Spiced Butternut Squash Muffins

• 1/2 pound peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium saucepan with enough water to cover, boil squash 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and puree in a food processor.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, white sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together milk, egg and butter. Stir in squash. Fold the squash mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling cups about 1/2 full. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.

*I prepared my butternut squash by roasting it…cut the squash in half length-wise, scoop out all seeds and place flat side down on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees F until the squash is tender (20-30 minutes). Then scoop out all the “meat” from the skin and puree. One large squash will get you more than enough puree for this recipe and another.

**My girls love baked goods so this is a way that they think they are getting a treat, but I can feel good that at least they are getting some nutrition from the squash. I think the muffins taste just like pumpkin pie! For an added bonus, I cut the muffin in half and spread a little cream cheese in the center. This recipe makes 12 muffins…I froze most of them to use when needed for a month.