You’re Going To Love Me/Be Sick Of Me Soon Because It’s Pumpkin Season And Also Because I’m Craaanky

Yeah, sorry but it’s all true.

Wait…before I continue, ya’ll need to see this! It’s the latest shiny beautiful wonderful spot from Monsieur Igloo! It was yet another amazing team effort that I am immensely proud of, even though most of the hard work was done by pretty much everyone but me (and most of it was done by the ridiculously talented writer/director).

Thoughts? Feelings? Emotions? I’ve got a ton of all three of those things that I’m willing to share rightthissecond, but would really love to hear from you instead of hearing from myself, because that happens so often that it’s getting sad. 😦

Speaking of the sads, I got ’em! As many of you know, moving is one of the most stressful life events one can experience, and we did it two weeks ago. As many of you also know, I often handle stressful life events quite poorly. You have no idea how many times I wrestled with ideas like, “Who really needs this stuff? Or any stuff? I hate things. Let’s have no things! I’m going to cry now, so let’s talk later. Bye.”

So, ok, now we have a beautiful new place to live with a lovely kitchen that I often gaze upon lovingly/smear chocolate on by accident. But it was pure Hell getting to this place. It. Was. Hell. There was the paperwork and the interviews and the U-Hauling and the moving and arranging and boxing and carrying and not dropping and GETTING BITTEN IN THE FACE MULTIPLE TIMES BY MOSQUITOES and the venting to people who had generously (and bravely) offered to help and the unpacking and the moving and just the anxiety of it all. Oh, and it all happened the week before my birthday, which depresses and inexplicably freaks me out anyway.

Oh, and it’s not my age that freaks me out so much as my dismay at having gone another year without accomplishing a lot of the things my fat baby self had imagined I would by this age. That’s something that I’m still struggling with, and maybe will always kind of struggle with. I don’t know. I have a nice apartment and a TEE-rific person to share it with and I’m still breathing. So maybe let’s stop talking now and make some pumpkin muffins, yeah?

Now, originally, these were going to be doughnut holes. Rhea Mol had sent me the recipe after she’d successfully (as if she’s never succeeded, girl’s a genius, duh) made these as minis. I made these right before we had moved and had to make do with a regular-sized muffin tin. Now, I would never ever complain about having larger versions of small desserts, but if you’re looking for the real deal, try a mini-muffin tin instead of a regular one.

Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes That In My Case Are Muffins (makes 24 minis or 12 regular)

1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of allspice

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3/4 cup of pumpkin puree

1/2 cup of skim milk

Full disclosure: The original recipe also adds a coating that involves a stick of butter and some other stuff. I was not down for that, but if you are, have at it, comrade!

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a muffin or mini muffin tin. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined.

Divide the batter evenly among your cups and send into the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of these comes out clean.

Let ’em rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before taking them out to cool completely on a cooling rack.

I’d initially experimented with making a pumpkin butter/cream cheese filling for these. I say “initially” because the second thing that happened after I tried to fill one was that one of these muffins kind of exploded. So… ix nay.

But seriously, these things need no companions. No fillings or coatings or buttons or whatever else you’d think to dress these up with. They’re just perfect on their own…sweet, but not cloyingly sweet, with just a hint of spice to prep your brain–well, my brain– for all of the pumpkin that is to come in the next few months. Prep yourselves, readers!