Pumpkin time

My healthy carrot pumpkin muffins

It's pumpkin flavor time of the year.  But, with my participation with great success in the nutrition program at the Y I have become a fat detective investigating all foods.  I am not baking  nor buying some pumpkin treats I most enjoy, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie cake and Culver's pumpkin frozen custard although I am saving room for pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and will build an allowance for that in my daily consumption tallies. 

 In my search for more pumpkin to fill the void, I remembered a healthy, low fat muffin recipe from several years back that used a can of pumpkin in a chocolate cake mix...but I did not want chocolate, I wanted pumpkin.  Why not  a healthy muffin, cakelike and moist, carrot pumpkin.  I seldom post recipes on this blog, but have been so happy about this modification that satisfied my pumpkin seasonal craving that I share it  today.    It is a very easy thing to put together.  These are good for a breakfast treat as well as a desert or snack.  The fat grams are minimal and since that is what I watch, it's a winner....

Here's my adapted recipe:

• 1 box butter pecan cake mix       Do not use a brand with pudding in the mix as it adds to the fat.. This is what I had in the cupboard but you could use spice, carrot or plain yellow cake.    The entire box of mix had only 3 grams fat and 170 calories.
• 2 eggs    The original recipe calls for 3 egg whites, lower fat content, but I do not like to throw away the yolks, so I use  the entire egg.  That adds 9 grams fat and 150 calories.
• 1 16 oz can of pumpkin     Not pumpkin pie mix, just plain pumpkin.  This adds only 2 grams fat and 160 calories.
• 1/2+cup very finely diced carrot bits  No fat appx 25 calories
• 1 teaspoon each  all spice, nutmeg, ginger, mace, pumpkin pie spice,  sugar    No fat  15 calories from the sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon  No fat
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup rum  Can use brandy instead or omit liquor if you prefer and use 1/4 cup more water. No fat in rum but one ounce has 65 calories, so 2 oz is about right for 1/4 cup  adding 130 calories. 

Set carrots aside and beat  everything else together with mixer until completely smooth.  Add diced carrot bits  at last...and blend or stir well.  Fill 2/3 into paper lined cupcake tins.   Makes 20 cupcakes/muffins.   Sprinkle each on top with a dash of sugar, less than 1/8 teaspoon of sugar for each.  

Bake 350 degrees for 32-38 minutes.  My oven took only 32 minutes, but some take longer.    Test with toothpick in center to ensure done, when toothpick comes out clean  muffins are ready.  Cool a bit and serve...enjoy.

Each muffin has about 33 calories  and 1.5 grams fat.  My daily fat gram allowance is 33.  Jerry is not a pumpkin fan so I had plenty muffins to share  and have frozen others.   I can take out one, thaw and or nuke it in the microwave and good to go.