Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Happy Turkey Day everyone! I'm a day late but...it still feels like Thanksgiving and the festive season is definitely in the air. Everyone walking around shopping for X'mas gifts either for their loved ones or for themselves (I know this because I have been buying things saying they are my X'mas gifts to myself, yikes!), people traveling home to meet with their loved ones and all sorts of recipe magazines displaying holiday dishes and desserts!

Pumpkin is something I see popping up everywhere since October. It wasn't just for Halloween, it was in frozen yogurt, ice cream, desserts in restaurants, muffins, breads, everything...everywhere.

It was my first ever taste of pumpkin. REALLY.

While baking these muffins, I opened the can of pumpkin puree and stuck a spoon of puree into my mouth. And Viola! My first taste of pumpkin. I must say it was weird...it was like extremely veggie-taste. I wouldn't say I like it and would eat it on its own but when baked into muffins with dark chocolate chips and ground spices, I wouldn't say no!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

(bakes 12 muffins)

- 1 1/2 cups flour

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

- 1 cup white sugar

- 2 large eggs

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

- 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips (I used dark)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tray with paper liners.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, ground spices and salt.

3. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well with each addition. Add in vanilla extract after. Then add in the flour mixture, alternating with the pumpkin puree (flour - pumpkin - flour - pumpkin - flour).

5. Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffins cups evenly with the batter.

7. Bake for about 25 - 27 mins, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.