Pumpkin Muffins for All

It's hard for me to believe that I've only been a "chicken mom" for 5 months now.  It seems like they have been a part of our lives for much longer and they certainly have found their way into my heart quickly with their unique personalities and comical behavior.  Maybe that's why I'm a little nutty about tweaking traditional recipes for their tastes and needs.  Admittedly, it's not exactly normal for me to prepare something for us to eat and think of what substitutions could be made so it would suit the chickens diet.

Never the less, while making pumpkin cream cheese muffins for my husband (the pumpkin lover of the household), it wasn't all that difficult for me to modify the ingredients and end up with a tasty treat for the flock.  Both versions mixed together very quickly, baked up in no time to golden brown and got the seal of approval of the family.  I used convenience items but I will include some links for those who are a bit more hands on than I was feeling that day and would like to truly get a more "from scratch" type of recipe.  Here we go!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (for humans)

    Batter Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 3/4 c. cornmeal
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (more/less to personal taste)
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2/3 c. buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. applesauce
• 8 oz. cream cheese (original or any flavor you prefer)

    Topping Ingredients

• 6 tbsp brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tbsp butter (melted)
• 2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (chopped)  OR 2 c. old fashioned oats
• 2 tsp all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice until blended.
3. In another bowl add lightly beaten eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk and applesauce.  Mix together until blended.
4. Add wet and dry ingredients together and mix well.  Stir in cream cheese (I chose honey nut flavor, but original or any flavor you like would work) and combine with batter mixture.
5. Line muffin pan with liners and a light spray of non-stick cooking spray.  Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full of batter.
6. In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.  If you like pumpkin seeds, please use them - otherwise you can use old fashioned oats in their place.  (My daughter didn't care for the somewhat chewy texture of the seeds, which is why I did an alternate version)
7. Sprinkle crumbly topping on the tops of the muffins.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until muffins are a beautiful golden (somewhat orange) brown and they pass the "toothpick test".

Pumpkin Oat Muffins for Chickens

Pumpkin Oat Muffins (for Chickens)

    Batter Ingredients

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 3/4 c. cornmeal
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2.c old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. wheat germ with flax seed
• 1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 c. whole roasted pumpkin seeds
• 3/4 c. golden raisins
• 1 1/4 c. pumpkin
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 1/4 c. applesauce

    Topping Ingredients

• 6 tbsp brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tbsp butter (melted)
• 2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (chopped)  OR 2 c. old fashioned oats
• 2 tsp all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, wheat germ, baking powder, oats, seeds, raisins and pumpkin pie spice until blended.
3. Into the large bowl add lightly beaten eggs, pumpkin and applesauce.  That's right - dump it right on top!  Mix together until blended.
4. Add wet and dry ingredients together and mix well.  
5. Spray muffin tins with a light spray of non-stick cooking spray.  (Line with liners if you choose, but I haven't been.  They don't mind the slightly chewy bottoms and lets face it...peeling off that paper only slows you down when you've got beggars at your feet!)
6. Fill muffin cups about 1/2 - 3/4 full of batter.
7. In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.  You can use either the chopped pumpkin seeds or the old fashioned oats.  I encourage the seeds.  The chickens LOVE them!
8. Sprinkle crumbly topping on the tops of the muffins.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until muffins are a beautiful golden (somewhat orange) brown and they pass the "toothpick test".

Can you tell the difference?
in both photos: Human version on right, Chicken version on left

I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't try both versions.  The version for people has a light flavor, hardly overpowering and doesn't make you feel gluttonously full like my apple pie muffins do!  The chicken's treat isn't bad at all.  I would actually eat them that way!  They are slightly denser, but not at all dry or mealy.  Aside from the big pieces of pumpkin seed and raisins hiding in the batter, I'd say that the recipes essentially have the same flavor.

Before I forget, those links I promised!  The links will take you to blogs that will explain how to process your own pumpkin, roast your own pumpkin seeds, make your own pumpkin pie spice, make homemade butter and three amazing ways to can your own applesauce.  These are care of some of the amazing women over at Farm Chick Chit Chat who blog all things homesteading, homeschooling, farming, living and loving the land we have - no matter how big or small the plot.  I encourage you to look through their blogs.  They are a constant source of encouragement to me and you couldn't ask for a more grounded, friendly group of bloggers.  Love you ladies!  :)

Visit Farm Chick Chit Chat

• Radish Girl Thyme shows us how to process our own pumpkin in a few easy steps
• Radish Girl Thyme also shows us how to roast our own pumpkin seeds for snacking
• Fresh Eggs Daily saves you a trip to the store by showing you how to mix your own pumpkin pie spice
• Black Fox Homestead shows us making homemade butter couldn't be better
• Maple Grove brings us a canned applesauce recipe that doesn't add sugar
• Everything Home with Carol shares a trade secret with us for making and canning applesauce
• Timber Creek Farm tells us about her recipe and cherished childhood memories of homemade applesauce

Madame Mim grabs a bite to go

Of course...

I would never dream of ending a blog posting without pictures of the flock enjoying their treats.  Some of my pictures were sabotaged by one Minnie, our Plymouth Barred Rock.  She's perfecting the art of the photo bomb!  Still, too cute not to share them.  Enjoy!

our girls eating their freshly baked goodies