Halloween is upon us and fall has already started, but apparently Lithia did not get the memo. Cold, crisp air that does not exist in Florida must reside in our minds as we try to manifest a New-England fall from the southeast. However, indulging in pumpkin-related goods can make us forget we live somewhere that stays in the upper-90s during October.

   This recipe was inspired by All Recipe’s dupe of the Starbucks Pumpkin Bread which can be found at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/246817/starbucks-pumpkin-bread/. Typically, the batter should be put in a loaf pan, but muffins are more fun. And who needs to have friends over on Halloween when you have muffins? Muffins need no mask.

Ingredients:

o   1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

o   1 teaspoon baking soda 

o  1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

o  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

o  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 

o  ½ teaspoon baking powder 

o  ½ teaspoon salt 

o  4 large eggs

o  1 cup brown sugar 

o  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 

o  ¾ cup canned pumpkin 

o  ¾ cup vegetable oil 

o   1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

   First off, preheat the oven to 375* then mix up all the dry ingredients; dry, like your phone from the lack of texts you have been receiving. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Be sure not to get any tears in the bowl, because I know you are making these at 10 p.m. even though you have an essay due at midnight. No, you cannot write an essay in 30 minutes.

   In a separate bowl because a longer cleanup is just more time for you to suppress your feelings, beat together the eggs, vanilla extract and sugar, preferably with a mixer. It can be done without a mixer, though, and the arm movement will be the first time you have worked out since you saw that one ab-exercise TikTok four months ago. Mix in the pumpkin and oil, then slowly add the flower until the mixture is fully combined.

   Spray each muffin tin, then evenly pour the batter. In an 11 x 10 tin, you should be able to make 12 muffins. Bake for 30 minutes, checking halfway to see the progress. When complete, the top should be brown, and an inserted toothpick should come out clean.

   Hopefully these amazing muffins will diminish some of that existential dread everyone has this time of year, unless that is just me. I might just be projecting here.