My family loves pumpkin, but I usually only cook or bake with it in the fall and early winter. I know a lot of people turn their noses up at this wonderful vegetable, but these muffins have been known to change the minds of the most avid pumpkin haters. This recipe was given to me from an old friend over twenty years ago, and I have been faithfully baking these muffins every October ever since. They won the blue ribbon at our local fair several years ago, and I made a big batch for my son's fourth grade class this past week to celebrate their school-wide walk-a-thon. Since most of them went to his class, and our family only got one a piece, my children have been begging me to bake another big batch next week just for us. These are terrific even without the chocolate chips, but the chocoholics in this house wouldn't conceive of that option.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Mix 1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin, 3 cups of sugar (no wonder they taste so good), 1 cup vegetable oil, 4 eggs, and 2/3 cups of water together. In another bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir just until moistened. This will be thick. Add a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Fill paper-lined or greased muffin tins 2/3 full, and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. This makes about 36 muffins.
ENJOY!
