Pumpkin Gingerbread Choc-Chunk Muffins

It's taken me all day to get this post up.  I stared editing photos after my "morning jobs", but Thursday is Step Class day so I had to drop everything to get to the gym by 9.30.  Of course, after class I always have coffee with my girlfriends (it would be rude of me not too) and catch up on all the important stuff that's happened to everyone in the last week.  Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. After lunch I managed to finish the photo edit, but then there was shopping to do. Once again, I had to down tools.  By the time I got back from the store, the kids were arriving home from school (and all that that entails).  Then it was time to prep dinner (moussaka served with cucumber and mint salad) and drink some wine with my husband.  So, here I am at the end of the day... staring at my breakfast.



Pumpkin Gingerbread Choc-Chunk Muffins
adapted from here
Makes 10

For the Muffins:
85g unsalted butter, softened
125g brown sugar
170g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking power
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 eggs
1 tablespoon treacle
25g dark chocolate chunks
200g pumpkin puree

For the Glaze:
140g icing sugar, sifted
Finely grated zest 1 orange
1 - 2 tablespoons milk

Make the Muffins:
Preheat the oven to 180C.  Line a muffin pan with 10 paper liners.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.  On low speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices and mix until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the treacle and  pumpkin puree.  Finally, stir in the chocolate chunks.

Spoon the batter into the liners and bake for 20 - 24 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Glaze:
Put the icing sugar into a small bowl.  Add the zest and enough milk to make a pourable glaze.

Drizzle the glaze over the muffins and leave them to rest for 2 minutes for the glaze to set.