Kate’s “Welcome Back My Old Friend” Pumpkin Muffins
It’s that time of year: pumpkin time! I’ve been a big fan way before it was ever an overpriced drink at every coffee shop. We did not have a single Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie – with whipped cream, of course! When I moved to the Southeast, I discovered that pumpkin has competition at the holiday table, and that’s with pecan pie. It took me years to embrace this rival, but, damn it, it’s just as good and a “must” for my husband and in-laws.
Well, this past Thanksgiving I decided to pre-game with some pumpkin pie, refusing to give up my old favorite. I carefully selected my recipe and its ingredients, baked her up, freshly whipped cream and all, only to discover I forgot the sugar. Arrrrrr! No matter how many ways I attempted to “doctor” this error, the pie refused to be savory or sweet. My advice: Don’t forget to taste your filling!
These muffins are my first fall-themed bake of the year and a small taste of the beloved pumpkin. For this particular recipe, canned puree is fine. After all, in a baked application such as muffins, it’s all about the spices, which is comprised of ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger – some of my favorites. The Fiori di Sicilia mixed with cream cheese is such an amazing citrus component to complement the warm spices. I truly love it.
For my digital scale hack, I ensured equal quantities in my muffins by subtracting the weight of my bowl from the total weight of the batter and dividing by 12. Then simply pour that much batter into each muffin cup while it’s on the scale. The same methodology can be applied for the cream cheese filling.
Ingredients:
Streusel: Muffins:
60 grams AP flour 227 grams pumpkin purée
53 grams brown sugar 2 large eggs
23 grams rolled oats 106 grams brown sugar
dash of salt 35 grams vegetable oil
4 TBSP (57 grams) butter 85 grams boiled cider, dark corn syrup, or honey 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Filling: 1 teaspoon baking powder
8-ounce package of cream cheese 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
50 grams granulated sugar 74 grams milk
1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia (or vanilla/citrus extract) 180 grams AP flour
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin papers, and grease the papers.
To make the streusel: Whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Work in the butter, mixing until coarse crumbs form. Set the topping aside.
To make the filling: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature or rather soft. Stir in the sugar and vanilla or Fiori di Sicilia.
To make the batter: Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, boiled cider, salt, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and milk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the flour and mix until well combined, checking the bottom and sides to ensure everything is incorporated.
Drop a scant 2 tablespoons of the batter into each muffin cup, spreading it to cover the bottom. Dollop on a generous tablespoon of filling (one level cookie scoop), then cover with another 2 tablespoons of batter (another heaping cookie scoop).
Sprinkle each muffin with some of the streusel topping. Approximately one heaping tablespoon.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted towards the edge comes out crumb-free.
Remove the muffins from the oven. As soon as they're cool enough to safely handle, transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Enjoy fresh-baked muffins within 2 to 3 hours; refrigerate up to 3 days for longer storage. Freeze, well wrapped, up to 3 weeks.