Amazing Pumpkin Muffins

We have decided to sell our house and one trick for showing your house is to have fresh baking. So in the mad rush to make the house perfect I also threw on some muffins. I decided to make these because they sounded delicious and I wouldn't have to change much. These muffins are fabulous! Full of flavour, moist and light. I left some for the potential buyers and also brought some to my good friend Laurie who kindly invited me and the girls over during the showing. Her and her husband loved them! Her husband ate 2!

Ingredients

 1 1/2 cups raisins

 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

 4 cups white sugar

 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

 5 eggs

 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin

 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

 1 cup chopped pecans

 Directions

 Put raisins in warm water for about 10 minutes. Then mix applesauce, eggs, pumpkin and sugar. Add in the     dry ingredients and lastly fold in the pecans and raisins. Put in to greased muffins tins about 2/3 full and bake at    350 F for about 30 minutes. Makes 36 muffins

Decadent Pumpkin Muffins

This are so full of calories I almost decided not to make them but I am so glad that I did.  Even I just eat one a week they are the most delicious things ever!  I had both girls sleeping so I decide to make these muffins because they was a lot involved and I didn't want to have Ally helping.  There is a fair bit to do but it isn't hard.  I have been wanting to make muffins with a gooey center for awhile but have been scared by the work and messing them up.  The nice thing about these muffins are that the cheese kind of bakes too so if you don't get it right in the center it doesn't over flow and burn.  I was a bit worried about over-flowing so I only put in a bit of the cheese mixture but I wish I hadn't because the cheese mixture is amazing and makes the muffins.

Ingredients

Cheese Mixture

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese ( I used light)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Topping

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons white sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Muffin Mix

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin

1/3 cup applesauce

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.

2.    To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.

3.    For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

4.    For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.

5.    Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Then add more of muffin mix on top. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.

Butterscotch Nut Muffins

For the third installment for Chip Week, I made Butterscotch Nut Muffins.  I found the original here and I didn't change anything again except for cutting down the butter.  Mike was working from home today and he couldn't get over how good the muffins smelled.  He also loved when I brought him some tea and a muffin.  I think he will work from home more often.  I was worried that these muffins would be really sweet but they are just right.  They are light and crispy on the outside.

Ingredients

2 c flour

3/4 c sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/8 c melted butter

1/8 applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 c milk

1 c butterscotch chips

1 c chopped pecans

Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients together and add to dry mixing quickly with a fork. Do not overmix.   Mix in nuts and chips.   Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.