Gourmet muffins can make an excellent gift for many occasions such as anniversaries, holidays or other special events. Homemade gourmet gifts are even better, because of the psychological impact of knowing that somebody cooked them with you in mind. So, if you have someone special and want to give him a special present, try this muffin recipe or one of its variations mentioned below.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (all purpose is just fine)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (you can use brown sugar, it’s healthier)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup yogurt (fat-free yogurt is also an acceptable option)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Makes 12 muffins

Cooking procedure:

Mix the flour with salt and baking powder in a bowl. Separately beat the eggs with the yogurt and sugar, then add them to the dry mix together with the pumpkin and stir the batter well until it gets moistened. Then gently add in the chocolate chips. Grease a muffin tin and spoon the mix inside the cups, filling them only three thirds. You can use an ice cream scoop to fill in the cups. Since your muffins are meant to be a gift, it would be very nice if you bought some special occasion cupcake paper liners. Never ignore gift wrapping, as it sometimes can make a more powerful effect than the gift itself. This is why such inexpensive and easy to find accessories matter, so try to use them. Bake the muffins at 400 F for about 18-25 minutes and let them cool when ready.

Variations: blueberries, chopped almonds, ground nutmeg, poppy seeds or applesauce can also be used for making delicious and good looking gourmet muffins. For an exquisite taste, you can try using pineapple and macadamia nut instead of pumpkin and chocolate chips.