I am posting this recipe in response to a blog entry posted by my friend Liz (Mabels House). She is an incredibly talented writer and blogger and I love seeing inside her truly creative and wonderful head through her entries. The other day, she discussed her attempt to make some chocolate pumpkin muffins. I believe her final product was less than what she had hoped for. SO, I post this recipe to offer her hope! I believe this is the best muffin I have ever had.

I first tasted it in Lexington, Kentucky as part of a welcome bag for wedding guests of Rick & Charis. The bag contained 4 muffins. A really sweet considerate mom would have given most of them to her husband and daughter, but I think I devoured almost all of them. I was hooked. So much so that I pestered the new groom to get the recipe for me so I could bake them and eat them to my heart's content. He was gracious enough to comply. Here is the recipe. May it bring you as much pleasure as it continues to bring me!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins!

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup butter melted (I recommend unsalted butter - the real deal)
1 cup chocolate chips (or more if you're inspired and feeling chocolatey)

Toast the almonds (put on a pie plate in an oven at 400 and give them about 5 minutes. When you start to smell them, they're ready). Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk eggs, then add pumpkin and butter. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds to pumpkin mixture. Fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients until just moist. Don't over-mix, as is the secret with all muffins. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

A tip in baking: when you smell the stuff, it's probably done or VERY close to it, despite the time on the timer.

While this seems like a fall recipe, I have enjoyed it all summer. But you're in luck cause once school starts, it's officially ok to start doing "fall" things. So get to baking!

And Liz, please give these a try. I KNOW you'll like them. Maybe too much!