Peter, Peter Pumpin Eater

I love Autumn. The chill in the air, the smell of wood smoke drifting from chimneys, and the brilliant leaves are all cozy comforts for me. Of course, I can't forget about the crisp, fresh apples and round, luscious pumpkins of the season. I love pumpkin. Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Spice Lattes (no whip, please) from Starbucks, Pumpkin Pudding, and Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup; pumpkin in any shape or form is vying for my attention during the fall months.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I blew the dust off of an old standby fall muffin recipe featuring both pumpkin and cornmeal. These muffins are dense, moist, and hearty. I like them paired with flavorful Chili Relleno Egg Bake and a fruit salad for a complete breakfast/brunch. However, they are certainly robust enough to stand on their own. Serve warm and slather with butter, or dare for more and drizzle on a little honey, too. I love Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins on my plate.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup milk
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Heat oven to 350F.
Lightly coat muffin tins with vegetable cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
Spoon the batter into the muffin pans.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. (12 muffins)