persimmon pumpkin muffins

This muffin has a flavor and spice combination that remind me of autumn. It makes sense, as the ingredients were picked at the height of their sweetness last fall. My friend Diana goes persimmon picking in the fall and always shares the loot. We eat as many as possible before they go bad and then peel, core, and put the rest through the food processor, freezing the puree to use during the year. Today, I finished the last of the puree and added it to some puree from a French heirloom Rouge Vif D'Etampes pumpkin we grew in our garden and harvested in the fall.

The muffins took all of 10 minutes to prep and baked for 25 minutes. When they were cool, I offered half of a muffin to my two-year-old son Sebastian and another half to his two-and-a-half-year-old buddy Violet when they woke up from their naps today. Seba kept asking for "mas pan" (more bread) and Violet also loved the "cake" and wanted more. In the end, they conned 3 muffins out of me.

persimmon pumpkin muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)-- I used 1/2 cup of persimmon puree and 1/2 cup of roasted pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together eggs, persimmon puree, pumpkin puree, oil, and 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined. 
3. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl. 
4. Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. 
5. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. 
6. Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's version of this recipe