My friend Patrick is possibly the best and busiest Home Care Aid in my area; he is also a full time student working on a medical degree, and loves to cook. Both he and his wife are excellent cooks, and take turns cooking since their tiny new daughter, Winter, takes up most of their free time. Recently Patrick was raving about some “pumpkin things” his wife made that were addictive, so I asked for the recipe. After baking Patrick’s Pumpkin Puffs, I knew what he meant – these are delicious, and since they’re small, it’s easy to pop one after the other into your mouth without thinking how many you’ve actually consumed.

Patrick’s actual recipe calls these donuts, but I think they’re more like oversized donut “holes,” so I refer to them as Puffs. They are very quick and easy to make, so even those who are busy will find enough time. According to the official Hancock testers, these are also a favorite among both kids and adults. These puffs would make a great dessert with ice cream, or for the kids instead of pie at Thanksgiving dinner. They also make a great snack anytime. Sometime, when calories aren’t an issue or you want to serve a showstopper dessert to company, top two or three of them with vanilla or pumpkin ice cream, add warm caramel sauce, and sprinkle with nuts.

About 36 Puffs

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup canned pumpkin, (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Topping
1/3 cup melted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Spray 3 12-cup mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.
3. Mix the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk well.
4. Place a fine strainer over the mixture.
5. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves into the strainer and shake over the pumpkin mixture.
6. Turn the mixture to low speed and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated, scraping down the sides once or twice.
7. Using a tablespoon-size scoop, scoop tablespoonfuls of dough into each muffin cup.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the puffs begin to brown on the edges.
9. Meanwhile, place the melted butter in a bowl and mix the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
10. When the puffs are done, roll them in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
11. Transfer to cooling racks to cool; store in an airtight container.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 82 Calories from Fat 37
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 45% Protein 4% Carb. 51%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 11 mg
Sodium 74 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A 24% Vitamin C 1% Calcium 0% Iron 2%