Incredibly Moist and Lightly Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

My list of favorite foods definitely includes pumpkin. It's a versatile ingredient, has loads of taste, a velvety smooth texture and it's high in beta- caroteen. What's not to love? Honestly, if it were up to me, I'd serve something with pumpkin at least once a week, but because I pretty much stand alone as a pumpkin fan in this family, I have to restrain myself. Therefore, I'm constantly on the look- out for pumpkin recipes that look promising, or in other words, recipes which I think (ok, maybe hope) my family will like. Last weekend for example, I tried a creamy casserole with potatoes, pumpkin and fresh corn. Went down ok, but I didn't get any applause.

Things might change after dinner tonight when I present them with my latest creation- the most incredibly moist, lightest and spongiest muffins ever! And, they're made with pumpkin! The wonderful texture is mainly due to the sifting of the dry ingredients and to the banana which I threw in for good measure. It not only served to replace some of the fat, but it also made the muffins even airier. Another wonderful addition was two tablespoons of rum- flavored golden syrup- my latest find and secret addiction. I came across this 'limited edition' variety last week and nearly pounced on a few bottles, only to go back a few days later for more. It will add such a festive touch to my pancakes and ice cream this upcoming holiday season. But if you can't find it, I'm sure this recipe will be just fine with the normal stuff.

Incredibly Moist and Lightly Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
*250g flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp baking soda
*1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
*1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
*1 tsp ginger
*pinch of salt
*1 egg
*100ml milk
*3 tbsps sunflower oil
*3 tbsps blackstrap molasses
*2 tbsps Rum and Festive Spice Golden Syrup
*70g unrefined cane sugar
*220g peeled and seeded pumpkin, cut into small chunks
*1 medium banana, about 130g

Boil the pumpkin chunks 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, mash and set aside to cool. Mash the banana and set aside. Preheat oven to 180C. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt into a bowl. In a jug, whisk the egg, milk, oil, molasses, golden syrup and sugar. First whisk in the banana and then the cooled pumpkin puree. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and carefully fold in until combined. Spoon the mixture into a 12 hole muffin tin and bake for 30 minutes. I can totally picture eating these warm, split down the middle, filled with a scoop of ice cream and drizzled with that delectable golden syrup!