pumpkin applesauce muffins

some people are into cupcakes
i think we are more into muffins at our house
they have more substance to them
but whether you are into cupcakes or muffins,
you'll love these

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (i used whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
2 cups sugar (i only used 1 1/2 cups because 2 just seemed like a lot)
4 large eggs
1 cup applesauce ( i used my homemade pearsauce)
1 cup canned mashed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup apple juice or cider or orange juice
1 1/2 cups raisins ( we didn't put in the raisins, instead we did half plain and half with chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Add dry ingredients, alternating with the juice, beginning and ending with the dry mixture; mix until smooth. Fold in raisins or chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted in the center of each muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool in the pans several minutes; turn muffins out onto a rack. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. Repeat steps 1 through 3 with remaining batter.

Makes almost 2 dozen, we got 23 muffins.

this recipe has been adapted from an oprah winfrey magazine found at the doctor's office