Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

The snow from last night is melting this morning, so the world outside is a mix of white snow, yellow and orange leaves, and a slick brown shininess to everything melting and being melted on.  Necessarily, I wanted pumpkin something for breakfast.

I'm a solid cook, but I am not a great baker.  These muffins, however, were fantastic and easy.  (Except--I put in more chocolate chips than was called for, maybe just 1/4 cup more, because why not?  And turns out, it was maybe too many chocolate chips.  I was eating the muffin wishing I could taste less chocolate and more pumpkin.  Weird, right?)

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cup(s) flour
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 1 tablespoon(s) pumpkin-pie spice (OR some mix of ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt (kosher is my preference, always)
• 1 cup(s) semisweet chocolate chips
• 2  large eggs
• 1 cup (do not use pumpkin-pie filling) canned solid-pack pumpkin (OR maybe 1 1/4 cup?)
• 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (OR 1/2 cup applesauce and 1 tablespoon melted butter)

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray muffin tins.
2. In large bowl, mix first six ingredients; add chocolate chips, tossing to coat. 
3. In another small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture and stir just until combined (do not overmix). Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until muffins spring back when lightly touched (or, as I did, until they mostly look done and the edges look crispy but the top doesn't quite spring back but you have to leave to go practice a hymn for church the next day). Cool muffins on rack.

Adapted from http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/paula-muffins