Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Today I'll share another one of our favorite holiday recipes.  The original recipe came from the October/November 1997 issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine.  The original recipe is very delicious and was for a loaf of pumpkin bread, but my daughter, Stephanie, experimented and replaced the oil in the recipe with applesauce.  Her recipe is a much lighter version and the muffins are a perfect two-bite portion. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

1 cup applesauce
2 2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 16-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (reserve 1 T. to toss with choc. chips)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (totally optional)
paper mini cupcake holders.

Preheat oven to 350.  In large bowl beat together applesauce and sugar.  Beat in pumpkin, water and eggs.  Add flour, reserving 1 T. for chocolate chips.  Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and vanilla.  Stir chips into batter.  Bake until a cake tester comes out clean.  Approximately 13 to 17 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Best made the day before.  Enjoy!