This mouth-watering recipe is ready in just 25 minutes and the ingredients detailed below can serve up to 12 people.
Ingredients
Method
1. To cook the pumpkin, dice into cubes and place in a pan with just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and pop on a lid, slightly askew. Boil/steam for 5–10 minutes and top up with water if needed. Drain and use.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
3. Cut out 12 squares of baking paper measuring about 14 x 14cm. Oil a 12-hole muffin tin and push the squares down into each hole so the paper sticks up just like the muffins you can buy in the coffee shop. The squares have a habit of popping up out of the holes, which is OK for now as once the muffin mix is spooned inside the squares will stay down. Alternatively, use ready-made paper muffin cases.
4. In a large bowl, sift the flours, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, stir in the salt and rosemary. If there is any wholegrain left in the sieve from the wholemeal flour, keep this for the topping.
5. In a medium bowl, put the rest of the ingredients, apart from a third of the pumpkin, and stir well so all the liquid is well combined.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and, using a large spoon and no more than 8 turns, mix all the ingredients together. It does not take much to over-mix muffins at this stage and although the end result will still taste sublime the texture will not be as tender.
7. Leave the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, then spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
8. Sprinkle the wholegrain, reserved pumpkin and the pumpkin seeds over the muffins. Bake in the centre of the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Good for breakfast, good for lunch and good for just about any time of the day for a snack. For canapés these can made in mini muffin cases.
Recipe courtesy of Lorraine Pascale, Baking Made Easy HarperCollins, 2012 (£20) Photography courtesy of Myles New
