vegan pumpkin muffins

just look at those muffins. they have loft. they have crumb. they have pumpkin and spicy goodness. what they don't have are eggs. and they don't seem to miss those little yellow and white shell-clad nuggets at all.

it is a huge problem (some might say challenge and to them i say "bah-humbug! i am already quite challenged enough, thank you") in egg-free baking to get a good loft and crumb. how many dense and chewy cakes have i (and maybe you too) gnawed away at, pretending that it wasn't that bad, when in fact it was? how many oily vegan cookies have i greased my pompadour with? lots. and in the end i am a "sweegan" because, try as i might, vegan baking just doesn't compare to the real thing. and because there is something just enough removed about consuming animal products (as opposed to the animal themselves) in an infrequently indulged in treat to make it okay for me. militants raise your weapons and don't shoot till you see the whites of my meringue. i freely confess it, i am a hypocrite. i may go to peta hell but at least i'll be having a slice of some delectable dessert on my way down.

but seriously, in an ideal world i would have my own hen house and gladly eat their little eggies knowing that the little cluckers were getting good food not comprised of other animal parts, a big yard to scratch and squabble in, no hormone shots, no clipped beaks, no overcrowding and no hatchet when their spring chickenhood has passed. being a bit of an old hen myself i have a lot of sympathy for those old gals.

in a less than ideal world i would have vegan baking that works.

in this world i have some very good recipes from vegan with a vengeance. if you are a vegan, know a vegan or are vegan curious, i recommend picking up a copy of this book. the recipes don't use too many exotic or fancy-pants ingredients, don't require the use of pricey or obscure kitchen tools and is written in a really straightforward conversational tone. it is very novice-friendly.

these pumpkin muffins have a great, spicy flavor and, as long as the batter is not man-handled (no offense to any ham-fisted, neanderthal-gaited, wooly-chested men out there) they attain a nice crown and a good crumb. if using paper muffin cups you might want to give the cups a quick coating of pan spray to discourage sticking.

for more (free) recipes and reviews of vegan with a vengeance recipes, you can go to the postpunk kitchen forum index.

vegan pumpkin muffins
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons molasses

sift together all the dry ingredients and set aside. in another bowl whisk together the remaining wet ingredients. pour wet mixture into dry and combine with a fork until just mixed. do not over mix or your muffins will suffer in texture. pour batter into muffin cups about 2/3 full and bake for 18 - 20 minutes. these muffins are a little chewy when they are hot so allow to cool completely before eating.