Butternut Squash Oat Muffins With Candied Ginger Food

PERFECT BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 20 muffin cups.
• Cut a 1/2-inch hole into the larger part of the squash and cover with a damp paper towel.
• Cook squash in a microwave oven in 3-minute increments, turning slightly after each increment, until squash can be easily pierced with a fork, 9 to 12 minutes. Set aside until cool to the touch, about 20 minutes.
• Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Measure 1 1/2 cups squash into a large bowl. Mash eggs, water, vegetable oil, white sugar, and brown sugar into the squash. Whisk whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice into the squash mixture until you have a smooth batter. Fold raisins and walnuts into the batter.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups to about 1/2 to 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH OAT MUFFINS WITH CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a muffin tin.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, spices and lemon zest. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt, melted butter and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir with a rubber spatula until almost combined - the batter will be very thick. Then fold in the shredded squash and candied ginger.
• Spoon the batter into the muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes or so, or until the muffins are lightly golden and spring back when touched. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before turning them out on a wire rack.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS WITH A FROSTY TOP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tins with paper cups.
• Whiz the squash in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the sugar, and crack in the eggs. Add a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, walnuts, cinnamon and olive oil and whiz together until well beaten. You may need to pause the machine at some point to scrape the mix down the sides with a rubber spatula. Try not to overdo it with the mixing - you want to just combine everything and no more.
• Fill the paper cups with the muffin mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check to see whether they are cooked properly by sticking a wooden skewer or a knife right into one of the muffins - if it comes out clean, they're done. If it's a bit sticky, pop them back into the oven for a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave the muffins to cool on a wire rack.
• As soon as the muffins are in the oven, make your runny frosted topping. Place most of the clementine zest, all the lemon zest and the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the sour cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds and mix well. Taste and have a think about it - adjust the amount of lemon juice or icing sugar to balance the sweet and sour. Put into the fridge until your muffins have cooled down, then spoon the topping onto the muffins.
• Serve on a lovely plate (on a cake stand if you're feeling elegant, or on a rustic slab if you're more of a hunter-gatherer type!), with the rest of the clementine zest sprinkled over. For an interesting flavor and look, a few dried lavender flowers or rose petals are fantastic.

SPICED OAT AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or line a muffin tin and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the butternut squash, eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, oil, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the flour, whole oats, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and whisk or stir together. The batter should be lumpy from the oats.
• Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to fill each muffin cup close to the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 19-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH HUMMUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss with your hands and spread the squash out in one layer on the pan. Roast for 25 minutes, until tender, and set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
• Reserve 1/4 cup of squash for the garnish and transfer the rest to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the chickpeas, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, Sriracha, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and pulse until coarsely processed but not pureed. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved chickpea liquid and pulse a few times to combine. If the hummus is too thick, add more liquid a few tablespoons at a time. Taste for seasonings, transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the reserved butternut squash, drizzle with maple syrup, if desired, and serve at room temperature with toasted pita bread.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, COCONUT, AND GINGER MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Whisk eggs, butter, buttermilk, ginger, and 2/3 cup brown sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg mixture into dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Mix in squash, coconut, and pecans.
• Divide batter among muffin cups, filling to the brim (about 1/2 cup batter per muffin). Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbsp. brown sugar on top.
• Bake muffins, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30-32 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Do Ahead
• Muffins can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 months.

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE MUFFINS (WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH)

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F and line a 12-hole muffin tin.
• Combine all ingredients (except chocolate chips, if using) in a large bowl. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Add chocolate chips (if using) and stir to mix them in.
• Using a spoon or small measuring cup, portion out the batter between the 12 lined muffin tin holes. Top with more chocolate chips, if desired.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
• Let cool for 20 minutes and enjoy.
• Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container in your fridge or freezer.

WINTER SQUASH OATMEAL MUFFINS

Steps:

• Whisk together sugar and wet ingredients.
• Add dry ingredients and combine.
• Fold in raisins and nuts.
• Use 1/4 C to measure evenly into muffin tin.
• Bake at 350 for 20-30 min or until toothpick tests clean.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F; spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, or use paper liners; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the squash, egg, oil and milk.
• Add the wet ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined; it's important NOT to overmix.
• Fold in the cranberries.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and bake in preheated oven for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the centre of the muffins comes out clean.
• Cool muffins on wire racks.