Remember way back when…  I made up some Madagascar Vodka Vanilla?

Well…..  After chatting with my sostinkinhappy, vanilla extraordinaire, and friend she encouraged me to try some variations.  This one is Tahitian Rum Vanilla.  Could it be any darker and richer?

Begging a little daylight to filter through,the bottle, just to be able to photograph it. Seriously.  It is dark.  And rich.  And oh so fabulous smelling!

What a difference it makes over any store-bought vanilla.

I cracked it open and used it to take these over the top!

Pumpkin Muffins

only slightly altered from  Gluten Free Goddess

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup organic coconut flour

1/2 cup blanched almond flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Add in:

1 and 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin purée (canned organic pumpkin is fine)

1/3 cup oil I used half coconut oil and half light olive oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 TBS Tahitian Rum Vanilla

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Now add in:

1/2 cup coconut milk

Beat the batter to incorporate the ingredients. If it needs a little more liquid, add up to 1/4 cup coconut milk until it is a smooth consistency.

Stir in by hand:

1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans

Spoon the batter into twelve muffin cups, filling them close to the top. Smooth the tops using the back side of a wet teaspoon.  I ended up tossing out enough batter for a 13th muffin and after I baked them, I realized I could have divvied it all up, they would have been fine.

Bake in a preheated oven until domed and golden, roughly 22 to 25 minutes. The muffins should feel firm yet springy to a light touch. If a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean- these babies are done.

Cool on a wire rack. Remove the muffins from the pan after five minutes, and allow them to continue cooling on a wire rack. This helps keep their bottoms from getting soggy.

Wrap and freeze leftover muffins in freezer bags for easy on-the-go treats.

Cook time: 23 min

Yield: One dozen muffins

And she isn’t called a Goddess for nothing.  These are amazing, not as light as a cupcake, but definitely not as heavy as you think of a muffin.  Next, I want to try her pumpkin cupcakes and compare the two.  Or just eat them.

And yes, I realize there are a lot of different flours in these muffins, and I think that is what makes them so good.  To bake gluten-free is not easy, that’s why I go to the experts.  I’m new to all this but they aren’t.  They tell me what to do, I do it.  And with beautifully, yummy success.

Pumpkin Butter
a.k.a. Dessert Soup

only slightly altered from Spoon Fork Bacon

I, also, altered this recipe, in my head, unfortunately not on paper, to make 3/4 of a recipe. This allowed me to make both the muffins and the butter using just one large can of pumpkin.  Good Luck on the math!

Full recipe makes 3½-4 cups

Ingredients:

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin purée

1 cup fresh apple cider, you could use juice, but cider is in season!

¾ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

¼ cup pure maple syrup

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon all-spice

A splash of vanilla, added after the cooking and removed from the heat

1. Place all ingredients into a medium pot and place over medium heat. Stir.

2. Allow the mixture to reduce on medium to medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minute or until slightly thickened (the mixture will thicken more as it cools).

3. Transfer to sterilized jars and store until ready to use.

4. Serve over toast, muffins, scones, oatmeal….

Enjoy!