All Hallow's Eve (Off-Grid Baking Special)

Celebrating Hallowe'en was not something we often did when I was growing up, although we did enjoy carving pumpkins. This year for the first time since I was little, I bought a pumpkin and carved it, in a somewhat non-traditional way. Talking of non-traditional pumpkins, Anna of Something about Rowing (which everyone, rower or not, should read, it's that good) created her own super scary carving. Genius!

I made puree from the duck-shaped chunks I'd carved out (simply by roasting the pumpkin and blending it with my hand blender). In turn, I used the puree to bake apple and pumpkin muffins to bring to a friend's houswarming/engagement party. They were really moist and seemed to be quite popular!

Ingredients

For the muffins

• 300g plain flour
• 350g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 250g pumpkin puree
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 250g peeled, cored and chopped apple (I used Russets)

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. 

In a large bowl, sift together 300g flour, 350g sugar, spices, bicarb and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon muffin mixture into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together remaining flour, sugar and cinnamon. Rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

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