Pumpkin, Orange, and Date Muffins, A Book Review and the Weekly Menu #MuffinMonday

These muffins are an explosion of flavor with citrus in the forefront and earthy pumpkin and dates in the background.

It's time for Muffin Monday.......

On the last Monday of each month, some of us get together to share Muffin Recipes under the direction of Stacy from Food Lust People Love.  I try to participate each month because muffins are so quick and easy to make.  You can use whatever ingredients you have on hand and they make a great, quick breakfast to enjoy with your coffee or to grab if you are running out the door.

In this case, I still had some pumpkin puree in my refrigerator that I had made using the pumpkins that decorated my home over Halloween.  You can easily use canned puree for these muffins but be aware that you only need 1 cup so you will have leftover puree to use.  

That is not a bad thing...you can make more muffins or breads or you can go with a savory application like this Fall Harvest Chowder or Pasta with Kale and Creamy Pumpkin Sauce.  If you want to go sweet, without making bread or muffins, how about this Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake?

Before we go onto this delicious and timely fall recipe let's take a look at what the others baked up for today's event........

• Cinnamon Roll Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cranberry Almond Applesauce Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Lemon Filled Gingerbread Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Pumpkin Orange and Date Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sourdough Eggnog Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Heather of Based on a True Story, hosts a group called Foodies Read and decided to try a new theme for our group by making a Bingo board for us to fill out.  Regular readers of this blog are very familiar with Foodies Read as I link up to it several times a month. 

I am running out of categories on my bingo card so I specifically went in search of a book that had a Food Truck in it.  I found just what I was looking for on my Kindle Unlimited.  Poison in the Pastries was the perfect pick.  Not only is it the first in a series of novels featuring Darla's Delectable Pastries Food Truck but, being a cozy mystery, I read it in a couple of hours while riding in the car to my son's house for Thanksgiving.  Then to make it even better, there were muffins in the storyline and I had already made these muffins to share today.  I love when all my blogging events come together like that!!

This first book of the series introduces us to Darla who has just embarked on her dream of owning a food truck.  Like all cozy mysteries, there is a murder and the protagonist is determined to solve the crime.  There are fun, likable characters and amusing banter going on throughout the story.  

In this novel, the murderer uses one of Darla's muffins to poison the victim.  This gives Darla all the incentive she needs to quickly find the culprit and put this murder to rest before it causes her business to fail before it ever gets going.

I am having fun with this challenge. To date, I have shared the following recipes and reviews:

•  Bisquick Cookies from a Library Book
•  Lemon Pepper Potato Wedges from a Cookbook 
• Navajo Green Chile Stew from a Historical book
• Venison Banh Mi Burgers from a book about Restaurant Life
• Hot Honey Caramel Sauce from a book set in a Foreign Country
• Gnudi from a book that is Part of a Series
• Apple Pie Cookies from a book that Has Fruit on the Cover
• Lobster Salad from a book that was Published Before 2023
• No Recipe but a Review written from a book featuring Coffee or Tea
• Magically Easy Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake from a book Set on a Farm or Vineyard
• Spaghetti Carbonara from a Memoir
• Sweet Potato Soup from a Book I Linked up to Foodies Read
• Vegetable Lo Mein From a Mystery

We just got home from spending the Thanksgiving Holiday with our eldest son who lives in Virginia.  It was very nice being able to be with him at the start of this Holiday season as he is unable to be home for Christmas this year.  He made us an amazing feast.  The only problem is.....I'm used to having planned leftovers for the week following Thanksgiving.  

Since I don't have leftovers this year, I had to think about what I'm serving up so I can get to the grocery store today in between dropping the dogs off at the groomers.  We had family dinner with the other kids and their families on Sunday before we left to go to Chuck's.  Nicole and Pierre were unable to make this dinner so we are meeting them for dinner tonight when they get off work.  Thursday we are hanging out with Bob and Cathy enjoying the "D" that is all decked out for the holidays.

What's on your menu this week?

Monday

Out for dinner with Nicole and Pierre

Taco Tuesday

Chili Burritos

Wednesday

Chili

Cornbread

Thursday

Out with Friends

Fish Friday

Cashew Shrimp

Breads, Muffins, Breakfast, Brunch, Snacks

Breads

American

Yield: 12 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Pumpkin, Orange, and Date Muffins

These muffins are an explosion of flavor with citrus in the forefront and earthy pumpkin and dates in the background.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 1 navel orange
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 c. butter, diced
• 1/2 c. chopped dried dates
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. pumpkin puree

Instructions

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the rind from the orange and place it into a food processor. Squeeze the juice from the orange into a measuring cup and set aside.
2. Add the sugar to the food processor with the rind and pulse, processing until finely grated.
3. Open the food processor and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Pulse a few times to combine.
4. Add the butter pieces and pulse 4 or 5 times until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the dates.
5. Whisk together the egg, 1/3 cup of the reserved juice (add water to make 1/3 c. if needed), and pumpkin.
6. Add the pumpkin mixture to the food processor and process for about 10 seconds, just until combined.
7. Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups that have been treated with baking spray and bake in a preheated 375* oven for about 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted removes cleanly.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe from Kroger

Nutrition Facts

Calories

184.95

Fat (grams)

6.14 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.54 g

Carbs (grams)

30.27 g

Fiber (grams)

1.85 g

Net carbs

28.43 g

Sugar (grams)

13.95 g

Protein (grams)

3.34 g

Sodium (milligrams)

283.34 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

40.84 mg

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