maple syrup?

Your muffins look gorgeous.
Helene said…
Happy belated anniversary! The muffins are making me wish I had some for breakfast tomorrow! Well done!
Anonymous said…
Apple cider and maple syrup both sound terrific. Well done.
Katie Barlow said…
I have to say I am a cupcake and muffin person. But I do agree with you that moist is key! Your muffins look beautiful!
Laura said…
My favorite culinary quote of all time (it sounds like you will appreciate it): "Muffins are for people who don't have the 'nads to order cake for breakfast." --Seth, "Kitchen Confidential" (the show, not the book)

I do enjoy pumpkin bread, but in general I like pound cake over quick bread any day.
Susie Homemaker said…
ooooooh...what yummy pictures.
btw - i like muffins, but cupcakes are so much better.
Yummy! Yummy! I love the addition of maple syrup. Sounds very "fall" (I'm in Los Angeles so I completely understand your "fall" situation!) :)
Engineer Baker said…
I want one, with whatever you have slathered on there. They look delicious. I'm more in the muffin camp, but I have been known to eat frosting with a spoon, so maybe I'm on the fence?
Anonymous said…
Even though I am a cupcake girl myself, I would never ever turn down one of your muffins.
Sihan said…
that sounds kind of like my folks as well. They eat ANYTHING! u never ever see anything get thrown out w/o a fight. haha.
Cristine said…
Way to make two different versions! I would love to try these with craisins!
mimi said…
even if you didn't find them spectacular, they still came out looking great and i bet the people you gave them too still loved them!
LyB said…
Your variations sound great and those muffins look just perfect to me!
Dried apples? Maple syrup? Apple cider??!!! What GREAT ideas!! Not only do I love you because you're a fellow singer, but also because you're blog is FANTASTIC!! Keep the great ideas comin'! :-)

-Amy @ www.singforyoursupperblog.com
Lisa said…
I think it was the raisins! Soaking them is sure to be an improvement, still raisins will put me off any baked goods. They sure do look pretty though!
Karen said…
I like to soak my raisins in a little sherry or brandy. Yum!

Your photographs are beautiful!


Karen
Karen said…
I like to soak my raisins in a little sherry or brandy. Yum!

Your photographs are beautiful!


Karen
TeaLady said…
Can I put icing on my muffin and call it a cup muff. Either way works. Yours look great. Sorry they didn't turn out for you. Mine were meh, too. Maybe I'll try again with more spice and less baking.
Amber said…
You always take such beautiful photos. I love the ones with the leaves. I just bought Dories book for $9.99 at Ross so I plan to join this week.
Meg said…
Both versions sound delicious!
Heather B said…
Your muffins look fabulous! Great job!
Peter M said…
How do I describe the orange colour of these muffins? Sunburst comes to mind...fab job.
yummmm, ur muffins look great!!
goood job!
<3
Heather said…
mmmm the pumpkin muffins look delicious! yum :)
Marthe said…
Your muffins look delicious!! I love the variation you made!
Anonymous said…
Love the muffin variations, but I'm still hanging on the line about how you're in FL and don't have crisp, cool autumn mornings.

I live in Ontario, and we have officially had our first snow storm. IN OCTOBER.
Sandy Smith said…
Maple syrup, dried apples - great ideas! Sorry yours turned out "meh" - I loved the way mine turned out, but I did use a few adaptations, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it or if I just have "meh" taste in muffins!

Speaking of which, am I some kind of deviant if I love both cupcakes AND muffins? I fear I cannot choose . . . :)

Your stuff is gorgeous, as usual.
Those muffins look awesome! I recently made some as well (more cupcake-y in style, as great minds think alike ;-) ). My first batch had a drier-than-I'd-hoped-for texture as well. I just cut the cooking time short by about 10 minutes the next time and that made a world of difference for me, in case that's helpful *shrugs*
Audrey said…
I'm writing down the raisins soaked in apple cider thing right now before I forget it. My muffins were dry and spongy too, but your luscious photo hides it well. (Must say, I can't see why anyone is even READING about muffins, never mind commenting on it, when they could be ogling that fairy tale of a cake and living happily ever after...
Audrey said…
I'm writing down the raisins soaked in apple cider thing right now before I forget it. My muffins were dry and spongy too, but your luscious photo hides it well. (Must say, I can't see why anyone is even READING about muffins, never mind commenting on it, when they could be ogling that fairy tale of a cake and living happily ever after...
Audrey said…
I'm writing down the raisins soaked in apple cider thing right now before I forget it. My muffins were dry and spongy too, but your luscious photo hides it well. (Must say, I can't see why anyone is even READING about muffins, never mind commenting on it, when they could be ogling that fairy tale of a cake and living happily ever after...
Gretchen Noelle said…
Well, they look great. But I understand about them tasting...meh. Hope the coworkers enjoyed them!
Unknown said…
I know what you mean by "meh" when it comes to muffins. I don't like to make them because I have that trouble all the time. I did find a great pumpkin muffin recipe and talk about easy! It's one yellow cake mix and a 15oz can of pumpkin puree...just the mix and the pumpkin that's all. Then add the spices you want and any extras you like. I topped them with wheat germ and made 36 mini-muffins. Change up the cake mix and think of all the flavors you could have.
Anonymous said…
Lets start a Cupcake girl club, I totally agree with you. I'll take a cupcake over a muffin any day and they definitely are very different to me.
Your desserts are just amazing! I'm totally inspired and need to attend the pastry school that you went to!
AmyRuth said…
Your pumpkin muffins are making me hungry....but its late too. A snack, yumm. Great job there too. I've made them since this post and increased the pumpkin, and think I like them better.
AmyRuth
AmyRuth said…
Your pumpkin muffins are making me hungry....but its late too. A snack, yumm. Great job there too. I've made them since this post and increased the pumpkin, and think I like them better.
AmyRuth

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