Pumpkin Muffins...Yum!

If you haven't noticed, pumpkin baked goods are everywhere! Pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pumpkin pie...oh my! When you give up something (like gluten) you can get caught up in wanting (craving, needing, salivating) over something you can't have. I'm not promoting this behavior, it is just a reality. So, I took the situation in my own hands and found a recipe for gluten-free pumpkin muffins. Let me tell you they are delish!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (try organic, and room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla (make sure it's real vanilla)
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2 cups gluten-free flour, blend (**recipe below)
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

**Gluten Free Flour Mix for Quick Bread (Bob's Red Mill offers all of these in the baking section at Whole Foods): 1.5 cups white rice flour,1.5 cups sorghum flour, .5 cups tapioca starch, 4 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp xanthan gum.

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
2. Line or grease muffin tins (Recipe makes 15-16 muffins)
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Mix until blended. (Do yourself a favor and buy a KitchenAid Mixer. It will change your baking life)
3. In a separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture (1/3 at a time) and stir until combined. Do not over-mix.
4. Scoop (I love to use an old school ice cream scooper) into muffin tins and bake 20-25 minutes (use a toothpick after 20 to see if it comes out clean).
5. Serve for breakfast with a cup of hot coffee (I love Peet's) or with a scoop of Vanilla bean ice cream for dessert.
6. Can be stored covered with saran wrap and/or aluminum foil for about a week. You can keep in the fridge as well. You can also freeze the muffin in a freezer ziplock bag.