5 Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate....

Maybe it's because Thing 1 started school yesterday or maybe it's because the oak tree by the back deck's leaves are changing, but I smell fall in the air. And that's when the pumpkin recipes start up. (Sorry, I don't do pumpkin roll so don't you even start asking. If you like it, that's fine. Just don't ask me to bring one or what my favorite recipe for one is. I hate me some pumpkin roll.)
That said, I love baking with pumpkin. It makes everything moist. It gives everything depth. And it allows me to add all kinds of cinnamon and nutmeg and what not to a recipe...and that makes me pretty happy.


This morning, in honor of the coming autumn (and despite the fact that is was 90 degrees outside at 8 am), I mixed up a batch of pumpkin blueberry muffins for the crew.


Crank up that oven to 350, Matilda, and get out the mixer.


This recipe makes 12 large muffins. If you'd like 12 regular sized muffins, halve the recipe. Spray the pans and add the muffin liners.

Combine, in your mixer bowl,
2/3 cup butter (that's about 11 tablespoons)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Cream together before adding
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, blend together
3 1/3 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp clove
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg (if you wish, you can use 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice)

In a third bowl, whisk together
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk (put the remainder of the can in a tupperware container in the fridge for later)

When the eggs are blended into the butter/sugar, add in the pumpkin/milk and mix. Then add most of the flour mixture (keep back about a 1/2 cup to toss 2 cups of blueberries in. Coating the blueberries in flour keeps them from sinking in the batter. Thank you, friction.).

When the flour is mixed in, fold in the berries with the remaining flour with a spatula until incorporated and then scoop into your muffin pans.

You can top these either with a bit of plain sanding sugar or with a bit of struesel topping.
(* struesel topping= butter, equal parts sugar, flour and/or oatmeal. If there's too much, toss the rest into the freezer for the next batch of muffins).

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5 little pumpkins, sitting by the gate. The first one said "Oh my! it's getting late." The second one said, "I smell leaves in the air...."