- 3 tablespoons chopped dried tart cherries
- 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup packed SPLENDA® sweetener & brown sugar blend
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (without added spices)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup refrigerated pasteurized egg product
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup dried tart cherries
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons chopped cherries, the ginger, brown sugar, and rum extract. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, Splenda(R), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, stir together pumpkin, buttermilk, egg product, butter, and vanilla.
- Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in pumpkin mixture. Stir just until flour mixture is partially moistened. Add 2/3 cup cherries and stir just until moistened. (Do not over mix.) Divide batter equally between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle chopped cherry mixture evenly on muffins.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool on wire rack.