Greedy Hands Make Puffy Muffins

The batter for a standard muffin "should" theoretically make three mini muffins.  That's the rule of thumb I normally go by, but today I got greedy and went for a 1:2 ratio.  The result:  spectacularly domed, not-so-mini muffins.  Score one for hungry tummies!  I streamlined the recipe for the chocolate pumpkin muffins I made previously, using a Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix that already contained chocolate chips.  I found the amount of chips I used in the last attempt too abundant/distracting, so the smaller chips in the cake mix were the perfect amount for me, the non-chocoholic. (I say that, but a quick peek at my tag cloud on the right shows that I most frequently make chocolate, cookie, or cupcake items--the bigger the word, the more often it appears in my blog.  Widgets are neat!)


Fudgey Pumpkin Mini Muffins (makes 24-36)

18.4 oz. box Betty Crocker® Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix
15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place paper liners into 24-36 wells of a miniature muffin tin(s). These muffins are sticky, so you'll lose some to the paper liner if you don't grease the liners first.  For a regular muffin this might be okay, but when it's a mini, you'll want to lose as little as possible.  Or, you can grease up the wells generously.  I greased 24 muffin wells, because I wanted bigger minis without having to peel off the papers when I'm ready to eat.  Greedy AND lazy! :)   (muffins pictured above were slipped into liners for the photo.)

Place cake mix and pumpkin puree in a mixing bowl, and mix well until combined.  This may take some time, and you might think that it will never incorporate...just be patient.  Once it's all mixed, portion into prepared muffin tin(s).  TIP:  Use damp fingers to smooth out the tops for a better baked apperance.  How they look going in the oven is pretty much how they'll look when they come out!  Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes, depending on size.