thefoodlessprocessed

 “If [children] can walk and hold a spoon, I will teach them to cook–simple dishes, to be sure, but a real step forward in the child’s education toward better living.” (Dione Lucas from The Cordon Bleu Cookbook (1947).

Mats is the little boy (and food explorer) featured in two previous posts: Muffins for Mats, and Blueberry Muffins for Mats. His appreciation for good food continues. He most certainly can walk and hold a spoon, and he likes to take part in muffin making as well as muffin eating.

These pumpkin muffins are mildly sweet. They are good served alone, with butter, with jam, or with a savoury soup or salad. They are moist and substantial. They travel well–even in the hands of a toddler.

A note on flour: There is no single system for classifying flour varieties; classifications differ from country to country. For these muffins, choose a white flour recommended for bread making rather than one intended for cakes and pastries.

The less processed ingredient options for these muffins are: Pumpkin, Milk, Homemade Apple Juice Concentrate, Flour, Apple Cider Vinegar, Butter, Sea Salt, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg.

Equipment

• 2 Muffin Tins: either a 12-cup and a 6-cup or use all of a 12-cup and half of another 12-cup tin. A standard US 12-cup muffin tin generally holds about ½ cup (120 ml) per cup when filled to the rim..
• a Small Pot in which to melt butter
• a Small Bowl in which to beat the eggs and a Fork or Whisk
• a Standing Mixer with a Whisk Attachment or a Bowl and Spoon for mixing by hand
• a Digital Scale is optional

Ingredients (for about 18 muffins)

• 3 cups (386 g) if Organic Unenriched All-Purpose White Hard Wheat Flour: Hard wheat is the standard American variety. See the note above on choosing a flour.
• 6 Tablespoons (83 g) of European-Style Unsalted Butter, plus more butter to grease the muffin tins. A suggestion: For greasing the cups of the tins, Salted Butter gives the muffin crust a nice flavour.
• 1 cup (207 g) of Homemade Apple Juice Concentrate. The recipe is here on the blog: Apple Juice Concentrate.
• 2 and 1/2 cups (20.65 oz) or (586 g) of Canned Pumpkin
• 1 Tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 2 Eggs
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of Organic Ceylon Cinnamon
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of Organic Ground Nutmeg or Freshly Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (104 g) of Minimally Processed Whole Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Cup (100 g) of Organic Raisins plus more Raisins to sprinkle on the muffins before baking them

Making and Baking the Muffins

Gas or Convection Oven:  thefoodlessprocessed uses a gas oven. The conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius do not attempt to adjust for differences between baking in a gas or convection oven. I have no experience using a convection oven and leave adjustments to the better judgement of you who do have.

• Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C and slide the rack into the lower middle position.
• Butter 18 cups of the muffin tins very well. The purpose of buttering the cups well is not only to prevent the muffins from sticking, but also to give them a crisp crust. Salted butter will lend a nice flavour to the crust.
• In a small pot, melt the 6 Tablespoons (83 g) of European-Style Unsalted Butter. Set it aside.
• Pour the milk into the measuring cup and add the apple cider vinegar. Set this aside to thicken for a few minutes.
• Beat the eggs a little.
• In the bowl of the mixer or (if hand-mixing) a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Add the thickened milk, the pumpkin, the apple juice concentrate and the beaten eggs and mix with the whisk attachment or with a spoon to combine the ingredients into a smooth batter. Then add the melted butter and mix again.
• Add the 1 cup (100g) of raisins.
• The muffin batter will be smooth and pourable. Divide the batter among the cups, filling them just to the rim. Sprinkle a few raisins on the tops.

• Bake the muffins for around 20 – 25 minutes. (The photographed muffins baked for 23 minutes). Test the muffins for doneness when they start to smell good. When a skewer comes out clean, remove the muffins from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before removing them from the tin.

Bon appétit, Mats!