Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

I use whole wheat flour, freshly ground from soft white wheat for all my muffins, pancakes and waffles. Look for whole wheat pastry flour in the bulk bins. You can also substitute unbleached white all-purpose flour.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, either canned or from a pie pumpkin you have baked
4 eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour, preferably pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease, spray with oil, or line with paper bake cups a 12-cup muffin tin.*

In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, sugar, oil , pumpkin and eggs until well-blended. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, stirring just until blended and all of the flour is wet.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. I use a spring-action ice cream scoop. Bake at 375 degrees for 23 to 25 minutes, until muffin springs back when the top is lightly pressed. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and serve warm or cool completely on a wire rack.

*This recipe makes 18 to 20 muffins or 12 standard muffins and 12 mini muffins or 12 standard muffins and one small loaf. The mini muffins will take about 15 minutes to bake. The small loaf will take 30 to 35 minutes. If you only have one muffin tin or can only fit one in your oven at a time, just bake the first 12, then bake the remaining muffins after the first have come out of the pan. Fill the empty muffin cups half full with water to keep your pan from warping.