Easy and Gorgeous Pumpkin Muffins

I spent all of last week in Dublin to launch MakeBakeLove and was delighted to be able to wander around one of my favourite food haunts Fallon & Byrne. I picked up two tins of pumpkin puree, for once I'll be ready for Halloween! I decided to make Pumpkin Muffins. Pumpkin Pie is still on my list of must bakes; Donal Skehans' gorgeous version is here.

This recipe only uses 100g of the tinned pumpkin, I'll post a recipe next week on a gorgeous soup that you can make with the remaining pumpkin!

Pumpkin Muffins with a Maple Glaze

Cake recipe from The Primrose Bakery

110g unsalted butter, at room temperature

240g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs, free range or organic
1/2 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
100g pureed pumpkin
125g self-raising flour, sifted
120g plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
125ml buttermilk (or 120ml milk mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice)
Maple Glaze: Sieve 8tbsp icing sugar into a bowl, add 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1-2 tbsp hot water. Mix until smooth.
12 toasted pecan halves

• Preheat the oven to 160C and line a 12 hole muffin tray with the appropriate size cupcake cases.
• In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take about 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition. Add the pumpkin and beat until just combined.
• Combine the flours, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and beat again until just combined. Repeat these steps until all the flour and buttermilk have been added.
• Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 mins until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of he cakes – it should come out clean.
• Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before placing carefully on a wire rack to cool.
• Once cooled top with the maple glaze and half a toasted pecan nut.

For me these cakes were light, moist and beautifully spiced. I didn't want to use the sugary creamcheese frosting that The Primrose Bakery suggested so just added the maple glaze. Very Thanksgivingy and very moreish! These muffins perfectly represent the Holiday Spirit and are gorgeous uniced with coffee for breakfast too! 

And  (not to be nagging but...) Make Bake Love is shortlisted for Best Irish Published Book of the year in this years Book Awards and the public can vote until November 13th. I'd love if you voted for it here! Thanks a million!

Lilly x