As far as I’m concerned, fall starts at the beginning of September.  Yes yes, I know, it doesn’t technically start until next week.  People keep trying to tell me that.  But they are fools.  Fools I say.  Because fall is already upon us, and I have welcomed its glorious presence by making my first pumpkin baked good.  I kicked things off with some Chocolate-Chip Pumpkin Muffins.  The great thing about muffins is even though they are technically a dessert, you can eat them anytime as a snack.  Because they are a muffin and not cake even though we all really know that they are cupcakes without the frosting.  These were really fantastically delicious.  I ate three of them without another thought.

Chocolate-Chip Pumpkin Muffins

(adapted from AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

– 3/4 cup brown sugar (originally white but I switched it to brown for more flavor based on the comments)

– 1/4 cup vegetable oil

– 2 eggs

– 3/4 cup canned pumpkin

– 1/4 cup water

– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

– 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

– 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

– 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (the recipe called for cloves but I didn’t have any so I threw this in instead)

– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

– 1/4 teaspoon salt

– 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

– 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I kind of overdosed it on the chocolate chips because that’s how I roll but you can cut back if you want less chocolate.)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease the muffin pan.  This recipe makes exactly 12 so just one regular sized pan will suffice.

2) Mix wet ingredients – sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water.  In separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.  Mix wet and dry ingredients and stir in chocolate chips.

3) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.