Except for a half teaspoon, I had a full 15oz can of freshly opened pumpkin that I needed to store or use.

I thought about freezing it in cubes to cook with later on, that’s what I usually do.

My husband suggested that I make cookies or bread with it. That sounded good, but also like a lot of work.

I thought for a bit and decided to add some of it to a box of Jiffy Muffin Mix to make pumpkin muffins.

The first batch, I tried to keep it minimal and only add pumpkin pie spice and some of the canned pumpkin to the Jiffy Mix. Unfortunately, it was a big fail. The muffins were heavy and pretty much tasteless. I promptly tossed them in the trash.

The second batch was a winner though.
I started the second batch by adding what I thought would make pumpkin muffins taste sweeter and have a better texture. When I was finished adding a half dozen more ingredients to the Jiffy Mix, my batter was large enough for 12 muffins.  They smelled wonderful and baked up beautifully. Even before I tasted one of them, I was pleased with the results.

To give the muffins a bit more sweetness, I made some strawberry cream topping and served it with the muffins. My husband and I really enjoyed the muffins and the strawberry cream together. The 2 different flavors complimented each other deliciously.

It really is fun for me to make new recipes using familiar and basic products. I’m always pleasantly surprised when after a couple tries I get the recipe right and it turns out tasty and edible.

Do you enjoy adding ingredients to familiar mixes to either spruce them up or make something different? Do you have a favorite?

Wishing you happy cooking!

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