Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I’ve been on a mission. A mission to make a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin like the ones from the bakery up the street. I’ve been on this quest for years. And up until now I’ve only been met with disappointment. But now… I think I might have actually done it. They’re not exactly the same. But the color is right, the consistency is right, the rise isn’t too high, and you know what? They might just be BETTER than the bakery muffins! (That’s what Tristan said anyway as he asked if he could have another.)

One thing I’ve learned the hard way in my quest: DO. NOT. UNDER. ANY. CIRCUMSTANCES. OVER-STIR. THE. BATTER. Fight the urge. Fight it hard. If you can still see little dots of flour, take a deep breath, and say, “It’s going to be OK”, then put down the spatula down and back away.

The base for this recipe called for cake flour, which I just so happened to have. However, cake flour is not a staple in my kitchen, so next time I’ll be using unbleached, all-purpose flour. This might change the consistency a little, but as long as I (and you!) control the urge to stir, I think we’ll be OK.

Enough with the chatter, let’s get to baking!

Preheat oven to 350°

Makes 10 jumbo muffins or 12-18 regular muffins.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 TBS molasses
2 eggs
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (Be sure it’s pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling– there’s a difference!)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups cake flour (or substitute with 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp clove (if you decide you want more clove– go easy! It’s a heavy spice!)
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate* chips + more for topping
muffin cups and/or Baker’s Joy (Truly a baker’s best friend!)**

PUTTIN’ IT TOGETHER

In a large mixing bowl (no mixer required for this recipe, yah!), combine: sugar, molasses, eggs, pumpkin, and oil; stir to combine. Add dry ingredients all at once and stir until batter is almost incorporated (you should still see quite a bit of dry flour), then add the chocolate chips and give it a few more stirs. Not to beat a dead horse, but DON’T OVER-STIR! A few spots of dry flour here and there are OK! Really!

Portion batter into lined or sprayed muffin tins about 3/4 full. (I ran out of papers, hence the need for Baker’s Joy. You can also spray the inside of the cups to prevent sticking.) Then add a few more chocolate chips to the top of each muffin.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, then check doneness by inserting a tooth pick in the center. Regular sized muffins will cook quicker, so start that timer at around 15 minutes.

When done, remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on wire rack.

Notes:
*I’m an 80% cocoa chocolate fiend, so it was a big step for me to use milk chocolate chips in this recipe. If you just can’t bring yourself to do the same, you can use semisweet or bittersweet instead.
**The non-papered muffins developed a nice, crispy rim that Tristan really liked. I was afraid that they might be tough or chewy, but not so!