Local Flavor

By Amy Currie
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October 10, 2011

Local Flavor: The Latest From the (Pumpkin) Patch

Your community guide to the latest recipes, restaurants and reviews in Union County

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Pumpkin Muffins with Pepitas and Crunchy Sugar

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Welcome to Patch's newest column, Local Flavor. If my name sounds familiar, it's because I've been writing about my favorite recipes and reviewing local restaurants in Summit Patch for about a year. You could say I'm curiously obsessive about cooking and eating. I'm in the kitchen more than out and more than happy to talk to anyone about what makes food taste so good (It's love, of course).

So here I am, writing about it for all of Union County all of the time. It's a dream job, but I need your help. Back in the olden days, Patch was our back fence. That's right, we would chat with our neighbor over the back fence, exchanging favorite meals and recipes. It's that neighborhood chitchat that defines Patch. This is great news because Patch makes my back fence your fence too. So, let's have a dialogue and share recipes, cooking techniques and favorite neighborhood restaurants. I'm a home cook, in the trenches, just like you. My cooking mistakes are ultimately my greatest successes. I get bored with weeknight dinners and stressed out hosting dinner parties. But, I never tire of trying a new recipe especially from one home cook to another.

So, let's get cooking. I had a conversation once with uber-celeb-chef Bobby Flay who flat out told me pumpkin had no flavor. I gathered up my courage and told him I respectfully disagreed and rattled off all the dishes I make with pumpkin. Since October is pumpkin season in more ways than one, these pumpkin muffins are at the top of my list of favorites. When cooking with pumpkin, canned is just as flavorful, so save the real thing for your jack-o-lantern. Send me your favorite pumpkin recipe and it might just make it into this column. Take that, Bobby Flay!

Pumpkin Muffins with Pepitas and Crunchy Sugar

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Makes 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) or walnuts

1/2 cup demerara (crunchy brown sugar) or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place muffin or cupcake liners in a 12 cup standard muffin tin.

While oven is preheating, place pepitas on a baking sheet and toast about 5 minutes until fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until light and lemony looking. Add pumpkin puree until combined. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, powder, salt and cinnamon and add to wet mixture until just combined. Gently mix in half of the pepitas.

Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle demerara sugar over each muffin followed by remaining pepitas.

Bake 22-25 minutes until muffins are springy and puffed on top.

About this column: From her recipes to yours and all things foodie in Union County, home cook Amy Currie shows you what local flavor is all about. It's here you'll learn what to master in the kitchen and where to go out for those local specialty dishes you just can't miss. Got a tip, recipe or favorite dish at a local eatery? Email amycurrie.patch@gmail.com Related Topics: Fall Recipes, Pumpkin, and local flavor

Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.

danielrobles

7:17 am on Monday, October 10, 2011

Major brands always give out their popular brand samples (in a way to promote the products) best place on the internet is "Get Official Samples" find them & enjoy your samples

Kathy Pigott

10:36 am on Monday, October 10, 2011

Excellent recipe and I can't wait to try it. Thanks Amy, this promises to be an exciting column that I definitely will follow.

Debbie Lupton

11:26 am on Monday, October 10, 2011

So excited to have you sharing all your yummy recipes!! I look forward to following you on The Patch!! May have to give you my pumpkin bread recipe to try. Yummy!!

Karen Sinunu

11:27 am on Monday, October 10, 2011

Excited to see this column come to pass - great idea!!

Jane Yager-Baumrind

12:30 pm on Monday, October 10, 2011

Great start to the column - looking forward to all Local Flavor has to offer. Bon Apetit!!!

Amy Currie

4:15 pm on Monday, October 10, 2011

Hi Jane, Thanks for the thumbs up. Let me know if you have a favorite local restaurant or a recipe to try.

jennifer meister

8:38 pm on Monday, October 10, 2011

Thanks Amy for touching us all with all your delicious recipes and tips....
So excited about your column.....
I will forward you one of my favorite recipes....

Alice Wigley

8:44 pm on Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Hi Amy: I wish I could tell you how many times I made your potatoe leek soup this summer. Ever since our Farmers Market opened this Spring and they offered fresh leeks I made your wonderful soup. Thanks so much and I look forward to getting more of your great recipes. Alice Wigley

bobby Flay

8:11 am on Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Amy, what I said was that pumpkin itself has no flavor and that most people identify the flavor of pumpkin with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, etc. I still stand behind my statement. Take a nice spoonful of cooked, plain pumpkin out of the can..what does it taste like?? Bland squash=flavorless! Don't get me wrong , I love pumpkin as much as anyone. I was just making the point that it needs its friends from the spice rack and usually a good portion of something sweet like brown sugar, honey or maple syrup to make it shine. Happy Holidays.