In the fall, I utilize fresh and canned pumpkin as much as physically and culinarily possible. I adore filling my house with this gourd’s sweet and nutty aroma and autumn in my house wouldn’t be the same without it. That said, I’m curious why chefs don’t combine pumpkin and chocolate more often. I got creative recently and made pumpkin muffins laced with semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Before you try them, I must warn you: They’re wonderfully unique and incredibly addictive. In fact, my family devoured all 36 mini muffins MUCH sooner than I anticipated, leaving everyone hankering for more. Once the muffin pan was empty, my son Kyle looked at me with his big green eyes and asked, “Mom, can you make these before you go to bed tonight so I have something to look forward to in the morning?” Who can say no to that?

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