There is no escaping it. Pumpkin season is here, and everything pumpkin will accost you at every turn. Whether at the coffee shop cleverly sneaking into your latte, beckoning from the farm-stand folded into butter, or hiding in your pint of beer with a cinnamon sugar rim. You will have pumpkin, and you will like it.
When exactly pumpkin leaped from the classic rather lackluster pie to just about everything is unclear, but it’s here to stay. According to baker-extraordinaire Mary Schoenlein, the distinct flavor works best in a muffin. “I love the taste of pumpkin in a baked good,” says the former owner of East Hampton’s iconic (and sorely missed) Mary’s Marvelous, which closed its doors in September 2021. “This muffin recipe is a personal favorite of mine, moist with bits of chopped pecans and dates and topped with a buttery, lightly crunchy topping.”
As tempting as it may be to cook with any pumpkin from the abundance of current eye-catching Hamptons displays of squash and gourds, don’t attempt to make a puree out of that jack-o’-lantern. Field pumpkins belong on the front stoop, not in the oven. While many recipes call for canned pumpkin puree (for a notable reason), if you are ambitious about making it from scratch, use reasonably small, round, sugar pumpkins (easily found at Amber Waves in Amagansett or at Balsam Farms in Amagansett and Montauk), renowned for cooking and eating, because their flesh is not as fibrous.
You want to start by splitting the pumpkin in half (curb your juvenile inclination to smash it) using a sharp knife and a steady hand. Scoop out the seeds and strings (yes, lay them out on a newspaper to keep it traditional), then place them on a baking sheet, cut side down. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until soft, about an hour. The flesh will be tender enough to pierce with a fork when done. Remove the pumpkin pulp and puree in the blender. At best, an average sugar pumpkin will yield as much as a can of pumpkin puree, roughly 2 cups.
Will there be a groundbreaking difference in taste? Perhaps. Any good ingredient in season will likely reap the rewards of good flavor or at least “made from scratch” bragging rights to tell your morning guests about the fragrant treats you made for them. “Fall weekends are for pumpkin muffins,” exclaims Schoenlein, who is currently working on launching a Substack recipe platform and future cookbook.
We think the Great Pumpkin would agree.
Mary’s pumpkin, date and pecan muffins
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 tbsp apple juice or apple cider
- 3/4 cup sugar + 2 tbsp for crumble topping
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, homemade or unsweetened canned
- 1 medium apple, any kind, peeled and grated
- 1 1/2 cup unbleached white flour +3 tbsp for crumble topping
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon + a pinch for crumble topping
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp clove
- 1/2 cup chopped dates (about 6 medium-sized)
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter (1/4 stick) for crumble topping
- nonstick food spray
Directions
- Preheat over to 350℉.
For the crumble topping:
- Cut the cold butter into small pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the 3 tbsp of flour, 2 tbsp sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and the cold butter.
- With your fingertips, work the ingredients until everything is combined and you have a coarse crumble. Work quickly so the butter doesn't get warm.
- Alternately, put all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resemble a coarse meal.
- Set aside in the refrigerator while the batter is being prepared.
For the pumpkin batter: (*These directions are for preparing the batter by hand. You can use an electric mixer, but be cautious not to over mix the batter.)
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg, canola oil, apple juice or cider, sugar and pumpkin puree until well blended. Add the grated apple and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices until well combined.
- Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, then add the chopped dates chopped pecans. Using a spatula, gently fold the batter until everything is mixed and no more flour is visible, being careful not to over mix.
- Grease each 4-ounce muffin mold with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each mold with 1/2 of batter, filing it to the top. Sprinkle 2 tsp of the cold crumble topping onto each muffin.
- Place the muffin pan on the middle rack in the preheated oven. After 15 minutes, rotate the pan. The muffins are done when a toothpick or a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center of the muffin. Let them cool and then enjoy!
