Oh, Do You Know The Muffin Man?

I grew butternut squash in this year's garden. I only got one plant (old seeds) which only produced three squash. We used the first to make a squash soup. Yum, that was good. I used the second to make Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins. Boy were these tasty. Someone had given us a small package of candied ginger, which I had never used before. It's good stuff, and good in this recipe.

Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins.

I roasted the squash by cutting it in half lengthwise and putting it cut-side down in a 180ºC/350ºF oven until soft and done. I scooped the flesh out of the cooled halves and mashed it with a potato masher. Then I proceeded as follows:

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda

In another bowl, mix:

• 1 1/4 cups roasted pumpkin or butternut squash purée
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Add this to the dry ingredients to combine but don't over-mix it. Fold in:

• 1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
• 2 tblsp chopped candided ginger

Spoon the mixture into a buttered muffin tin and bake in a preheated 180ºC/350ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Cool muffins before turning them out.

I should mention that the amounts for the spices are about half the original recipe; I don't like the spices to overwhelm the taste of the pumpkin. But if you like more, you can increase them to up to double the amounts shown here.