Streusel Topped Pumpkin Muffies

 You are probably asking yourself right now, what is a muffie?  Its another word, modern slang, used to describe Muffin Tops.  
Made famous by Panera Bread, muffies are just the tops of the muffins, which have long been held to be the most delicious part of any muffin.
  This Pumpkin Muffie recipe is the most delicious muffin top recipe you could ever want to bake and to eat.  I kid you not.  
I adapted the original recipe from a page entitled Lil Luna.  The original recipe made a dozen muffin top.  I can't possibly eat a dozen muffin tops and so I adapted the recipe to make only six.
 Six beautiful pumpkin and spice flavored, cinnamon streusel topped muffin tops.
Moist and delicious from the pumpkin.  Flavored with warm baking spices, but that is not all.
 I also got two beautiful normal sized muffins.  I dare to suggest that the original recipe makes more than twelve muffin tops when using a muffin top pan.  I used the proper suggested measures in mine and had extra batter.
This batter I baked in two custard cups to make two additional muffins. Not a problem because my daughter and her husband are coming over this afternoon for an early Thanksgiving dinner, and I will probably gift them the muffins to take home with them when they leave.
 I dare say nobody will complain.  Every time I bake muffin tops I am reminded of the Seinfeld Episode about Muffin tops.  Episode 21 of Season 8.
While eating the top off a muffin at J. Peterman's book signing, Elaine tells Mr. Lippman, who is publishing the book, that someone should open a store selling just the tops. Lippman, stealing her idea, starts a business called "Top of the Muffin to You!".
I won't spoil it for you by telling you the rest. 
 WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STREUSEL TOPPED PUMPKIN MUFFIN TOPS
 I can almost guarantee you have everything you need to bake these muffin tops in your kitchen right now, except for maybe the pumpkin, which can be very easily picked up at the shops. 

• all purpose flour
• white granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• warm baking spices
• baking powder and soda
• salt
• canola oil
• eggs
• pumpkin puree

For the streusel topping: 

• old fashioned oats
• flour
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• toasted walnuts
• melted butter

 Don't worry if you don't have a muffin top tin. You can bake these on a baking sheet. Just be sure to line it with some baking parchment.
You also need to leave plenty of space in-between for the dough spreading a bit when baking.  I dare say as well, if you want to you can bake the whole mix as muffins. You will probably get about 8 medium to large muffins.  (Just a guess.)
 HOW TO MAKE THE MUFFIN BATTER
This recipe varied a bit in how it is put together from the regular way of making muffin batter.  You begin by mixing both sugars and the oil together in a bowl. It was quite thick. Make sure you mash any lumps in the brown sugar out.
Once you have blended them, you need to stir in the spices, soda and baking powder.  This gets mixed together in a bowl first. Make sure you blend them really well together so that the leavening gets mixed evenly throughout.
 Up to this point, it won't look like any muffin batter you have ever seen.  This is all about to change when you beat in the egg and the pumpkin. 
Make sure you use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same thing. Pumpkin puree is just cooked pumpkin, which has been drained and pureed and is quite thick.
The pie filling will have other things added to it.

These get blended in well and then you simply stir in the flour.  I stirred it in just until it was evenly mixed with no floury streaks. As with any muffin a few lumps are quite acceptable and in fact desireable!
The muffin batter then gets spooned into the prepared pan (s).  And the streusel gets sprinkled on top.
 HOW TO MAKE THE CINNAMON OAT & NUT STREUSEL TOPPING
This is also very easy to make. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle the melted butter over top.
Mix everything together until you have a crumbly mixture, perfect for sprinkling.
 
Unless you are a total glutton you will probably have some leftover muffies to store.  You can easily store them in an airtight container with some paper toweling in between the layers to absorb any moisture that might develop and make them soggy.
You can also freeze these, tightly wrapped, in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months.  Simply thaw and warm in the microwave for about 15 seconds on high.  Delicious!
 You can also, likewise, freeze the leftover pumpkin from the tin. I place it into an airtight container and then pop it into the freezer ready to thaw out and use in my future baking endeavors.
Oh, I do so love the autumn when we can freely indulge ourselves in all things pumpkin and pumpkin spice, don't you?
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Streusel Topped Pumpkin Muffies

Yield: Makes 6 muffies (plus 2 regular sized muffins)Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 MinThese fabulous muffin tops are autumn favorites with lots of moist pumpkin goodness with a crunchy buttery sweet oat and toasted walnut streusel topping!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 3 fluid ounces (85ml) canola oil
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• scant cup  (1/2 of a 15 ounce tin/212g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 large free range egg
• 1 3/4 (245g) cup plain all purpose flour

For the streusel topping:

• 4 TBS old fashioned oats
• 3 TBS flour
• 3 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
• 3 TBS finely chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 2 TBS butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a six hole muffin top pan (see notes for alternative instructions), along with two medium muffin cups.
2. Make the streusel topping by combining the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl with the nuts.  Drizzle the melted butter over top and combine all together to give you a crumbly topping. 
3. Mix the spices, baking powder, soda and salt for the batter together in a small bowl.
4. Whisk both sugars and the oil together in a bowl. Stir in the spice mixture, mixing well to combine. Beat in the egg and pumpkin puree until smooth. Stir in the flour just to combine.
5. Spoon by heaped 1/4 cupsful into the prepared baking tin. 
6. Divide the remaining batter between the two muffin cups. Sprinkle a portion of the streusel topping over each. (You may not need it all.)
7. Bake the muffin tops in the oven for 15 minutes until done and the tops spring back when lightly touched.  The muffins will take about 20 minutes.
8. Tip out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Delicious.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes:

If you don't have a muffin top pan you can still make these muffin tops. Line several baking sheets with baking paper. Drop the muffin batter onto the baking sheets by 1/4 cups full, leaving plenty of space in between. Bake time is the same.

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