Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

The cold fall and winter months are not my favorite. But cold weather weekends…..I don’t mind them too much, because I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. There’s something to be said about cooking and baking at this time of year, filling the house with incredible smells and warmth.

This recipe, oh, dear readers, this recipe! Apples, pumpkin, spices, cream cheese filling, streusel topping AND a drizzle of frosting—what more do you need to know? Though I love every recipe I share with you, I don’t usually gush except for the very best. I’m definitely gushing over these muffins. Every bite elicits an “mmmmm…”, ‘Wow…”, “So good….”, etc. Mr. D. on tasting them said…”I would walk over hot coals for these”, to which I replied, “Oh My Goodness, that good?”

Here’s the deal with these muffins….they should really be named Pumpkin Apple Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins, which is a mouthful, so I just shortened it. What you need to know about these muffins is –if you don’t like them with, say cream cheese , no problem, skip that part. If you don’t like streusel, no worries, omit it, and move on! Don’t have any apple?, Ok, leave it out. Streusel, yes; cream cheese, no? Totally do-able. Like your muffins naked? Knock yourself out.

Do you get the picture here? This is basically a “choose your own muffin adventure”. So let’s get on with it…..

PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

Yield: Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped apples, peeled

Cream Cheese layer:

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Streusel:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
5 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
Glaze (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line muffin pans with paper liners, or spray with cooking spray.

2. Prepare dry ingredients by whisking together flour, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl mix together the eggs, pumpkin and oil.

Mix these wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients until incorporated.

4. Stir in chopped apples.

5. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.

6. Make the cream cheese mixture– In a mixing bowl of your electric beater, beat cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla together until smooth. Place a heaping teaspoon on top of muffin batter in cups.

7. Make streusel–Combine all the dry ingredients, then using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle evenly over all the muffins.

8. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack.

9. Mix up glaze, if using, and drizzle over tops of muffins.

Note: When I made this recipe, I cut all quantities in half, and I still got 11 muffins. My muffin cups were filled to the tops. The only part I omitted was the glaze. These are quite sweet, you could have one as dessert. Awesome!