Requisite Autumnal Pumpkin Recipe

This is a classic recipe in my kitchen. Once you do an autumn pantry re-stock, (I had run out of all flours) you're all set to bake into the colder days. What I like about this recipe is that it can be changed to suit your desires: if you don't have pumpkin, use banana! Or pear, or throw in some frozen raspberries. Don't have any chia seeds because they are mind-numbingly expensive? Use flax! Or don't use any seeds! Add walnuts! Caramelize those walnuts and stick them on top!

You will need:

6 Tablespoons Chia Seeds (or flax, in an emergency, or nothing, in poverty)

1 cup whole grain flour (I used teff flour as it is the most silky delicious thing ever)

1/2 cup white flour (I used Whole Foods GF Baking mix - any general premixed flour will do)

2 Teaspoons cinnamon (I also used cardamom, ginger, nutmeg - go wild!)

2 Teaspoons baking soda

1/2 Teaspoon salt

16 ounces canned pumpkin (or banana, or other wet sloppy good thing)

2 eggs

1/4 cup olive oil (woah! yes!)

1 cup pure maple syrup OR 1/2 cup agave nectar, or any combination of the two

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Salt (and pepper!) to taste

optional:

walnuts

butter

sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, spoon into muffin tray, bake for 25-30 minutes.

Option! I was feeling adventurous so I decided to try caramelizing these walnuts. Easy! Throw some butter in a pan, and some sugar (I am terrible about measuring - let's say, a quarter stick of butter and a quarter cup of sugar and a quarter cup of walnuts - approximately) and cook over low heat until it turns into CANDY. Then you can stick some on top of the muffins before they go i the oven. Mind your fillings, these are sticky!

Please don't judge my electric stove.

Recipe made gluten-free from Dr. Oz's Pumpkin Chia Seed muffins from Oprah.