This week, our intrepid online editor Chrissy organized a webinar training for our newsroom about how to better write breaking news stories for the web.
A great topic, for sure, but it’s always a struggle to get busy reporters to carve an hour out of their day for something not related to getting a story in by deadline.
What is a great incentive for journalists? Food, of course!
So Chrissy sent out the invites, and then wondered what types of delicious goodies to bring. We tossed around a few ideas, and then decided on baked breakfast goods, since the webinar started at 11 a.m.
Chrissy said she would bring cinnamon rolls and fruit. I, being the helpful web producer, offered to make some sort of pumpkin muffin. It would also give me another recipe to share with you, our faithful blog readers.
So I found an easy pumpkin/chocolate chip recipe online, went home that night, and whipped up a batch. They were pretty easy, although I do think I cooked them for about two minutes too long. I also nixed the mix of whole-wheat and all-purpose flour the recipe called for, and used only all-purpose.
The next morning I snapped some photos of the finished product, and proudly carried in my tupperware of treats.
Then Chrissy came in with a big pink box. “I went to House of Bread!” she said.
House of Bread, if you couldn’t deduce, is a commercial bakery here in town.
So when the reporters came into the training, they got to choose from two trays:
Even a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a festive orange tray couldn’t help my homemade product. Although most people were nice enough to take one of my muffins. After grabbing a cinnamon roll.
But for you at home, don’t write off this recipe. The muffins tasted good, and would be great for a casual family breakfast Thanksgiving weekend. As long as there are no professional baked goods nearby, people will think they’re awesome.
Recipe: Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
Adapted from a recipe by VeryBestBaking.com
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease thirty-six 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.
- Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans.
More tasty recipes
Reader recipe: Pumpkin ravioli
Banana chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
That pumpkin chocolate chip muffin pulled me back from the brink of despair and gives me new reason to live.