Dear Denver, Is it Winter or Fall?

We got our first snow fall here in Denver this past weekend.  While I think the snow is pretty, I don’t think it’s super pretty in October.  You see, I love fall.  It is my favorite season.  Sunny, warm days with a chill at night.  Leaves changing color.  Hoodies.  Fires.  And, all things pumpkin!  Not the crazy over the top kind, but just the right amount.  These are some of my favorite things.  So, naturally when the snow came the other day early, it made me crave all the things I love from a season that I felt like we got passed by.

So, I had a craving for something pumpkin which is why I decided to whip up some Pumpkin Muffins with a streusel topping, because, hello, everything tastes just a little bit better with some cinnamon, sugar and butter on top!

In our house, we come with the perfect mix.  Brian is the true chef and cook in our house.  I am the baker.  I love structure which I believe is why I love baking.  Baking is naturally better with some structure.  Brian is more of a “throw the book away” type of person, while I am a by the book kinda girl.  This is one of the reasons why we work so well together.

I have been baking since I was little.  I always loved whipping up some delicious goodies.  I still love it however, I don’t seem to do it as often as I used to.  Plus, I cannot have it all around the house as we will eat ALL.THE.THINGS.  I also have to confess that I like to bake when Brian is not around.  If he saw how I meticulously measured out stuff, he would go off the deep end.  He’s been measuring his whole career and he can eyeball it and be spot on like nobodies business.  I love this about him.  However, I love to use every measuring utensil we have in the house when baking.  It’s kind of therapy for me.

I ceased the opportunity to bake while he was gone and wanted to share the recipe with you!

And, on a side note, we are getting our typical fall temperatures back around here, even after the snow.  This is one of the many things why I love Denver.

If you want a little taste of fall, go ahead and make these muffins.

Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

Yields 29 (for me at least)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

4 eggs

15 oz can pumpkin puree

2/3 cup water

Streusel Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  I used muffin liners, however, you can spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, or mixer bowl, combine oil, sugars and mix until incorporated.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg.  Stir in pumpkin until combined.  Add water.  Sprinkler half of the flour mixture over the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Add the remaining flour mixture, and mix until just combined.  Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin pan.  I like the tops of muffins so I fill them about 3/4 of the way.  Leave some room for the streusel topping.
4. For streusel:  In a bowl, whisk sugar, flour and cinnamon until combined.  Drizzle melted butter over the mix and stir with a spoon until your mixture is like lumpy wet sand, making sure the leave some clumps.
5. Sprinkle streusel topping over each muffin and cover completely.  I press the streusel into the muffin a little.
6. Bake muffins for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. 
7. Remove from oven and cool slightly, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Note:  I live at a higher altitude therefore cooking time may vary.