Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

This Pumpkin Muffin recipe makes for ideal informal dinner party food, especially if it is accompanied by this delicious Butternut Squash Soup Recipe.

The use of polenta gives the muffins a slightly grainy, crunchy texture, which is more interesting than your average muffin. In addition, roasted butternut squash is used in this particular Pumpkin Muffin recipe, giving the muffins an intense, slightly sweet taste - nothing bland here! If you are not able to get Parmesan cheese, use any other strong cheese.

Serve these muffins with soup, or as an alternative to a savory scone or biscuit at tea-time. They are also very popular in school lunch boxes!

Some brands of polenta are more grainy than others. I have made these muffins with a number of different kinds of polenta and all work well. However, I find that if the polenta is very fine, that I have to add a little more milk.

Ingredients:

You will need a greased 12 cup muffin tray.

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 350° F / 180° C.
2. Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl, except the pumpkin or butternut. Don't over mix, otherwise you will land up with heavy muffins. The consistency should be fairly thick - the mixture should fall off the spoon if you tap the spoon against the edge of the bowl. (You don't want a sloppy batter). Add more milk if needed.
3. Stir in the pumpkin / roasted butternut cubes gently. You want them to retain their shape.
4. Place tablespoonfuls of the mixture in the prepared muffin tray, filling the cups to about ¾ full.
5. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until they are risen and brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of one of them comes out just clean.
6. Cool on wire racks.
7. You can serve these muffins with butter, although they are delicious and moist enough without.