Butternut Squash Muffins with Graham Flour

I know, right now you're thinking: "Oh dear, poor Astra, she's finally gone completely batty. It's July, butternut squash isn't even remotely in season in July..."

I assure you, though, my sanity is still completely intact, at least in this particular instance. Ever since I first moved out of my parents' home and had my very own kitchen, I've been continuing the habit taught to me by my grandmother when I was very small - each Autumn, purchase vast amounts of pumpkin and other fall and winter squashes, cook them, puree them, and freeze them for handy use the rest of the year. So, while butternut squash may not be in season now, the little packet of butternut squash I found in my freezer this morning was in season when I first brought it home and tucked it away for the coming months...

While the scents of nutmeg and cloves might also be more expected a few months from now, they are comforting aromas, and the act of stirring muffin batter is even more comforting. And as I'm about to have large needles inserted into each of my spinal disks, without anesthesia, in a mere few hours from now, I felt as though comforting rituals were in order.

I'm not easily frightened, and I possess a fairly high pain tolerance (a necessity for growing up on a farm and galloping horses over massive fences with the constant possibility of crashing), but at this moment, I freely admit that I'm terrified. My abilities to concentrate utterly abandoned me sometime around Sunday afternoon, when thankfully I had Zach close at hand to keep me from accidentally lighting the clothes dryer on fire with the wrong setting, or some other domestic crisis. Amazingly, despite my state of distraction, these muffins turned out to be a revelation, flawless in every way, nutty and spicy and moist and hearty all at once. Everything a muffin should be. And everything I needed to settle my mind, spoon and mixing bowl in hand.

Butternut Squash Muffins with Graham Flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat graham flour (if you don't have graham flour handy, you can just use regular whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pureed butternut squash
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
2 cups raw turbinado sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts

~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin cups with paper liners or cooking spray.
~ Gently stir together the graham flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
~ In another bowl, whisk together the butternut squash, vanilla yogurt, turbinado sugar, canola oil, water, and eggs until well blended.
~ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.
~ Fold in the walnuts.
~ Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling the cups 3/4 full. Bake for approx 20 minutes - until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins on wire racks... or serve warm!