1. Sutter’s Ridge Farm, Farmer’s Market, Madison, WI 53703

Smile Factor: 10 ~ Bang per Bite: 8 ~ Creativity: 6 ~ Deliciousness: 10 ~ Plate Appeal: 9 ~ Total: 43

…Surprise! Sutter’s Farm pumpkin BAR won the whole pumpkin MUFFIN contest! Anything is possible in the land of the smile factor. It’s really not easy being this delicious so I decided not to disqualify the bar and instead gave it the trophy. They say you find love when you aren’t looking for it and wow, did I find love. I was originally on the hunt for the best pumpkin muffins hiding at the market but then this treat caught my eye. It was a moment of total serendipity. You could just smell the pumpkin before biting into the moist, fluffy bar. The cream cheese frosting made the whole thing irresistible (I am a sucker for cream cheese frosting). It was really hard for me to slow down and take in all the flavors. The Sutter’s Farm family went through eight different recipe changes before they found the winning recipe and I took about 2.5 seconds to eat the whole thing! Definitely a perfect fall treat!

2. Stella’s Bakery, Farmer’s Market, Madison, WI 53703

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Smile Factor: 9 ~ Bang per Bite: 8 ~ Creativity: 7 ~ Deliciousness: 8 ~ Plate Appeal: 8 ~ Total: 40

 Well, to start off this is actually a muffin AND has some amazing plate appeal. There was no lack of pumpkin and the cream cheese frosting was wonderful. The denseness of the muffin leaves you feeling perfectly satisfied. Just like the above pumpkin bar, I had trouble controlling the speed at which the muffin disappeared before my eyes. I’m learning about savoring in my positive psychology class so I will try to take in the moment for all future baked goods I encounter. This one is just so easy to love!

3. Sunroom Café, 638 State Street, Madison, WI 53703

Smile Factor: 9 ~ Bang per Bite: 6 ~ Creativity: 7 ~ Deliciousness: 8 ~ Plate Appeal: 5 ~ Total: 35

This muffin top is all that. It was gooey on the top and served a little warm. The dark chocolate chips were slightly melted and there was a solid amount of pumpkin taste. The sweetness level was just right and the spices in the muffin complemented the pumpkin well. Every bite guaranteed a dark chocolate chip or two, which is every chocolate lover’s dream. The Sunroom café guy told me that their pumpkin muffin is one of the more popular baked goods they sell and that they definitely have some pumpkin muffin regulars.

4. Redamtè, 449 State St., Madison, WI 53703

Smile Factor: 7 ~ Bang per Bite: 5 ~ Creativity: 8 ~ Deliciousness: 7 ~ Plate Appeal: 8 ~ Total: 35

The more I look at muffins, the more adorable I think they are! This muffin, with the asymmetrical top and pumpkin seed ornaments, was quite the delectable delight. The chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds added excitement to every bite. I really couldn’t put one muffin above the other so Redamtè and Sunroom tied. They both have their unique plate appeal and tastes. Maybe I’ll get desensitized to judging baked goods as the blogging goes on, but for now, I just can’t pick favorites between these two.

5. Chris & Lori’s Bakehouse, Farmer’s Market, Madison, WI 53703

Smile Factor: 4 ~ Bang per Bite: 2 ~ Creativity: 10 ~ Deliciousness: 3 ~ Plate Appeal: 8 ~ Total: 30

I was slowly strolling with the Farmer’s Market mob and stopped when I saw a mom and son chowing down on these humongous, marbled pumpkin cream cheese muffins. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the muffins and asked if they were good. All the mom responded was “yeah.” I should’ve know that “yeah” is never the magic word to pay $4. I had such high expectations for the muffin and I continued eating it in hopes that I would be hit with a satisfying bite full of pumpkin. But that BAM! Pumpkin! moment never came. The muffin tasted more like a cupcake and I’m surprised I’m saying this, but it was too sweet. In the end, I shared the rest with the trashcan a block away from Chris and Lori’s Bakehouse.  So yeah.