Gather Around Our Table: Pumpkin Cacao Muffins + A Giveaway!

Yesterday was the first day of fall and I wasn't going to get excited or anything until I walked outside and there.was.a.BREEZE. A real, cool, dare I say chilly breeze. Can we just ignore the middle part of the day that lapsed back into summer? Because the evening was cool and perfect as well and let's be honest, breezes are a clear sign of fall. And fall = pumpkins. And pumpkin = all the baking things.

Now, you may be wondering....can this girl spell? Doesn't she know it's cocOA, not cocAO powder? Well, you'd be right, except that cacao is actually chocolate in it's raw, unprocessed form. It's basically the same thing as unsweetened Hershey's cocoa powder but with a TON more nutritional value. Filled with magnesium, fiber, calcium, and loaded with antioxidants. It's classified as a super food. Just tell yourself: I'm eating a superfood muffin this morning.

Now don't you feel better about the day already?

Not that you had to convince yourself that pumpkin and chocolate were a good idea.

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Dry

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

¾ cup organic cane sugar

2 tablespoons cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

Wet

2 eggs

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin purée

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 f

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk together.

In a stand mixer* with the flat beater attachment, add eggs, coconut oil and

vanilla and mix on medium speed until completely combined. Turn mixer off and add

pumpkin purée. Turn back on to medium and blend until smooth.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time. Use a rubber spatula to push

down any ingredients that lifted on the sides of the bowl. Mix on low speed until smooth.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and using a 1/3 measuring cup fill the tins with batter.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean, it's done!

*you can also use a hand mixer or whisk if you don't have a stand mixer.

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In the spirit of loving food I am teaming up with some lovely ladies and giving away 2 cookbooks and a copy of a recent favorite book, Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenrieder. I'll admit, I'm drooling over these two cookbooks myself. They have the most beautiful stories to accompany their show stopping recipes!