Muffin Man

Butternut Squash Muffins (Jamie Oliver recipe)

Children will have no trouble eating their veggies with these yummy muffins!

Ingredients
14 ounces butternut squash, seeded and roughly chopped (ok to leave skin on)
2 & 1/4 cups light brown sugar (use 1 & 1/4 cup)
4 large free-range or organic eggs
pinch of salt
2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
2 heaping tablespoons baking powder
handful of chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use 1/2 cup)

For the Frosted Cream Topping:
1 clementine, zested (can use an orange)
1 lemon, zested
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup sour cream (can use 2% Greek yogurt)
2 heaping tablespoons icing sugar, sifted (this is confectioner’s sugar)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out (use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a food processor, buzz the butternut squash until finely chopped.

Add the sugar and eggs.

Throw in a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, walnuts, cinnamon and olive oil and mix until well beaten.

Fill a regular sized muffin tin lined with paper cups until each cup is just over 3/4 full.

Cook 20 – 25 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Allow muffins to cool on a wire rack.

For the topping: Place the zest and lemon juice in a bowl.

Add the sour cream (or yogurt), the sifted confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and mix well.

Keep in the fridge until ready to top the muffins.

While the muffins are baking, why not read this clever tale, If You Give A Moose A Muffin, to the children.

Teach. Sing. Learn.

Do You Know The Muffin Man song lyrics:

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?

Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane.

Oh, two of us know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, two of us know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane.

A few of us know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
A few of us know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane.

Now we all know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Now we all know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane.