Fall is in the Air: Pumpkin Choc Chip Muffins

Oh, friends, how I miss having time to blog whenever I want to. Looking for a job while managing a household and keeping up with social and volunteer commitments has consumed much more time than I expected this season. And, of course, I'm always in the kitchen--just not always near the computer, too!

So, this week I've been lamenting like crazy where I live. I heard about snow in Colorado (with ski slopes already open), and on Facebook everyone is talking about the changing of the leaves and gorgeous fall colors and cooler temps! Meanwhile I'm residing in a hot and sticky bayou with 95 degrees to enjoy! Yuch! However, God shone His love on me today with the blowing in of a cold front and rain. It has felt like fall ever since, and what did I immediately start doing? Why, baking pumpkin treats and putting on a pot of chili, of course!

I have tried to tweak a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe for many seasons now, and today I finally think I got pretty close to perfect (it's swapping the applesauce for the oil that made all the difference!). I made them as mini-muffins and lost count of how many I downed, and this was AFTER the coffee was already gone! Oh well, I see another 5 miles on the treadmill in my near future, but these are SO worth it (and honestly, made with applesauce, they aren't that fattening--or so I keep telling myself). Enjoy! (Especially to my newly married friend, Kathryn Mitchell Prescott who asked me on Facebook to share the recipe!)Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 cup pureed canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Grease muffin tins or spray well with cooking spray (PAM). Paper liners can also be used.
3) Mix together sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Add the pumpkin and water and mix well.
4) In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt with a whisk (this helps to remove any flour lumps).
5) Add pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.
6) Stir in chocolate chips.
7) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
8) Bake 15 minutes for mini muffin pans and 20 minutes for regular size.

Easily makes 12 regular size muffins and 24 or more minis.