PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

   It's about time I share this incredibly moist recipe with you, before the season is so far gone that you can't find pumpkin puree to make it, much less find the desire to eat it! Before you scroll right to the recipe, follow me on a short journey on how to prepare it....

Pictured above is my sister's hand, toiling over the streusel topping (using a pastry blender). Left, my daughter is pouring the pre-mixed dry ingredients into a large bowl, which amounts to flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, & my own mix of spices.

The key to a better 'wet ingredients' blend is to lightly beat your eggs before adding anything to them. My daughter only just decided that this step isn't too gross anymore, and that she is now ready to take it on as her job!

When you measure and add the oil before the other ingredients (in this case, pumpkin puree), the residue helps it slide right out of the measuring cup! (It's the little things that matter!)

One of the most crucial steps to ensure moist (not tough) muffins is the blending of wet and dry ingredients. DO NOT OVERMIX! Only just combine them! So, for most of my recipes, when I'm instructed to fold the apples (or chocolate chips, raspberries, orange peel, etc) into the combined ingredients, I cheat a little. :o) If your goal is to stir as little as possible at this point, then don't wait until your dry and wet ingredients are completely combined before adding the remaining items!

     This photo shows the consistency that the batter should be when apples are added. The dry and wet are mostly combined, and I have but a few folds left to go. That's just enough to get those apples in there and keep my muffins from becoming tough!

Now you're ready to scoop into the muffin tins! All of my recipes are baked in jumbo tins (6-8 oz), using Wilton paper cups. Most recipes yield 6 jumbo muffins, but this pumpkin recipe yields 8 jumbo!

I've found that using the 2/3 measuring cup helps keep the guess work out of evenly-scooping and eliminates unnecessary mess. This fills them between 2/3 and 3/4 full, giving a nice dome shaped muffin in the end. Experiment, and see what works for you!

When adding topping, the tablespoon measure unit works great for these muffins. Again, less guesswork and less mess!

  

Pop them in the oven for 35 minutes (standard OR jumbo!), and await the mouth-watering aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, and other delectable flavors that waft through the kitchen during the baking process! Recipe follows...

PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 C flour

2 C sugar

1 T pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 C pumpkin

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 C vegetable oil

2 C apple (peeled, cored, chopped)

Streusel topping:

4 tsp butter

2 T flour

1/4 C sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven 350F. Line muffin tins with cups. For streusel topping, mix last three ingredients in small bowl, cutting in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Set aside.  In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and soda. In medium bowl, mix pumpkin, beaten eggs, and oil. Add this mixture to dry ingredients. Stir til just moistened, folding in apples towards the end of moistening process. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full (or 3/4 full for domed tops). Sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).