What's For Breakfast? Cheddar-Pumpkin Muffins

It's been cold here in Colorado this week. Really cold. So, accordingly, I've been doing lots of cold weather things such as snuggling under warm blankets, watching Christmas movies, drinking lots of hot tea, and baking.

A couple of mornings ago I made some delicious cheddar-pumpkin muffins for breakfast. I found this recipe in a cookbook called Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. They aren't your typical muffins, they have more of a biscuit consistency, but their slight sweetness, countered with a kick from some pepper make them worth trying.

Pumpkin-Cheddar Muffins
1 cup pumpkin
3 Tbsp sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted & cooled
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 oz grated cheddar cheese

Whisk pumpkin and sour cream. Add eggs and butter. Whisk until combined. Add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in 3/4 of the cheese. Divide among muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Let sit for 10 min before removing from tin. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.