Ritual Espresso's pumpkin spice muffins
½ a small or ¼ a large pumpkin (to yield 3 cups mashed pumpkin)
6 eggs
120g melted butter (or 120ml canola oil)
2½ cups brown sugar
4 cups self-raising flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2½ cups roughly chopped milk chocolate or buttons
Bake the pumpkin covered in a hot oven until a skewer easily passes through. The secret for best results is to "dry-bake" the pumpkin for your pulp.
Cool, peel off the skin including any green part of the membrane, which will be bitter. Discard the seeds and mash the remainder. You will need three cups of mashed pumpkin.
Mix eggs, butter or oil, pumpkin and sugar together.
Add flour, cinnamon and chocolate.
Put mixture in 12 greased "Texas" muffin pans. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 180degC.
Requested by Michelle Molloy, of Wanaka.
This recipe comes from Paul Tregea, of Ritual Espresso Cafe in Wanaka. He says many have claimed this recipe as their own but the true origin is from the Christchurch Arts Centre Boulevard Cafe, where he sourced it nearly 20 years ago and adapted it while working at the now defunct Parisettes in Dunedin.
• If you have enjoyed a dish in an Otago cafe or restaurant and would like the recipe, write to Ask a Chef, Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 181, Dunedin, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz, including your name, address and a daytime telephone number, and we will request it.
