in the spirit of getting a hobby

i tried a new recipe yesterday: Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins. I've been looking for something to do with my canned pumpkin! These actually turned out spectacularly. I took a recipe from all recipes and modified it slightly (used wheat flour, halved the sugar, added more pumpkin and apple and some plain yogurt, and used egg beaters instead of eggs...if i had had it on hand, i would have used applesauce in place of the oil too!). I wanted to post the recipe here because they were just sooo delicious AND gorgeous and my husband loved them. I also made 12 big muffins instead of 18 regular-sized ones and had some leftover batter that i spooned into my tiny, top-tier cake pan. it made a scrumptious little cake that we enjoyed for dinner along with some apples and cheddar and pumpernickel bread and butter. yummy. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins:

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin (or apple) pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (or 1/2 C egg beaters)
  
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple
• 2 tablespoons wheat flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons butter
• (you could add nuts to the topping too. i think i will next time)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

i am DEFINITELY going to enter these into the fair muffin competition this year!
now i just have to think of something to make after i clean the house on saturday, before the boys from the band some over to make flyers!