Folks in the Delta really love a potluck. Friendsgiving is next weekend in our little town, and I’m traveling an hour or so on Wednesday to get together with some teachers in another county… and on Saturday night, our friends Jess and Boyce (those of bourbon pecan ice cream fame) hosted a fun pumpkin-themed potluck party. They figure that canned pumpkin is sold seasonally, PLUS all the recipes for pumpkin are pretty delish, so why not just throw out all the stops and eat ALL of said recipes one fun, semi-chilly weekend in November? It doesn’t hurt they live on a huge beautiful farm in an old farmhouse with horses and lots of space for a bonfire. Last year I tried my hand at pumpkin gooey butter cake (huge, big time, epic fail), so this year I thought I’d go with something more in my wheelhouse AND something that would go with the signature main dish, spicy pumpkin chili: pumpkin corn muffins. If I may say so, they were a pretty solid addition to the fare of cheesecakes, dips, and pumpkin eggnog. What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe?
Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
Makes 24
What you need:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
What to do:
Sift or mix the dry ingredients together well (sugar, flour, cornmeal, spices, baking powder) and then stir the wet ingredients (pumpkin, milk, melted butter, and eggs) lightly using a spoon or fork… I made a huge (HUGE) mess because my bowl wasn’t very deep and I thought the pumpkin and milk would blend easily… turns out pumpkin is THICK. anyway, tread lightly.
Mix it all together, spoon into about 24 muffin tins, and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. They won’t be golden brown, but a toothpick will come out clean when they’re ready.
they were a big hit with the spicy pumpkin chili. Be warned, this makes for one filling meal as the pumpkin makes the muffins a little more dense than your typical cornbread. 
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