Pumpkin-Apple Streusel Muffins

With temperatures hitting a high of 48 today-it appears mother nature has finally decided it's time for fall in our neck of the woods!  I'm not looking forward to the cold weather-that's for sure, but I am grateful it's held off for this long.  Having those 70 degree temps these last couple of weeks enabled me to get a lot of outside work done, and I'm happy to say, that for the first time in years, my gardens are ready for winter BEFORE the end of October!

Now I can finally concentrate on the inside of our house again-which is exactly what I did last night-while hubby watched the Vikings get destroyed! (More like shook his fist at the TV and yelled a lot of not so very nice things!)


Since we are having some friends over for brunch this weekend I started by whipping up a batch of pumpkin-apple streusel muffins.

 I found the recipe for these moist-spicy muffins, years ago in old cookbook entitled Treasures of Christmas.  That book truly is a treasure-because it is jam packed with delicious recipes for the holidays!  Unfortunately, I've tried so many of them, that it looks a bit worse for wear.

Anyway, once the muffins were in the oven-I had time to put the final touches of fall in place in the dining room. I also moved around a few pieces-(and added one), to make the space a bit more cozy. (I'll be sharing all of this with you next week!)

I also gathered up some of the dishes I've been picking up at Goodwill, and created a GORGEOUS fall tablescape for the brunch!  (I can't wait to show it to you!  I'm over the moon happy at how it all turned out!!!)

By the time I had everything finished in the dining room-it was half time,  and hubby had lifted himself off the couch, just long enough to grab a snack.

"Whatcha been doing?" he asked, as he made his way to the kitchen THROUGH the NEWLY decorated dining room.

I wasn't surprised that he hadn't noticed the furniture had been moved, OR the lovely tablescape.

It's football season.

I could paint every wall in the house bright orange, and run around the house with a pink tutu and a mud mask on my face-and hubby wouldn't bat an eye.

And the question-well, he didn't really WANT an answer-which is why I didn't give him one.  Besides, halftime was over.

"Something smells really good in there," he said, racing past me with a bag of chips in hand.

That's my hubby- ever the observant one.  He didn't even SEE the muffins setting out on the counter to cool!!

But that's okay.  It's football season-and I can get a WHOLE lot done in the 3 1/2 months before hubby comes out of his football coma!  Besides, at least I know where he is.  All I have to do is follow the trail of socks and chip crumbs!

Or, as in last night's case, pumpkin-apple streusel crumbs!!! It's a good thing this recipe makes a big batch!

Here's what you'll need:

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Ingredients:

Muffins:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (or half a can) of pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples

Streusel:

2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, and oil.  Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stir until moistened.  Fold in apples.  Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin tins.  Fill about 3/4 full.  

In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients for streusel, and cut in butter, until crumbly.

Sprinkle streusel over muffins.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Makes 18 muffins.

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For more breakfast treats, check out my FROM MY KITCHEN page!

I'll be linking up at these amazing parties today-so stop on over and be inspired!!!

Inspiring Grace

Jann Olson

Katherine's Corner

Rooted in Thyme

Blessings,

Christine