As you can see from the picture above, I am firmly in the school of thought that believes you can never have too many pumpkins, which is probably what appeals to me about the book Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White. This book is full of pumpkins and, even better, pumpkin treats. After a hard childhood winter when all her family had to eat was pumpkins, Rebecca Estelle is determined that she will never eat, grow, or even look at a pumpkin again. But when a pumpkin falls off of a passing truck and spills pumpkin seeds all over her yard, Rebecca Estelle must decide what to do with the resulting crop of pumpkins. This story models optimism and service, as Rebecca Estelle decides to use her surprise pumpkin harvest to feed others and bring her community together. It’s a story about determination, hard work, and positivity, with a side of pumpkin fun! I also like that the book gives kids a glimpse of how a pumpkin gets turned into pumpkin puree, since most of us get pumpkin puree from a can these days. This is a great read before taking children to a pumpkin patch or making a pumpkin treat at home.
Buy the book:
“Too Many Pumpkins” by Linda White
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
One of my favorite pages in Too Many Pumpkins is a two-page spread that shows all the pumpkin treats Rebecca Estelle has baked to share with her neighbors. You won’t believe the pile of pumpkin seeds she manages to accumulate! I had a hard time deciding on a pumpkin treat to go along with this book because there are just SO MANY pumpkin dishes mentioned the story. I finally settled on pumpkin muffins since muffins are one of our favorite breakfast items, and are an easy recipe for kids to help with. Instead of just making a pumpkin muffin, I decided to combine two favorite Fall ingredients and added apple butter to the batter, along with an apple cider glaze for the top. The apple butter adds a more complex flavor and helps prevent the muffins from drying out while baking. An oat-based streusel and cider glaze put these muffins over the top – in a good way. I use a mixture of all-purpose and whole-wheat flour in these muffins, mostly for the added protein and fiber, but you could also use just all-purpose flour for a more tender crumb.
Pumpkin Apple-Butter Muffins with Cider Glaze
Makes 12 muffins
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Streusel:
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Batter:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 melted butter
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup apple butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cider Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tablespoons apple cider
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Prepare the streusel topping: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar and spices. Add the melted butter and combine with a fork until the mixture is moistened. Form the crumb topping into two equal patties and place in a bowl in the freezer until ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the batter (flours through the nutmeg). In a separate mixing bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the wet ingredients (butter milk through vanilla). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Fill each prepared muffin cup 3/4 full with the batter.
- Remove the streusel topping from the freezer and crumble over the muffins, putting an equal amount on each muffin. Bake muffins in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in the pan while you prepare the glaze.
- To prepare glaze: Place the powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl and add 1 Tablespoon of apple cider. Mix with a whisk or fork until a thin glaze forms, just thin enough to drizzle easily off a spoon. Add extra cider as needed to create a good drizzling consistency. Once the muffins have cooled for 10 minutes or so, remove them from the pan to a cooling rack and drizzle with cider glaze. Serve warm or keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
