The best recipes have a special ingredient- memories.
Many years ago, my daughter, Hannah, came home from cross country practice raving about the muffins a mom had sent to practice for the girls.
She said things like:
“They were the best ever…the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten!
“Please get the recipe from Mrs. Rupe.”
But I was busy with other mom types of things and forgot about Mrs. Rupe’s muffins.
Hannah did not forget.
“Did you get the recipe, Mom?” she asked a couple days later.
Then she asked again.
And again.
I was curious. What are these magical muffins that my 7th grader can’t stop thinking about?
After a phone call to Mrs. Rupe, I had the recipe for her Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins.
This was back in the days before we had pumpkin everything. Hard to believe, but the pumpkin craze is a fairly recent one.
Mrs. Rupe was a trailblazer!
Maybe the pumpkin craze started with those muffins she made for 15 scrawny, hungry cross country runners.
You just never know.
Fall is trying it’s best to arrive here on our mountain (if you’re from out west you’d call it a tall hill).
The nights are cool and the sun is setting earlier. Acorns are pelting our cars and we’ve all got our favorite football team flags flying.
In the afternoons at this time of year, I pass by a pack of cross country runners as they run down Broad Street and they bring back memories of my girl and her teammates.
They were fueled by their love for each other and chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.
This morning, I’m making a couple dozen of those magical muffins to put in the mail to my sweeties.
I’m sending two boxes to Knoxville and one to Washington DC packed with memories of home, fall, and a whole lot of love.
Here’s the recipe. Give it a try and see if your family loves them as much mine does.
Magical Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (if you use canned pumpkin pie filling, reduce the spices)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- optional- chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin pan well with Baker's Joy or use liners.
- Mix sugar, eggs and oil. Mix in pumpkin and water.
- In another bowl mix flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir in chocolate chips. Don't over stir.
- Fill muffin cups with batter. Sprinkle tops with chopped pecans if you like.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on how fancy your oven is-
