Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

I was thinking of trying a recipe with pumpkin for From My Rasoi hosted by meeta. I tried for the pumpkins but I could n’t find any in the local stores or markets last week. So I went in for canned pumpkins.

Some History and facts about pumpkin( which I collected from the net)

References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was changed by the French into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin."
Pumpkins are 90 percent water. Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A. Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites. Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.
Pumpkin Seed is an herbal medicine used for bladder irritation, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), problems with urinating, and kidney stones.
DID YOU KNOW:
A pumpkin is really a squash?
It is! It's a member of the Cucurbita family which includes squash and cucumbers.
That pumpkins are grown all over the world?
Six of the seven continents can grow pumpkins including Alaska! Antarctica is the only continent that they won't grow in.
That the "pumpkin capital" of the world is Morton, Illinois?
This self proclaimed pumpkin capital is where you'll find the home of the Libby corporation's pumpkin industry.

I have baked cakes and muffins from the ready to do mixes which is available in the grocery stores. But I haven’t tried home made regular cakes or muffins.This is my first try of baking a muffin.. I was thinking to do that for a long time…So now I searched for pumpkin muffin recipes. The one which was simple and the one which I liked was this. I was happy with the result except that sugar was a bit less . I added ¾ cup acc to the recipe but 1 cup would be perfect.
I made 2 alterations to the original recipe. The original recipe had 1 tsp baking powder+ ½ tsp of baking soda and ¾ cup of milk. But as I didn’t have baking soda with me I added 2 tsp of baking powder itself. I wanted to add buttermilk and so I added ½ cup of buttermilk and ¼ cup milk. The muffins turned out great and I loved the raisins in it.
This is my entry to Meeta’s From My Rasoi and Nanditha’s weekend Breakfast Blogging.

Ingredients

Pumpkin(pureed) fresh or canned- 1 cup
All purpose flour- 1 ½ cups
Sugar- 1 cup
Butter- ¼ cup
Eggs-2
Salt- 1/8 tsp
Milk- ¼ cup
Buttermilk- ½ cup
Baking powder-1 ½ tsp
Baking soda- ½ tsp
Raisins- ½ cup
Vanilla essence-1/2 tsp

Method

Pre heat the oven to 400 F. Grease the muffin pan with oil.
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl till they are mixed well. Then add the eggs one by one and beat them well.
Sift flour, baking soda , baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold in gently. Then add the pumpkin puree, milk and buttermilk and fold in gently again. Add the raisins and vanilla.

Fill in the muffin pan 2/3 full and bake in for 12 to 14 minutes or until it turns golden brown.(U can check it by inserting a sharp knife. When the knife comes out clean the muffins are done).Remove from the oven and let them cool a few minutes in the pan before removing.