Velvet Pumpkin Soup and Oatmeal Muffins

By Late2Serenity

Yield (soup): about 8 servings.

Yield (muffins): 12 muffins.


Oatmeal muffins are a real back-to-basics treat. The taste of these will probably bring you back to your childhood, when a bowl of steaming oatmeal on the table was a wintertime constant. Don't expect a big blast of flavor from these; they're designed to be mild, a comfortable complement to the more assertively spiced soup they accompany.

Ingredients

• SOUP
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 16 -ounce can solid-pack pumpkin (or squash)
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• MUFFINS
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• cinnamon-sugar for topping (optional)

Details

Adapted from kingarthurflour.com

Preparation

Step 1

SOUP: Melt butter in a large saucepan, and sauté garlic and onions till golden brown. Add curry powder, salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper; simmer gently for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

Add pumpkin, stirring till smooth. Add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes; don't allow soup to boil (but a simmer is OK).

In batches, transfer soup to blender or food processor. Process till very smooth. Serve hot.


MUFFINS: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan; or line the pan with papers, and grease the papers.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat together milk, oil or butter, eggs, and vanilla.

Gently stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing only enough to blend. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.

Bake muffins for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove muffins from the pan and cool completely on a rack.