Low-Fat Pumpkin Muffins

On Saturday, we went to visit my cousin and her brand-new baby girl. I wanted to bring her food, in the form of baked goods that could easily be frozen. I didn't think she'd appreciate me bringing a bunch of junk food into the house, so I decided to bake for her like I'd want someone to bake for me--in a manner that is low-fat, but delicious.

I started by making her a loaf of low-fat zucchini bread, which is a tried and true favorite. But given that it's fall and all, I wanted to make something pumpkin, too. Pumpkin bread immediately came to mind. I have a KILLER pumpkin bread recipe that has been in my family for years, but the amount of oil and sugar used in it is ridiculous. Of course, it's wonderful because of that, but I haven't even made it in several years because I'm afraid of what it'd do to my hips. Instead, I hit Google to try to find a healthier alternative.

I ultimately decided to bake the batter in muffin pans instead of bread pans (just for something different), and it baked up a lot more quickly as a result, which was nice. The end result was really flavorful, and is perfect for fall. My only nitpicky complaint was that they were slightly chewy, but that is to be expected with low-fat baked goods. I think it's important to note that I've often found that sweet breads like this actually taste better and have better texture if you let them sit for a day/overnight before eating them. Since I was taking these to my cousin's, I didn't have the opportunity to do that, but I'll be trying that next time! I'm sure I'll see an improvement in the chewiness department.

Anyway, if you're in the mood for pumpkin goodies without the guilt, give these guys a try!
Low-Fat Pumpkin Muffins
(Source: Adapted from About.com)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
- 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or you can whisk by hand), mix together the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, water and eggs and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring well to combine. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a bit of extra sugar and spices on top if desired (optional).

4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin muffins comes out clean.

Makes about 16 muffins.