PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE MUFFINS

I came up with this recipe to taste like a perfect hybrid of the pumpkin bread my mom and my aunts make for the holidays and the coffee cake you can buy at your favorite bakeshop. I call them “muffins” but they’re really like cake, so you can even serve them for a birthday or other celebration! You will not be able to stop eating these and the smell and taste of them will likely visit you in your dreams.

Makes 16 muffins

Difficulty level: Easy

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

You’ll need:

3/4 cup pecans, walnuts, or almonds, chopped

1/3 cup plus 1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. plus 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 Tbsp. plus 2 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

3 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/3 cup espresso or strong coffee, at room temperature

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Let’s do it!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
2. In a medium bowl combine nuts, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves and mix with fingers until moist and crumbly; set aside.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, espresso, milk, vanilla, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves.
4. In a large bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat with an electric mixer on low until combined. Slowly add oil and continue to mix until incorporated. With mixer running, gradually add pumpkin mixture. Increase speed to medium and beat until batter is slightly fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Fill muffin cups halfway with batter, then sprinkle evenly with 2 teaspoons streusel topping. Fill cups two-thirds to the top with remaining batter and sprinkle evenly with 2 teaspoons streusel. Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating tin halfway through baking.
6. Let sit 10 minutes before transferring muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Re-line muffin tin with 4 liners and repeat with remaining batter and streusel.