Well, the snow has fallen before I managed to share a pumpkin recipe with you...but it's not too late is it? I personally, enjoy pumpkin spice flavours all year long. Certainly, more in the winter months though. On our trip to Las Vegas last month we stopped in at a Trader Joe's, holy moly does that place go crazy on the pumpkin spice theme! We only got on the plane with carry-on luggage, so I couldn't purchase any pumpkin spice cookie butter, but I did manage to smuggle some yummy chocolate & Cherries trail mix, pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, Pumpkin Bars; Oh, and some really beety Root Juice which I enjoyed while Cory had breakfast a Jack in the Box. Cory's vacation goals include eating at every possible state-side fast food place...he has his goals, I have mine;)
I had an epiphany of a pumpkin breakfast cookie, inspired and filled with the pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds acquired from Trader Joe's, along with oats, and cranberries; while being both sugar and gluten-free, and vegan to boot. ...they turned out like hockey pucks! I still ate them, 'cuz food waste makes me crazy, but the recipe was not at the calibre to share, I'll keep working on it.
I don't believe I've ever shared this Pumpkin Streusal Muffin recipe, and it's one that is a family favourite. Sunday mornings are for baking muffins while listening to the CBC, it's my happy place. I also love knowing that of the muffins I bake, whatever is not eaten for breakfast that day, will fill their lunch boxes throughout the week.
So in catering to their specific tastes, I usually make these 2-ways: Large muffins covered with streusal for Cory, and mini-muffins filled with chocolate chips for the kids. The mini-muffins are easier for the kids to grab and go if they just want to snack on them at home, and they fit perfectly in the little containers I use for their school lunch, making it a litter-less lunch box! Bonus! One batch can be stretched to accommodate one regular size, and one mini size muffin tray...that's two total. I've also made it into one large loaf for sharing at a staff meeting, this recipe is just so versatile. It's also a little lower in fat than traditional muffin recipes, with only one-quarter cup in the mix (minus the streusal). I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does!
Pumpkin Streusal Muffins (or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins)
2 cups white whole wheat or all-purpose flour (I use a cup of each)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 (398ml) can pumpkin puree
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup(ish) chocolate chips - optional
Streusal:
2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins or loaf pan by greasing and set aside.
Make the streusal by using a fork to mash together all of the ingredients until they are evenly combined and crumbly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, butter, eggs, and vanilla, until well combined. Add this dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just combined.
Fill the prepared muffin tins or loaf pan with the batter until they are each 2/3 full. Top with a tablespoon or so of the crumbled streusel topping.
If making chocolate chip muffins, fill regular size tin first, then add chocolate chips to remaining batter, and fill the mini tins, skipping the struesal step. Or, skip the streusal all together for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing muffins from tins, and transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
