Maple-Roasted Chanterelle Pumpkin Muffins

Chanterelles and pumpkin are a match made in autumn heaven. Instead of sautéing, the chanterelles are roasted in maple syrup! These muffins are a wonderful way to showcase wild chanterelles in a recipe even the pickiest eater will love — no one will ever guess there are mushrooms blended right into the purée!

Note: This recipe was supposed to make it into the book and we ran out of space, but I wanted to share it with y'all anyway!

Makes: 18 muffins

Time to Make: About 2 hours

Ingredients

For the Maple-Roasted Purée

• 1 small sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin (about 2–3 lbs)

• 1 cup fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1 Tbsp melted butter

For the Muffins

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

• ¼ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• ½ cup melted butter

Make the Pumpkin Purée

Roast the pumpkin.Cut the pumpkin in half. Remove seeds. Place the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet and roast at 375°F for 45–60 minutes, or until a knife slides in easily.

Roast the Chanterelles.

While the pumpkin is baking, add chanterelles to a baking dish. Drizzle with maple syrup and melted butter. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Drain (or reserve juice for pureeing pumpkin and chanterelles.

Blend the Puree. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides or peel off the skin from the pumpkin. Place into a blender and add ½ cup water if needed to blend. Blend until smooth. Set aside any pumpkin that you don’t need for the recipe. You need 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree for the muffins.

Blend into Purée

1. Add the maple-roasted chanterelles to the pumpkin puree in the blender.

2. Blend until completely smooth and silky.

Make the Muffins

1. Mix dry ingredients:

   
   

   In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

2. Add to blender with puree: brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.

3. Combine:

   
   

   Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.

   
   

   Do not overmix — this keeps the muffins tender.

Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Line a 18-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the cups.

4. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.