Addictive Pumpkin Muffins

As the Fall weather settles in on campus, people are drawn to Autumn things. Whether this is a warm jacket,a pumpkin spice latte, or an additional blanket covering a bed, there is something drawing people in. One of the most common things people look forward to when the Fall weather comes calling is something pumpkiny. Pumpkin pie is a common staple anytime around Halloween or Thanksgiving but people can begin to hunger for it even as early as the end of September, depending on the Fall weather. But pumpkin pie is a little tricky to make and not great for the inevitably busy weeks everyone on campus is experiencing as mid-terms take hold. So instead of a pie, people can get their pumpkin fix from delicious pumpkin muffins. They are quite simple to make and taste delicious but they are also quick and easy to grab when heading to class. But be careful because these muffins are very addictive! They can disappear in seconds as they are wolfed down by hungry college students.

BEWARE: This recipe makes about 60 muffins so it might be better to halve all of the ingredients unless a ton of muffins is the desired result.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups raisins (optional)
4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
6 eggs
1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper muffin liners. If including raisins: soak raisins in hot water for ten minutes to plump, then drain.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, and applesauce until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to make a smooth batter. Stir the raisins and walnuts into the batter, if desired. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Fill muffin cups about two thirds of the way full otherwise they will overflow while baking.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave to cool in muffin trays for about 5 minutes. Then remove from trays and place on metal cooling rack.

4. Eat and enjoy!