Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love this time of year, when everything is pumpkin flavored.  You name it, they make it: granola, yogurt, coffee, smoothies, soup, butter, cake, cookies, bread.  Here in the city of micro breweries, we even have fresh pumpkin beer.  The local breweries usually tap it near Halloween and it is available until it's gone, which is around Thanksgiving.  If you've never tried it, you need to, it's amazing.  But today I'm talking about pumpkin muffins.  These little mini muffins are quick to make and a treat to eat. 

Here they are cooling upside down.  Loaded with chocolate chips and a healthy dose of pumpkin, these three bite delights are quite satisfying.  The recipe comes from Foodnetwork.com.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

3/4 C packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

15-ounce can pumpkin (not pie filling)

1/2 C lowfat vanilla yogurt

1/4 C melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Coat three 12-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the brown sugar and eggs until blended.  Beat in the pumpkin, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended.  Fold in the chocolate morsels.

Spoon the batter into 36 mini muffin cups.

Bake 10 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean.- took at least 5 minutes more.

Cool muffins in pans.