I scan recipes in magazines the same way I scan menus at restaurants: I’m looking for something bizarre, something new, something I’ve never before experienced. Sometimes the results are icky (see squash-sausage soup below), and sometimes they’re delightful. Case in point: pumpkin molasses ginger muffins.
What might pumpkin, crystallized ginger and molasses taste like in a muffin? That’s the question that sends me out to the grocery store late at night, on a quest for ingredients; it’s what causes me to spend the time it takes to prep the muffin tins, to prepare the ingredients, to mix it all together and to clean it when it’s over. I am a man on a mission: a mission for unexpected flavors combos; the genesis of something new on the tongue. I am also on a mission to make you click to read more. You know you love it!
This recipe comes to us from this month’s Bon Apetit. Surprisingly, the recipe’s not available on Epicurious so I will do the generous thing and type it out for you. So here we go…
Prep: 25 Mins. Total: 2 Hours
(Includes cooling time.)
Makes 6 giant muffins or 18 standard muffins.
Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps ground ginger
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 15-oz can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs mild-flavored (light) molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger, divided
Ok let’s stop a moment and learn a lesson about chopping candied ginger. As you may remember, I purchased my first immersion blender yesterday. The immersion blender comes with a little mini-food processor type thing so I thought to myself: “Why not chop the candied ginger in there?” In it went:
Looks like it might work, right? It’s not the worst idea in the world, is it?
Well:
Ok, so that’s a waxy, warm ball of sweaty ginger that went promptly into the garbage. The second attempt was done successfully by hand.
Now back to your regularly scheduled recipe.
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 6 giant (1 1/4-cup) muffin cups or 18 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with nonstick spray. Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin, 1/2 cup molasses, buttermilk, and 1/4 cup crystallized ginger. Stir in flour mixture until just blended.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for giant muffins and 30 minutes for standard muffins.
Transfer muffins to rack; cool completely.
Whisk 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 Tbs water and 1 Tbs molasses in medium bowl, adding more water as needed to form a thick glaze. Dip muffin tops in glaze; transfer to rack, allowing glaze to drip down sides. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crystallized ginger. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.
As the title of this post suggests, these muffins have a cupcake complex and yet they retain their muffin integrity. I think it has to do with the lightness of the batter: these don’t feel heavy or dense. The glaze isn’t as thick and rich as normal cupcake icing; and yet the experience of eating it offers many of the same pleasures without the guilt.
I brought these to class this morning and everyone ate gladly. “These are good,” said the teacher. Yes, I fed my teacher muffins. As the saying goes: “When it’s time to kiss asses / bring in the molasses.”
Those “complexed” muffins look delicious!
Any idea how can I replace “molasses”?? I have no idea what it is… a kind of dark sugar syrup?
Thanks!
So they taste good then? It just sounds like such an interesting mix of ingredients…
Hi Sil,
Check out http://www.joyofbaking.com/IngredientSubstitution.html
for a list of substitutions for molasses.
I would suggest dark corn syrup as it will approximate the color – but molasses really has a flavor of its own that can’t really be substituted for.
Rosie
Aaaaagh! Everyone seems to be talking about crystallized ginger and I’m STILL a month away from being near any. The muffins look awfully good! I can’t wait to try it :)
Oh god, I just drooled. Excuse me.
Hey there. Love your site and love the lovely re-design.
Those look tasty. I think that I might have a cupcake complex as well.
Nice looking muffins. That sounds like a come on.
LEGALIZE BLOG MARRIAGE!
Looks really lovely.
Adam, you would make a great hand model.
And your muffins are perfectly risen. They would make excellent muffin models!
They look very very good – can’t wait to try them out!
i’ve never heard that phrase before but i will deffinitely be using it! here comes the molasses
Times like this I wish I wasn’t diabetic. O well, I can imagine eating ’em…
How did you get your muffin tops to come out poufy? I’ve made muffins in the past and they taste fine, but I would like mine to come out prettier.
-btw, I say leave your arms alone. Shaving them would just be an added hindrance to your life.
Adam, the recipe wasn’t up on Epicurious because it is in this month’s Bon Appetit.
They don’t put up recipes from the most recent issues of Bon Appetit and Gourmet, presumably so they can sell more while they’re still on the newsstands. Wait a month and your muffin recipe will be there.
I made these muffins several times over the holidays. They were great! I baked the extra in a loaf pan as I only had 1 muffin pan. Just as good. And, definitely good plain, with no glaze. And, the recipe is on epicurious now. My Bon Appetit magazine was missing page 94 (where the recipe was supposed to be), what gives?
those muffins look so good I am going to make me some and see how it comes out