Pumpkin-Apple Muffins with Pecan Streusel

All the good things of fall, save for colorful maple leaves, in one muffin

As I see it, there are two approaches to autumn, which arrived here today in the northern hemisphere.

You can think like my husband, who ponders the autumnal equinox with a gloomy, “the days only get shorter and the darkness comes sooner each day until December 21st.” Or there’s my take, which not surprisingly involves moving the cloves, nutmeg and ginger to the front of the spice closet. And yes, pumpkin and apples, but not in an insane pumpkin spice-flavored SPAM way. My gawd, please think better of me. I have boundaries.

In my husband’s defense, he is VERY positive about the winter solstice’s arrival.

All the good things of fall, save for colorful maple leaves, in one muffin: pumpkin, chopped apples, all the spices and pecan streusel.

Keep ‘em craggy.

A few quick notes afore we begin:

• The muffins are exceptionally moist, not too sweet and delicious warm or cold.

• Let the batter sit for 15 minutes before decanting into individual cupcake cups.

• The muffins cook at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes, and then the heat is lowered to 350 to continue cooking.

• You can use all all-purpose flour if you don’t have whole wheat on hand and must have muffins immediately.

• No, of course you don’t need to put pecans in the streusel.

• As written the recipe has a polite portion of streusel. If streusel is your thing, consider doubling the amount.

Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins With Pecan Streusel

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All the joys of fall in one streusel-topped muffin

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Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins with Pecan Streusel

Yield: 16 to 18 muffins

What You’ll Need for the Muffin Batter:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (freshly grated preferred)

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 15-oz can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup neutral flavor oil (like grapeseed or canola)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups apple, cut into 1/4” chunks (I used Honeycrisp, although any apples, save for a mealy macintosh variety would work.)

What You’ll Need For the Streusel :

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons flour,

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans.

What You’ll Do:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 16 to 18 muffins depending on how much batter you fill each liner with, so you’ll need to line another cupcake tin as well.

3. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter until it begins to clump together and is the texture of wet sand. Mix in the pecans.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, all the spices, the baking soda and salt.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, pumpkin and vanilla.

6. Fold the wet mixture into the dry and when almost all the flour is absorbed, add the apples and fold them in. Do not overmix or your muffins will be bouncy, bouncy, bouncy like Tigger. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

7. Spoon the batter into each cup, filling to the top. Don’t smooth the tops. We are going for craggy. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the tops of the muffins.

8. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. They are ready when a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.

9. Let cool until it’s time to stuff them in your and your loved ones’ faces.

Happy Autumn?!

Is Autumn your bag? Do you have a favorite season? A favorite seasoning?

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