Pumpkin Pie Muffins

So with Moving Day quickly approaching, I've been trying to clean out the freezer and the pantry.  I located one very large can of pumpkin and, even though I usually wait until fall, I've been whipping up some tasty pumpkin treats that I'd like to share.  The first:  Pumpkin Pie Muffins.  Sorry for all the substitutions, but I'm trying to clear out the pantry, not fill it up, and they turned out de-lish anyway!

Ingredients:

cooking spray

1 c. flour

1 c. whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3/4 c dark brown sugar

3 T unsulfured molasses (though to be honest, I just used maple syrup instead)

1/4 c canola oil

2 large eggs

1 c canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 c lowfat buttermilk (again, I just used regular skim milk)

1/4 c unsalted raw pumpkin seeds (which I substituted with chopped pecans)

Preheat oven to 400.  Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.  (Note:  I think this recipe is for jumbo-size muffins.  I couldn't fit all the batter in my normal muffin pan, so I just baked the excess in a small Pyrex dish.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, molasses, oil, and one of the eggs until combined.  Add the other egg and whisk well.  Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla.  Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined.  Pour the batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each about 2/3 full, and sprinkle the tops with the pumpkin seeds.  Tap the pan on the corner a few times to remove any air bubbles.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy warm or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tip:  I like to have muffins for breakfast even during the week so I use that freezer trick.  When I bake muffins I put the whole batch in a plastic container in the freezer and just pop one in the microwave for 35 seconds in the morning before work.