Halloween is one of my favorite celebrations! Many of us think this is something that came recently from America, and it is not completely wrong. Halloween as we know it with pumpkins and costumes is very similar to the American version. However, many countries in Europe had their own celebrations that usually have their roots in history and in some cases in mythology or folklore.
Finland, for instance has Kekri which is a traditional Finnish harvest festival which is celebrated during All Saint’s Day. Kekri marks the end of the harvest season and in the past, families remembered their ancestors and invited the deceased relatives in their homes. Just like in many other traditions, Kekri, as well as Halloween (originally known as All Hollows’ Eve), has a very spiritual and solemn meaning. Very different from what we see these days, right?
In Ireland, people used to carve turnips and other root vegetables to make them look like scary faces. The idea was to keep the wandering evil spirits away from their houses. The tradition of carving pumpkins was born in the 19th century when many Irish people moved to America. Needless to say, pumpkin was very easy to find, much easier than turnip.
Is this anyhow related to honey? Somehow it is! Could we miss the chance to prepare something yummy which involves honey and pumpkin? Of course not! If you have carved a pumpkin and you are now looking for a good idea to eat it, you might want to try my version of honey and pumpkin muffin. Trust me, our muffins are easy to make and delicious! If anyone asks you “trick or treat”, you know what to say.
Ingredients for 12 muffins:
200-225 grams of pumpkin puree
150 grams of room temperature butter
200 grams of honey
2 eggs
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Half teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of nutmeg powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
200 grams of flour
(half teaspoon of vanilla extract)
Method:
Peel and remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Place the pumpkin slices inside a tinfoil and bake for 40-50 minutes at 200 degrees. Once the pumpkin is ready, smash it with a fork and set aside.
Now, with an electric mixer, you can beat the butter until creamy. At this point, you can stop for a moment and add a pinch of salt, the honey, the pumpkin puree, the eggs and, eventually, the vanilla extract (this ingredient can be left out). Mix everything again with the electric mixer and set aside.
At this point, the missing ingredients are the powderswhich are mixed together separately.
In a bowl sift the flour with baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Now you are ready do add this powder mixture to the cream you prepared before.
In the picture above, you see all the ingredients in the bowl ready to be finally mixed.
Mix everything for a couple of minutes with your electric mixer. Set aside.
At this point, start placing the muffin liners into a muffin tin. Add the mixture in each muffin liner and bake at 200 degrees for 15 or maximum 20 minutes. Let the muffin cool and enjoy!
Before baking, the texture is quite runny. No worries, this is how it should be.
Ready! In case you wonder why the baking time is not precise, it is because every oven is different. With my oven, It took about 20 minutes to bake these muffins.
Final tip: you can decorate your muffins if you like. You can add some icing, create a funny Halloween decoration or add some more honey on top!
NOTE: These honey and pumpkin muffins can be stored from 3 to 4 days inside an airtight container.
If you are looking for more desserts where honey is the protagonist, you want to check our lovely Honey Walnut Baklava.
Who said honey goes only with sweet pies? For the first time in this blog, I am going to show you how honey is a great match with savory pies. I know that for you, it is not a surprise that honey and cheese are like Romeo and Juliet: a perfect match. However, before making …
Perhaps one of the most famous desserts where honey can actually play a key role is Baklava. This crispy and juicy dessert has delighted people in the Middle East, Balkan peninsula, Central Asia, South Caucasus and even Maghreb. The origins of this dish are not well documented and just like many other recipes around the …
A meringue shell topped with whipped cream, fruits and a drizzle of honey A few weeks ago, as I noticed the snow melting and what it looked like the end of the winter, I started to think about a recipe that can work for spring and Mother’s Day too. Sadly, as I write this post, …
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Trick or Treat? We say Pumpkin & Honey Muffins
Easy muffins, super soft and sweet!
Halloween is one of my favorite celebrations! Many of us think this is something that came recently from America, and it is not completely wrong. Halloween as we know it with pumpkins and costumes is very similar to the American version. However, many countries in Europe had their own celebrations that usually have their roots in history and in some cases in mythology or folklore.
Finland, for instance has Kekri which is a traditional Finnish harvest festival which is celebrated during All Saint’s Day. Kekri marks the end of the harvest season and in the past, families remembered their ancestors and invited the deceased relatives in their homes. Just like in many other traditions, Kekri, as well as Halloween (originally known as All Hollows’ Eve), has a very spiritual and solemn meaning. Very different from what we see these days, right?
In Ireland, people used to carve turnips and other root vegetables to make them look like scary faces. The idea was to keep the wandering evil spirits away from their houses. The tradition of carving pumpkins was born in the 19th century when many Irish people moved to America. Needless to say, pumpkin was very easy to find, much easier than turnip.
Is this anyhow related to honey? Somehow it is! Could we miss the chance to prepare something yummy which involves honey and pumpkin? Of course not! If you have carved a pumpkin and you are now looking for a good idea to eat it, you might want to try my version of honey and pumpkin muffin. Trust me, our muffins are easy to make and delicious! If anyone asks you “trick or treat”, you know what to say.
Ingredients for 12 muffins:
Method:
Peel and remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Place the pumpkin slices inside a tinfoil and bake for 40-50 minutes at 200 degrees. Once the pumpkin is ready, smash it with a fork and set aside.
Now, with an electric mixer, you can beat the butter until creamy. At this point, you can stop for a moment and add a pinch of salt, the honey, the pumpkin puree, the eggs and, eventually, the vanilla extract (this ingredient can be left out). Mix everything again with the electric mixer and set aside.
In a bowl sift the flour with baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Now you are ready do add this powder mixture to the cream you prepared before.
Mix everything for a couple of minutes with your electric mixer. Set aside.
At this point, start placing the muffin liners into a muffin tin. Add the mixture in each muffin liner and bake at 200 degrees for 15 or maximum 20 minutes. Let the muffin cool and enjoy!
NOTE: These honey and pumpkin muffins can be stored from 3 to 4 days inside an airtight container.
If you are looking for more desserts where honey is the protagonist, you want to check our lovely Honey Walnut Baklava.
Matteo – Bee Rescue Team
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