Pumpkin, Cranberry and Pecan Muffins

Jeffrey likes to tell a story about a former coworker who liked to make muffins of the "healthy" variety- they were so healthy, as a matter of fact, that they made excellent doorstops, and tasted about like you'd expect a doorstop to taste.  Everyone at the office tried to be kind, and so the muffins disappeared, but they never, EVER got eaten.

I'm not sure why traditionally sweet muffins have often been metamorphosed into recipes that use way too much whole wheat, substitute apple sauce for all the fat, and add heavy grains like bran, but that's pretty common.

That's NOT the case with Pumpkin, Cranberry and Pecan muffins from "For the Love of Cooking" - this recipe successfully walks the line of healthy ingredients and great taste! 

I can't even remember the last time I made muffins, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are super-quick to mix up.  I made the recipe as posted, except that I didn't have coarse sugar on hand to sprinkle the batter with, so I made do with regular sugar.  Very tasty results!  I think I need to make muffins more often!  They make a great quick breakfast or mid-morning snack.