Moist Pumpkin Muffins

I love when fall arrives and pumpkin is back!  Here is a pumpkin muffin recipe that I developed to add some nutritional value and make the whole process simpler.  Nothing irritates me more than having a ton of dishes to deal with when I’m done baking so I made this to just go into one bowl!  My tool of choice is my whisk…which I LOVE.  These muffins are moist and full of great nutrition.  It’s all about the choices we make in our ingredients, right?!  If you like you can get whole wheat or whole grain pastry flour and us just that and it will have equally great results.

• 1 Can Pumpkin (15 ounces)
• 4 Eggs
• ½ Cup Coconut Oil
• ½ Cup Almond Milk
• 2 Cups Pure Cane Sugar (unprocessed)
• 1 Cup 100% Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ginger
• ½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Nutmeg
• 3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Heat oven to 350 degrees

First: put pumpkin, eggs, oil, milk, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl and whisk it like crazy until well combined.

Second: sift the flours and baking soda right into the bowl and whisk until JUST combined…do not over mix.

Finally: fill standard muffin cups to top edge and bake until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 33 – 35 minutes.  NOTE: this makes about 18 muffins

This could not be easier.  If you don’t have or don’t want to get maple syrup then just use sugar (you could also use honey).  I think the maple syrup mellows out the sweetness a little and gives it a little different dimension.  I suggest you make these ASAP and freeze some.  I couldn’t possible go through all of these at once so I just freeze half and save them for later.

Easy Naan Flatbread

Naan is one of my favorite breads to make and eat!  I have seen it in the store but feel ridiculous buying it when it is so easy to make.  You can even freeze it and have it later if you want to make a lot!  In this recipe it is a bonus if you have a food processor with a dough blade (that’s what I used) or a mixer with a dough hook.  If not it will just take a little longer. 

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons Yeast
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ¾ Cup Buttermilk
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Garlic Clove, crushed

First: put flour, yeast, salt, buttermilk and oil in food processor or bowl of mixer; turn on and let it go for 3 – 5 minutes, until the dough looks nice and smooth.  NOTE: if you are doing this without the aid of a machine just mix everything together and knead for 7 – 10 minutes.

Second: place the dough ball in an oiled bowl (turning to coat), cover with plastic wrap, and set it in a warm place for 1 ½ hours. 

Third: take the risen dough out of the bowl and onto a cutting board; cut into 4 pieces, roll into a ball and let it sit for about 5 minutes or so.

Fourth: place the butter, oil and garlic in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.

 
Finally: heat pan, skillet, or grill (I like cast iron for this but use whatever you have); roll or stretch each dough ball to about ¼ inch thick and cook for about 2 minutes per side; IMMEDIATELY brush with garlic butter.  NOTE: just peek underneath and check for a nice dark brown color.

I don’t even think you can mess this recipe up.  It is so easy and the worst part is waiting for the dough to rise.  I used a yeast packet I had for months and it still came out awesome!  I had to force myself to not eat it all, THAT’S how good it is!

Bonus Tip:  If you don’t have buttermilk and/or don’t want to buy it there is an alternative solution.  I learned this many years ago and it works THE SAME!  Take a cup of milk and add a tablespoon of white vinegar, allow it to sit for a couple of minutes.  That’s it!  I just did it like this and dumped a couple of tablespoons until I had ¾ Cup.  Easy!