Pumpkin & Ginger Muffins (500 Cupcakes)

Oddly enough, the first recipe I chose to try from my 500 Cupcakes book was a muffin, which is not a cupcake. NOT a cupcake. This was the first non-cupcakey muffin I've had...maybe ever. That's partially why I wanted to make these. The other reason was because it's autumn (even though the snow is already here) and using pumpkin in some form is damn near obligatory.

That being said, I didn't particularly like these muffins. There was no discernible pumpkin flavor, there was no punchy ginger taste. Color me disappointed. Here's the recipe regardless:

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Pumpkin & Ginger Muffins:

2 2/3 c flour
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 lightly beaten egg
1/2 c pureed pumpkin, fresh or canned
3/4 c milk (they call for low-fat, which I didn't use)
1/3 c vegetable oil (they call for sunflower, which I didn't have)
3 tbsp candied ginger
4 tbsp pumpkin seeds (which I also didn't use, because frankly, ew)

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Beat together egg, pumpkin, milk and oil until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until nearly combined. Fold in candied ginger. Sprinkle seeds on top of batter after you've spooned in into liners. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

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