Baptist Food

Author Kathy Farrell-Kingsley writes, “Homemade buttermilk makes these muffins tender and rich. Serve them warm from the oven or at room temperature as an inviting breakfast or for a treat with midmorning coffee or afternoon tea. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, which has spices and other ingredients mixed into the pumpkin. It will add off-flavors to the muffins. Be sure to use solid-pack pumpkin.”

3/3 cup (about 1/2 of 15-ounce can) solid-pack pumpkin

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

3 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (about 3 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and butter 12 standard-size muffin cups.

2. Whisk together the pumpkin, butter, buttermilk, eggs, molasses, and vanilla in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, and cloves. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add pumpkin mixture, stirring just until combined.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them two-thirds full. Sprinkle walnuts evenly over batter in each cup.

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center of each comes out clean. Cool muffins in cups 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12

Fold 1 cup cored, peeled, and chopped apples into the batter and proceed as directed.

Fold 1 cup chopped dates into the batter and proceed as directed.

Omit the walnuts. Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1 cup chopped pecans in a medium bowl and mix well. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tins. Gently press the topping over the batter.