Pumpkin cinnamon muffins

To make these pumpkin muffins, first prepare a smooth Hokkaido puree. Wash the squash, cut it open, remove the seeds, and dice it. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 25 minutes, until soft.

Let the softened squash cool slightly and blend it into a smooth puree. The listed amount yields roughly 300 g of puree, which forms the base of the moist batter.

Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, and briefly stir the dry ingredients together.

In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with both the granulated and brown sugar, then stir in the sunflower oil and pumpkin puree. Pour the wet mixture into the dry one and fold with a whisk just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix the batter, or the muffins will turn out tough.

Line a muffin pan with paper cases and divide the batter among them, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 22 to 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the finished muffins rest in the pan for five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Once cooled, you can dust them with powdered sugar or simply serve them with warm tea.