Finals are over and I am back home for the holidays–and ready to bake! I apologize for skipping a few days of recipes. Today’s recipe will make up for it, I promise! These Pumpkin Muffins with Crumb Topping are the perfect balance of sweet, moist and light. You can make them ahead of time for a family breakfast or just savor them yourself! The surprise cream cheese center is my favorite part.
Pumpkin Muffins with Crumb Topping from FoodandWine.com
Ingredients
FILLING
- 1/3 cup cream cheese
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
MUFFINS
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together (for the cream cheese filling). Cover and freeze until chilled, about 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers. Press the mixture into small clumps. Refrigerate the topping until chilled, about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
5. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the brown sugar, oil and pumpkin puree. Beat in the dry ingredients until evenly incorporated.
6. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
7. Drop heaping teaspoons of the cream cheese filling in the center of each cup.
8. Spoon the remaining batter on top.
8. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.
11 days until Christmas!
Love that there is cream cheese in the middle!