Honey Pumpkin Muffins

I'm a little pumpkin obsessed right now.  It's just the perfect Fall food...it's a pretty orange color, it's extremely versatile, and while baking with all the wonderful spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger....well, it smells like the holidays.  And that makes me happy.  So, if I can bake up some happiness, well, I'm all for it.  (it's cheaper than Prozac and a therapist too.)

So last Saturday, before baking my Pumpkin Spice Cake, I made these Honey Pumpkin Muffins for breakfast.  You can just imagine how delicious my house smelled by the afternoon!

Honey Pumpkin Muffins 

adapted from Eats Well With Others

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used 3/4 c. white whole wheat, 3/4 c. all-purpose)
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 egg (I used a "flax egg" - 1 T. milled flax seed in 3 T. warm water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
turbinado sugar (for tops, optional)

• Heat oven to 350 F.  
• Spray a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray (I used a mini muffin tin and got about 40 muffins).
• In a large bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  
• In a second bowl, mix together sugar, oil, honey, milk, pumpkin, flax egg and vanilla.  
• Add wet mixture to the dry and stir just until combined.  (You could add walnuts/raisins/etc at this point if you wanted)
• Pour batter into prepared muffin tin(s) and bake until cooked through.  This took about 8-10 minutes (I think. Sorry, didn't write that down!) in the mini muffin tin.  I have found I can't go by times on recipes anyway, b/c my oven cooks hot.  Just before the muffins were done, I sprinkled turbinado sugar on the tops.  
• (Joanne at Eats Well With Others added a yummy cream cheese frosting, turning her muffins into a delicious, healthier, cupcake!)

Verdict?  YUM.  These were a yummy breakfast treat, full of good for you ingredients (whole wheat, wheat germ, olive oil, pumpkin!).  Yes, my kids ate a vegetable for breakfast and didn't even realize it!  Except for Mr. Three...he ate the sugar off the top, and ate the bottom, leaving the inside of the muffin.  Such a nutso kid.  Fondly said of course.

I'm linking this recipe up at Eat at Home for Ingredient Spotlight - PUMPKIN;  Think Tank Momma for Share a Spoon (theme - Fall favorites!), Lady Behind the Curtain, At Home With Haley, This Chick Cooks, It's a Keeper, Life as Mom (theme - bread), Feeding Four, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Eat at Home (ingredient spotlight - honey and pumpkin)