Let the muffins rest for about 10 minutes after baking to allow the crumb to firm up. Serve them warm with a dollop of apple butter (a concentrated spread made from apples and spices--find it near the jam) or regular butter if you eat dairy.
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Apple butter, for serving (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or oil each individual cup.
In a medium bowl, combine the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and baking powder. Whisk to ensure the ingredients are well combined. In a large bowl, add the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain.
Fill each muffin cup nearly to the top with the batter. Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving. Serve the muffins warm with apple butter. The muffins taste best the day they are made.
Makes 12 muffins.
Laura B. Russell is the author of The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen (Celestial Arts/imprint of Ten Speed Press 2011). You can find her blog, “Notes from a Gluten-Free Kitchen”, at www.laurabrussell.com.
