Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Pumpkin Apple Muffins



I’m pretty sure Mother Nature is in the middle of a raging case of PMS and since I’ve recently experienced my own bout of the same, I ain’t mad at her.

I’m just going to pretend that the 90-degree weather interspersed with days of heavy, dark clouds and rain is totally normal and completely Fall appropriate.

And I’m going to bake pumpkin recipes to my heart’s content.

And this one is going to the top of my favorites list. Or, at least, to the top of my favorite pumpkin recipes list.



One warning. As Alton would say, muffins aren’t supposed to be sweet. (Blah, blah, blah.) I like sweet and these are. Two cups of sugar. Need I say more?

And, on top of that (pun intended), there’s a sweet streusel topping that bakes into a crispy, sugary crust. Oh, mama. (Everything should have crispy, sugary crust. Everything.)

These are seriously wonderful. And especially delicious right out of the oven. Oh, who am I kidding? These were especially delicious cold the next morning. That’s right, I scarfed one as I was walking out the door to work, crumbs flying every which way.



I find it impossible not to eat the goods. No matter how often I stand in front of a mirror and curse my expanding waistline, I can’t keep my fingers off. It’s a problem. Just one of many.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups finely chopped peeled apples

Streusel
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons cold butter or margarine

Directions
In a bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in apples. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (mine only needed 25, so keep an eye on 'em) or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Eat eight by yourself. (To make me feel better.)

(You can go here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.)

(In case you live under a rock, tomorrow’s the big day.)
(This is very exciting.)
(Okay, I'm done now.)

12 comments:

  1. Mmmmmmmmm, muffins. Now I'm hungry and lunch is 40 minutes away! :)

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  2. HOLY GOD THESE LOOK GOOD! hhmmm do you think we could just fill the whole muffin tin with sugary streusel topping? I'm just saying...that sounds really good!By the way I love that you're baking again. AND just FYI it's already snowed 2 times here! Did you see Tom Brady cute bum sunday running around in the snow?!-L

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  3. The muffins sound great! Anything with a streusel topping sounds great to me. I love that topping! Also, I love that last shot of the muffins.

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  4. You need to open a bakery.Or sell online...I would totally order! Etsy, my dear. Etsy. I've ordered cookies from a seller there before and she's doing incredibly well...

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  5. Debbie, I’m sorry. Truly. Even my stomach starts to growl when I see these pictures. Then I get mad that I still have a few muffins left at home. Just waiting for me to eat them. Must… stay… strong… L, YES, of course I saw Tom! Actually, I only caught the highlights as I was at work, but what a game! The touchdowns, the snow, the hot man… fantastic.Thanks, Gayle! The streusel is seriously awesome. But then, so were the muffins. Tough call on which was better. Which says a lot about the muffins, ‘cause usually the streusel wins out over everything. I mean, butter and sugar and cinnamon, oh my. Does it get any better?kerryanne, that’s a very interesting idea. I never thought of selling baked goods on Etsy. Okay, I’m going to put some serious thought into this…

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  6. What? Muffins aren’t supposed to be sweet???! You are making that up! They look yummie :)

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  7. These pics are amazing! I want one now. I just love this time of year where we get to incorporate pumpkin into all the baking!

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  8. As if I didn't have enough to do, now I am going to have to go make some muffins. Thanks Steph.... sigh. (They look really yummy! The kids are going to be very happy with me.;)

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  9. I just drooled on my keyboard and gained five pounds. Curses, you.

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  10. These look amazing! I bookmarked it so I can make them soon. I just love pumpkin. :)

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  11. wow these sound awesome...i can't wait to make these, great recipe!

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  12. Those look so delicious! I think I might have something to bring to Thanksgiving dinner now =)

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