1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups cooked pumpkin (or 15 oz. canned pumpkin)

OPTIONAL:

3/4 cup chopped nuts OR
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (shelled and unsalted)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine first five ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. In a larger bowl, beat together eggs, butter, vanilla and sugars until fluffy. Mix in pumpkin (and nuts or seeds if desired). Gradually add in the combined dry ingredients to the creamed mixture on low speed.

Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin cups, or muffin papers in muffin pan. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full for nice sized muffins which will yield about 20 muffins.

Bake at 400°F for 15 to 16 minutes, one pan at a time, on middle rack in oven. Muffins should not be sticky on top, and not too browned.

Tip: If you have any empty muffin cups, fill them half-way with room temperature water to facilitate even baking throughout the pan.

Cool muffins slightly on a rack, but eat while still warm - very tender! Yum, Yum!

Submitted by: Laura Ellen Hisam