Pumpkin and Raisin Muffins

This is a recipe from the archives of a previous blog. I hope you enjoy it!

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From the open plastic bag comes the scent of ripe apples and pears, while in the small bowl beside me the stones from freshly eaten damsons clink together. Although I prefer the taste of peaches or oranges, autumn is a transitional season between my favourite fruits and brings no less pleasure to all of us – especially to those who enjoy using what they’ve picked from the garden as the basis for their culinary experiments.

The fruit-laden market stalls don’t excite me nearly as much as the large tents under which the rounded shapes of pumpkins lie scattered. Large or butternut – it makes no difference to me! What matters is that it tastes good steamed or roasted in the oven with a little brown sugar (unlike most people, I don’t like pumpkin with honey and walnuts – the more free it is from other flavours, the better).

Today I’m offering you a very quick recipe (if we leave out the part about peeling the pumpkin), which, in the words of the tasters, tastes of “autumn, even winter”. I made these pumpkin and raisin muffins following a recipe from a calendar, adding a few more types of dried fruit of my own and using the brown sugar I had to hand. The quantity you can expect from this recipe is eight standard small muffins, but I’ll tell you that they turn out wonderfully tasty, and I honestly regret not making a full batch. So that you don’t make the same mistake, simply double the quantities given in grams.

Ingredients

• 45 ml olive oil

• 87 g brown sugar

• 20 g soft brown icing sugar

• 1 small egg, lightly beaten with a fork

• 138 g grated pumpkin

• 80 g golden raisins

• 15 g small dried fruit (dark raisins)

• 138 g self-raising flour (or plain flour with 1/2 sachet of baking powder)

• 5 ml cinnamon

• 4 g freshly grated ginger

How to make the muffins

1. Wash, peel and grate the required amount of pumpkin.

2. Preheat the oven to 160°C and place the rack in the middle. Prepare a muffin tin by lining it with eight paper cases.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and both types of sugar – a balloon whisk works well.

4. Add the egg and beat thoroughly.

5. Add the grated pumpkin and raisins, switching to a silicone spatula for mixing.

6. Add the flour, baking powder and spices, mix well, spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for about 25 minutes.

7. The muffins should develop a nice golden colour, and your kitchen should fill with the aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon and homely comfort. To be on the safe side, test the palest one with a wooden skewer: if it comes out clean, they’re ready. Remove them from the oven, leave them in the tin for a short while, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

In true Laura Esquivel style, the aroma of the freshly baked muffins spread far and wide and invited unexpected but welcome guests into our home. The sky grew overcast, but that only made the moment even more pleasant, as we paired the delicious dessert with a jug of fragrant dried-apple tea. That’s why I think it only fair to warn you that making this recipe may lead someone straight to your door. Listen out for the doorbell – and take every opportunity to treat yourself to beautiful moments shared with others.

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NIB and Ember