Pumpkin, fetta and parsley muffins

I've been waiting for an opportunity to make these ever since I read Helen's Baketober post on them. The recipe has everything I love about simple baking - minimal ingredients, minimal time investment, minimal fuss when mixing the ingredients, and of course looks wonderfully yummy.So the time was this weekend, when I finally got to a bigger supermarket which actually sold pumpkin (or butternut squash in this country) and fetta cheese (coming from Oz, I'd expect fetta cheese and ricotta cheese to be sold like cheddar cheese, i.e. everywhere, but sadly this is not the case). They were pretty delicious in the end and I don't feel bad about scoffing them down since they are pretty healthy compared to all the cakey goodness I generally like to make (no sugar, only oil this time!)



I don't think Helen's recipe needs any editing whatsoever, its so simple and satisfying. The only thing I did differently was my usual approximation of ingredients since I seem incapable of following a recipe, so I think I used a bit more pumpkin and a bit more cheese than the recipe called for since that was what was in the fridge. Of course you can use whatever cheese and herbs you like (I think ricotta might be really nice since it has a lighter flavour and there would be less chance of overpowering the pumpkin), however the key thing to this recipe I think is the pumpkin.

Ingredients

1. 500g butternut pumpkin


2. 2 cups self-raising flour


3. 150g fetta cheese, chopped into mini cubes


4. 1/4 cup fresh parsley (or basil etc)


5. 3/4 cup milk


6. 1/2 cup olive oil


7. 1 egg


8. Salt and pepper to flavour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven: to 180 degrees celcius


2. Line: a muffin tin or two. I ended up making 18 of these.


3. Chop: pumpkin / butternut squash into cubes, add a splash of water to the bowl and microwave for 9 minutes.


4. Mix: Cheese, flour, and parsley in one bowl


5. Mix: Combine the milk, olive oil and egg in another bowl. Add the pumpkin when cooked.


6. Combine: the two bowls


7. Bake: For about half hour or so.

By the way, do you like my new comedy squid whisk? Part of a package of birthday goodies from my cousin Miss J. I was slightly dubious as to the design and how well it would whisk, but I think as long as a batter is relatively thin (i.e. no thicker than say a hotcakes / pancakes batter) it does fine. Either way, its soooo super cute and I love the pink. 

I think these were a real winner and worthy of remaking, and you can tailor it to however you want - hope you think so too :-) Thanks again for the recipe Helen!