David's Favorite Recipes
Clare’s Harvest Spice Muffins
MAKES 12 muffins
Clare Westwood, my Pilates instructor, stays incredibly fit and, naturally, eats very healthy foods. But she is also a wonderful cook. On occasion, she surprises me with something delicious she has made the night before. Her Harvest Spice Muffins are perfection and signal that fall is in the air.
Ingredients
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or more to taste
1½ teaspoons ground cloves
½ teaspoon pumpkin spice mix (optional)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
½ cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place 12 paper liners into the wells of a standard-sized muffin pan, or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices; in a medium set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together just until everything is incorporated to form a batter; do not overmix. Use a large scoop, such as an ice cream scoop, to distribute the batter evenly into each muffin well. They will be nearly full.
Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. After cooling, store in an airtight container.