That's a spicy muffin....

We bought our toaster oven about a year and a half ago and I can't believe how much I end up using it. It has been great for toast, re-heating leftovers and making some dinners - but I had not used it much to bake in it. It has gotten a workout though in the past couple weeks!

I've been wanting to make some muffins for mid-morning snacks and played around with a recipe a couple days ago which ended in these Gingered Pumpkin Muffins. This recipe has been floating around and I'm not sure where it first originated, but it has great potential as base for several variations. Making up these healthy muffins are ingredients such as whole wheat pastry flour, oat bran, mashed pumpkin, a single egg white and just a tablespoon of oil. It may sound like they would turn out heavy, but we thought they were fairly light and moist with a definite fall appeal. They certainly filled the house with a pleasant aroma as they were spiced with cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg. Diced crystallized ginger adds a spicy bite with dark brown sugar bringing a rich sweetness. I only made 5 muffins so I could use my 6 cup muffin pan that fits in the toaster oven. They baked up just as well (if not better...) than the big oven! Although, the house could have used the extra warmth from using the oven... these chilly temperatures are going to take awhile to get used to again. While I did grow up in Minnesota, spending over 2 years in Phoenix sure makes it difficult to adjust!

Recipes

Gingered Pumpkin Muffins