Pumpkin Muffins

An excellent fall muffin with great color and a dense but not sticky texture and lots of pumpkin flavor. A sprinkling of brown sugar just before going in the oven adds a little syrup to the top. This is my modification of an Epicurious recipe - the original featured nuts and used half the pumpkin and is yummy but my slightly-better-half wanted it sans nuts and with more pumpkin flavor.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
• 1 1⁄2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 2  large eggs
• 1  cup brown sugar
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F, prepare muffin pan with papers or by greasing the cups.
2. Whisk together melted butter, pumpkin, milk, eggs, and brown sugar. In another bowl mix flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt; pour pumpkin mixture into this dry mix and stir until just combined (lumps are good, over-stirring will ruin the leavening). Divide evenly among muffin cups, filling each to within a quarter inch of the top. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of each muffin, to taste.
3. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, test for doneness by checking to see if the top springs back when lightly pressed down.
4. Cool for 10 minutes, turn out on rack for remainder of cooling. Excellent served warm.