Pumpkin Puree

Halloween may have just passed, but the excitement I feel when I come across a pumpkin display at a grocery store still can't be matched by any other food or decoration.

Seriously. It's like mesmerizing and I usually just stop for a minute to look. My friends can attest to this weird fascination, as they've been bombarded with a stream of pumpkin-related propaganda picture mail for the last month.

Anyway, there has been a lot of talk about a shortage of pumpkin puree for about the last year. I've yet to experience the scarcity myself, but I thought I'd give this a try. I followed this blogger's instructions.

Then I made some pumpkin muffins. Because while pumpkin puree is time-consuming and somewhat hard, muffins are the easiest thing in the world to bake.

I also made this tasty pumpkin seed and pomegranate salad.

Rhubarb Muffins

So after a week of indecision, I was finally coaxed into going back to Red Wing this weekend. In addition to a fun party, the weekend also yielded some rhubarb from my Mom's garden. Unsure about what to do with rhubarb for one, I turned to the internet. Solution: rhubarb muffins.

But this solution had a problem. I only had about 4 muffin/cupcake liners left. Being the resourceful person that I am, I fashioned parchment paper into the cups, using the muffin dough to weigh them down. This worked perfectly, and looked pretty cute, if you ask me.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup yogurt, plain or flavored
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups rhubarb, chopped

A few weeks ago, I accidentally bought "banilla" flavored yogurt, instead of my usual unflavored, plain yogurt. This gross accident was resolved tonight, when I used this yogurt to cook these muffins.

Combine yogurt, butter and brown sugar. Mix well with electric mixer (about 3 minutes). Add remaining dry ingredients and mix with a spoons. Stir in the rhubarb. Add this mix to the muffin tins, and bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

This one definitely warranted a fist pump. A PBJ themed muffin/cupcake seemed like a really cute idea, and this recipe (all my own) worked well. The muffins are delicious, though I should have used less or no nutmeg. I'm also giving myself bonus points for adding fiber and antioxidants...

I'm not a big fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but there is something nice about the flavor combo in muffin form, at least to me. It's also going to be a healthy and filling breakfast, thanks to the whole wheat flour, berries and small amount of peanut butter.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup berry jam ( I used a very sweet Mixed Berry Jam, but you can pick your own damn berry)
1/4 cup brandy (optional)
1 cup frozen mixed berries (blue and black berries, strawberries and raspberries)
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk (I mixed skim milk and heavy cream, but whatever you've got is fine)
1/3 cup butter, softened
Peanut butter (for spreading when the muffins are done)

Defrost your frozen berries in the brandy. The brandy is by no means necessary for this recipe, but I like cooking with alcohol and I think it added something. Make sure they defrost all the way, because it helps if they are at room temperature when you mix them with the butter later.

Thoroughly mix all of your dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In a large bowl, mix all of your wet ingredient, including the berries and jam but not the peanut butter, obviously. Because of the berries and jam, you don't really need food coloring for that nice berry-colored muffin. I added a little blue and red just in case.

Wet Ingredients

Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Add this batter to a cupcake pan, into paper or metallic baking cups. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. To make sure they're done, use the trustworthy toothpick trick. Let them cool for about 15 minutes, and serve with peanut butter on top like frosing, or smeared on the side.