Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular whole wheat flour)
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (I omitted this)
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin or winter squash
1/2 cup milk or water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups. Mix together flours, baking powder, salt, spices, and unrefined cane sugar in large bowl; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add molasses and honey to warm butter and stir together. Put cooked pumpkin or squash in blender, add butter mixture and milk; blend until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and pulse to blend.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and fold gently, using a minimum of strokes. Fold pecans into batter. Fill muffin cups full with batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Source: Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair

Try #1 - September 13, 2012
These baked up big, dense, cake-like muffins, and were fun to make with Abby.  We ate them with quinoa chili.  The molasses and spices reminded me of my Christmas spice cookies... mmmmmm.  Will make these again!