Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

A long time ago, when Hans was in preschool, our class put together a cookbook of favorite recipes, just sharing among the 15 families represented in the class. This one came from Melissa Lozier, who coincidentally used to be on staff at CURE (pre-CityCURE, pre-City Gospel Mission). She left CURE to get married, and it was her leaving that precipitated Gary going on staff there.

This recipe has become one of those things that it just isn't Christmas without, and Grace has taken it over as her specialty. I've never tried them in a regular muffin pan, and have never had to use muffin papers in the cups, so I don't know the variables involved. I've also included a table, of sorts, for increases in all amounts for doubling and tripling the recipe.

Mini Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

makes 3.5 to 4 dozen mini muffins

o      1 2/3 cups flour (if using self-rising flour, you may omit the salt and baking powder, but do not omit the baking soda)

o      1 cup sugar

o      1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (OR 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves)

o      1 teaspoon baking soda

o      1/4 teaspoon baking powder

o      1/4 teaspoon salt

o      2 large eggs

o      1/4 cup melted margarine or butter (4 Tablespoons)

o      1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

o      1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Sift or stir dry ingredients together.

3. In a large bowl, blend eggs, melted butter or margarine, and pumpkin together until smooth.

4. Add dry ingredients and mix until everything’s blended. Don’t over-mix.

5. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Spray mini muffin pan with Pam, and fill each cup about 2/3 full. (We have found that the medium cookie scoop is perfect, which is about 1 Tablespoon.)

7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes each. Cool on wire racks or tea towels.

They freeze well, if you ever have any left over. This has never happened to me.

Some notes about canned pumpkin: a) There is no appreciable taste difference between homemade pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin. There is a BIG difference in the amount of work involved. It's completely up to you how long you want to slave over this part.  b) You can’t buy a 1-cup can of pumpkin. I think they come in 14 or 15 ounce cans, in the smallest size. If you double the recipe, you can use the whole can without having leftover pumpkin or throwing any away. The less-than-full amount still makes perfectly lovely muffins.

Doubled and Tripled:

3 1/3    or            5 cups flour

2          or            3 cups sugar

2 T       or            3 T pumpkin pie spice (or 3 OR 4 1/2 t cinnamon, 1 1/2 OR 2 1/4 t ginger, 1 OR 1 1/2 t cloves)

2          or            3 t baking soda

1/2       or            3/4 t baking powder

1/2       or            3/4 t salt

4          or            6 large eggs

1/2       or            3/4 cup melted margarine

2          or            3 cups pumpkin

2          or            3 cups chocolate chips