Paleo Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

It's December 31st, 2012, the last morning of this year.
 I woke up at 5:30 when I didn't have to, but it's very nice to be able to sit here with my coffee and appreciate the fact that today I don't have to hurry and get ready for my classroom, and hurry out into the cold, and get Isaac to the bus on time.... Yes, sir, I am appreciating the little things this morning - - like how I am in my fuzzy socks and jammies, about to blog about these muffins! (Ger's already got his 6 am class going at CrossFit Countdown. We are doing Victoria, Hero WOD for a fallen teacher. As a teacher, it will be an honor, as all Hero WODs are.)
I made these muffins yesterday and I'm eating one now with my coffee with a little heavy whipping cream. Daisy is curled up beside me - she loves vacation days, too! It's been a very good year.

I hope that as you reflect on your year and look ahead to the upcoming one you make healthy foods a great priority in your life. I'll try to help with that. Anyway, here's how I made these muffins:

I put the dry ingredients into a big bowl:
2 cups almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1 TBSP cocoa
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt

I stirred this up with a wooden spoon. Then I put the wet ingredients right into the same bowl:
1 can organic pumpkin (almost 2 cups, if you'd rather roast your own)
4 eggs
1/4 cup almond butter (or pecan butter)
1/4 cup honey

I stirred everything together with a wooden spoon and added 1/2 cup chopped pecans. (I wish I had added some dark chocolate chips, but then Ger wouldn't have eaten them - he's just so disciplined!)

I put 12 paper baking cups into my muffin pan and scooped the batter into the cups. It made 12. They were very full, but were fine while baking.
I put them into a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. I cooled them on a wire rack.

They were very good!  (But, next time, I am going to scoop out the batter into several paper cups in the muffin pan and THEN I'm going to add a few dark chocolate chips to the last of the batter and that way I'll have muffins both ways! Which way are YOU going to make them?)