Ghost Pumpkin Muffins ~ Baking in the Classroom

The children at our little yellow school love to bake!  Before Thanksgiving, the children made their own individual little apple sweetie pies with apples we had picked at the apple orchard.

Cutting Apples

Sprinkling on some cinnamon and sugar.

Little Apple Sweetie Pies

For Halloween, we baked some ghost-shaped pumpkin muffins!  We used Mrs. M.'s child-friendly pumpkin muffin recipe (recipe follows).

We began by gathering our ingredients.

The Ingredients

The children took turns measuring and combining the wet and dry ingredients.

Pumpkin Puree

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable Oil

Sugar

Next the children took turns whisking the eggs and adding them to the mixture.

Whisking the Eggs

Whisking the Eggs

Adding the Eggs

Mixing

Mixing

It was time to measure the dry ingredients.  We added lots of flour.

Baking soda and baking powder were next.

Adding Baking Soda

Adding Baking Powder

This was followed by nutmeg and cinnamon.

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Time to combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

The muffin batter was poured into ghost-shaped muffin cups by Reynolds.  These were purchased at Target before they left us and went back to the United States.

Our Ghost-Shaped Muffins

Baking is a Practical Life skill.  Through our baking activities, the children are learning how to follow a recipe, measuring liquids and dry ingredients, and mixing substances.   They are also strengthening their fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination.  The pride evident when they take their yummy baked goods home is lovely to see.  We have many more baking activities planned for the school year!

Pumpkin Muffins

  

3 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, 1 large can)

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

4 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg


1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease muffin tray or loaf pan.

2.  In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, oil, sugar and eggs.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add to pumpkin mixture until well blended.  Pour into pans.

3.  Bake muffins for 22 - 28 minutes.  Loaves take 45 minutes to 1 hour.


Note:  This recipe makes a very large batch.  The muffins freeze well.