Photograph by T. Mike Fletcher
Streusel Topping
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup pecans
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, cold
If making by hand, chop the pecans very finely. Otherwise, just measure them. Combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut the butter in until the mixture is crumbly. Alternatively, place all in the bowl of a processor and pulse until crumbly.
Pumpkin Muffins
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ cup pecan pieces, coarsely chopped 1 egg
½ cup milk
½ cup pumpkin
⅓ cup oil
Preheat oven to 400 if using regular muffin pans or 350 if using dark pans. Line cupcake tins with papers and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pecans in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together the egg, milk, pumpkin and oil. Whisk into the flour mixture just until combined. Spoon into muffin cups ⅔ full. Divide topping among the muffins. For regular size muffins, bake 15 to 17 minutes. For mini-muffins, back 12 to 14 minutes.
By Helen Fletcher, The Ardent Cook
