Recipe: Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

- Nonstick cooking spray

- ½ cup golden raisins

- ¼ cup warm water

- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

- ½ teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

- ½ teaspoon ground ginger

-1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

- Scant teaspoon salt

- 2 eggs

- 1 cup fresh pumpkin purée (see Kitchen Note)

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- ¾ cup light brown sugar

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar

- ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Lightly coat inside of muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place raisins in water to plump, about 20 minutes. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt; set aide.

3. With an electric mixer or heavy wooden spoon, beat together eggs, pumpkin purée, vanilla, sugars and oil until well combined. Add raisin-water mixture and beat to blend. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake on center rack of preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes or until muffins test done with a wooden toothpick. Turn out onto a cooling rack.

Times Kitchen Note: Canned pumpkin can replace the fresh in this recipe. Reduce the amount of cinnamon to ¾ teaspoon.