Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (rounded measure)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest, grated or chopped
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (packed measure)
• 1 cup mashed pumpkin (or squash or sweet potato)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk (plain soy milk will also work)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecans

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400ºf.
• 2 lightly spray 12 standard-sized muffin cups with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners.
• 3 combine the flour, salt, baking powder, spices, granulated sugar, and orange zest in a medium-sized bowl, and stir until well blended.
• 4 crumble in the brown sugar, and mix with a fork and/or your fingers until thoroughly combined.
• 5 measure the pumpkin (or squash or sweet potato) into a second medium-sized bowl.
• 6 add the egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat with a fork or a whisk until well blended.
• 7 slowly pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients.
• 8 stir with a spoon or a rubber spatula from the bottom of the bowl until you have a uniform batter.
• 9 don't overmix.
• 10 fold in chocolate chips and nutes.
• 11 spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• 12 (i find it easiest to use two soup spoons for this: one to scoop up the batter and the other to push it into the cup.) for smaller muffins, fill the cups about 4/5 of the way.
• 13 for larger muffins, fill them even with the top of the pan.
• 14 if you have leftover batter, spray one or two additional muffin cups with nonstick spray, and put in as much batter as you have.
• 15 bake in the center of the oven for to 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top, and a toothpick inserted all the way into the center comes out clean.
• 16 remove the pan from the oven, then remove each muffin from the pan, and place on a rack to cool.
• 17 wait at least 30 minutes before serving.