Inside Out Pumpkin Muffins

I was asked to share the recipe for the Inside Out Pumpkin Muffins I baked earlier today. This recipe is from King Arthur Flour and can be found here.

They're actually pretty easy to make, they just take a little more time than your average muffin/cupcake because there's three different things to mix, and then four steps to fill the muffin tin. They aren't very sweet - just enough - and the oats in the streusel topping ads a nice nutty note.

Ingredients

TOPPING
1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed), light or dark
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats (not instant)
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, at firm room temperature

FILLING
1 cup (8-ounce package) cream cheese, at room temperature; low-fat is fine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or a few drops Fiori di Sicilia flavoring, optional

MUFFINS
1 cup pumpkin purée (about half a standard 15-ounce can)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup boiled cider (for best flavor), dark corn syrup, or honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves + 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin papers, and grease the papers. (I did not grease the papers and I have to admit, they do stick a lot to the papers).

To make the streusel: Whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Work in the butter, mixing until coarse crumbs form. Set the topping aside.

To make the filling: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. If it's not, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat on low power for 40 seconds, just to soften it. Stir in the sugar and vanilla or Fiori di Sicilia, if using.

To make the batter: Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, boiled cider, salt, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and milk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. (I used honey in mine instead of the boiled cider as that is not a ready to hand ingredient)

Add the flour and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat briefly to incorporate the scrapings.

To assemble muffins: Drop a scant 2 tablespoons of the batter (a heaping tablespoon cookie scoop works well here) into each muffin cup, spreading it to cover the bottom. Dollop on a heaping tablespoon of filling, then cover with another 2 tablespoons of batter.

Sprinkle each muffin with some of the streusel topping.

Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted towards the edge (not into the filling) comes out crumb-free. Remove the muffins from the oven. As soon as they're cool enough to safely handle, transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy fresh-baked muffins within 2 to 3 hours; refrigerate up to 3 days for longer storage. Freeze, well-wrapped, up to 3 weeks. Rewarm cold muffins in a preheated 350°F oven, tented with foil. Or heat briefly in a microwave set at low power.