What makes a muffin a muffin, and not a cupcake? It's usually the texture- a little denser and dryer. And we feel more virtuous for not eating 'cupcakes' for breakfast. This muffin recipe may actually be a cupcake trying to pass as 'morning' food, but whatever. I've made various similar recipes and purchased others from bakeries, but this is the keeper....so moist they almost don't qualify for muffin status. I sometimes drizzle the top with melted chocolate - not that they need it, but extra chocolate never hurts. I'm a dark or semi-sweet chocolate person ordinarily, but in this instance, milk-chocolate chips inside the muffins works best.
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a muffin tin or use papers in a muffin tin.
In a large bowl mix 1 2/3 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1 TB pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Add 1 c. semi sweet or milk chocolate chips, & toss to coat the chips so they don't sink to the bottom.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1 c. canned pumpkin ( not p. pie mix) and 1 stick butter, plus 3 TB, melted and cooled. Combine contents of both bowls, don't overmix.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 min, til springy when touched. Cool on a rack.
