Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Yesterday I made Pumpkin Spice Muffins from the cook book Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking Kelli and Pete Bronski.  Of course, I had to cook the little pie pumpkin I have had sitting on my counter for weeks, first.  I say little, but it was too big to fit the whole pumpkin in one pan.  So, I put half in the microwave, and half in my veggie steamer pan.  It took about a half hour.  No fuss at all.  The pumpkin in the microwave took about 20 minutes, so it was done first.

While I was at it, I washed and roasted the seeds!  So yummy!  It was like eating pop corn.  I told myself they were zero calories, but I am sure that is not true.

If I have learned anything about baking from this cook book, it is that butter and vanilla extract can make ANYTHING taste good.  I have never bought this much butter in my life.  Practically every recipe in the cook book calls for butter.  I am going to need to find a substitute though, I found out what had been giving us all problems in the previous batches of muffins I had made....butter. 

I have been dealing with a lactose intolerance issue for almost a year now.  I had never thought butter gave me any problems.  I had eaten it on baked potatoes and the like, but those muffins have not been agreeing with me.  This time I used a margarine (which usually has milk in it, but this kind did not, it was made from olive oil and other oils).  No problems!  And it's a good thing too, because I was starting to be afraid that it was another allergy to an additional grain I had been using for baking.

Over all, the ratio of spices and the amount of pumpkin all came together to form the perfect muffin.  Either I am getting better at baking gluten free, or these are the best muffins ever made....either way, I will be making them again.  They are delicious!

*Difficulty: 5 out of 5 stars

     With my kitchen aid, this was a piece of cake.  Even cooking the pumpkin wasn't that hard.

*Time: 5 out of 5 stars 

     

*Price: 5 out of 5 stars

    $4.82 for 18 muffins which makes it almost 27 cents a muffin.  Better than the blueberry ones, as far as price goes.  I wonder if less butter was needed, since there was moist pumpkin in it.  I also have been wondering if I can substitute apple sauce for butter and oil in GF recipes.  I think I am going to ask the authors of this cook book in an email.

*OHA: 5 out of 5 stars

*Yum Factor: 5 out of 5 stars

*Calories: I didn't track this one, this time.  Sorry.

*Over All Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!  

Oh, and here is a picture of the pumpkin seeds.  YUMMY!