Moist, spicy, and sweet enough, these muffins are a delicious way to use some of your winter squash. (And like most recipes by Martha Rose Shulman, they’re a little more nutritious than average–thanks Martha!)
Winter Squash Molasses Muffins
recipe adapted from Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times, October 2012
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 2 eggs large
- 1/3 cup molasses I use blackstrap
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar I love using India Tree dark muscovado
- 1 cup roasted winter squash butternut or kabocha
- 1/2 cup whole milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or use buttermilk if you have it, no vinegar required
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil or other light cooking oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12 muffin cup pan with paper liners.
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Beat together eggs, molasses and sugar (electric mixer or the old-fashioned way with a bowl and wooden spoon). Add in the squash purée, milk and vinegar, oil and vanilla.
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Whisk together the flours, baking soda, spices and salt. Stir into the squash mixture and portion batter into lined muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes, until muffins have risen and a tester comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove muffins to wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes / Tips
- When you have the oven going for dinner, put in a squash to roast so you have it for another meal. After roasting, I like to scrape it from the skin, purée it, and pop it into the refrigerator so that it's easy to use (for muffins, soup, risotto, etc.)
- How to roast squash: Wash squash, cut it in half, remove seeds and place, cut side down, in a glass baking dish or sheet pan. Roast 425 degrees F for 40 minutes or so, until you can pierce the squash easily with a fork.
- Store extra baked muffins in the freezer to enjoy later. Individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or foil, and place in a freezer bag to freeze. When you want a warm muffin for breakfast, remove the muffin paper, cut muffin top from base and heat on griddle, in a frying pan, or carefully set both in your toaster on a light setting.
