Pumpkin Muffins

I have this great memory of being at my Aunt Allyn’s house one October in either late high school or early college. Her husband’s family (my uncle) makes apple butter every fall in their yard with a big black kettle and a big wooden stirring spoon. I had come over to visit in the middle of that, and she had just finished baking a batch of these pumpkin muffins. She popped them into a cute wooden basket with a cute fall kitchen towel lining it, and asked me to carry the warm muffins out to the apple butter makers.

I remember thinking to myself…I want to be just like her when I grow up.

I’m still working on that part, but I did have some friends over and I did bake them some pumpkin muffins this weekend. I don’t have cute wooden baskets and cute fall kitchen towels, but I did manage to get them out of the muffin tin and onto a plate for serving. The consensus was that they were delicious. So if you’re looking for something other than pie to satisfy your pumpkin cravings, I heartily recommend:

Aunt Allyn’s Pumpkin Muffins
1 C. shortening
1 egg
1 C. sugar
1 C. fresh or canned pumpkin puree
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour boiling water over raisins in a small bowls; set aside. (Note, this is a fantastic tip for using raisins in your baked goods. They absorb some of the water and end up plump and juicy instead of hard and tough. Try it!) In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg, pumpkin, vanilla, spices, and salt. Combine flour, baking powder, and soda together. Beat into pumpkin mixture until smooth. Drain raisins. Stir in chopped nuts and raisins. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes. Makes 16 muffins.